How to Make a Cute Pumpkin Keg For Serving Fall Drinks
I'm so excited to share this super cute twist on serving drinks at your next event! There are so many variations to this pumpkin keg project that you can really make it your own.
Whether you paint your pumpkin first, carve it in a way that the tap looks like it's a mouth, or use a different fruit altogether such as a watermelon; you can really let your creativity shine with this project!
Keg-tapping kit
I'm so happy I discovered this keg-tapping kit; it will make our next gathering so much more detailed. Whether it's a summer party with watermelon or a harvest party with a pumpkin, I'm sure our guests will rave about this idea of tapping real fruit!
Don't forget to throw in a cinnamon stick for garnish in your apple cider or a cute little umbrella for your watermelon drink!
Tools and materials:
- Large pumpkin
- Keg-tapping kit
- Parchment paper
- Knife
- Big spoon/scooper
- Favorite fall drink
- Cinnamon sticks
1. Carve the pumpkin
To make my pumpkin keg, I first laid down a big piece of parchment paper on my work surface so my mess was contained. Then, I cut the top of my pumpkin open and scooped out all of the insides.
I had a cookie sheet on standby to collect all of the insides because I wanted to save them for something special (see the end of the tutorial).
2. Create a hole with a carving tool
In the keg tapping kit, they have this handy dandy hole carving tool. They recommend an optional first step of cutting the bottom of the pumpkin so that it sits flat but my pumpkin was already in good shape there.
I took the hole carving tool and inserted it into the side of the pumpkin where I wanted the tap to be. The instructions for the kit also recommend that you create the hole 2-3" from the bottom of the pumpkin.
3. Install the shank
Next, I took the shank apart, inserted the front part that the tap faucet would be attached to on the outside, then took the back part of the shank inside the pumpkin where my hole was carved, and connected the two parts by twisting until the shank was tight.
4. Attach faucet
After the shank was installed, I ensured that the rubber seal was inserted into the back of the faucet, then attached it to the face of the shank and tightened the faucet.
5. Add your favorite drink
Finally, it was time to add my family's favorite fall drink to our pumpkin keg. Our local grocery store sells a really good apple cider so I grabbed a half gallon and poured it straight into the pumpkin.
Note: make sure your faucet is in the "off" position--sitting straight up--or you'll have a mess on your hands!
Bonus: roasted pumpkin seeds
Oh and of course I can't forget the last little detail... I always save the "guts" of my pumpkins when I carve them so I can make roasted pumpkin seeds.
I clean all of the orange insides off of them using a strainer, lay the clean seeds out on a lined cookie sheet, drizzle them with a little EVOO and sprinkle them with salt, then throw them in the oven at 300° for about 20 minutes. Makes for a great, healthy snack!
Note on the cost: the tap kit itself was $20, so once that investment is made, it's just a matter of just buying the fruit, drink, and garnish of choice for your keg when you have events.

Unique DIY fall project ideas
Comments
Join the conversation
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Do you think the tap could would work with butternut squash soup? Or would that be too thick?
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That's a really cute idea! If I had to guess, I would say the soup may be too thick but I couldn't say for certain--it'd just have to be a trial and error kind of thing.
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This would be great if you used pumpkin juice from Harry Potter. You can get it on Amazon.com or there might be recipes for it on line.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Could you use this on the foam carving pumpkins for sale at this time of year?