Carlsberg Draughtmaster

Designing in pursuit of better

An estimated 65 percent of customers prefer draught beer to bottled, but serving it requires complex, space-consuming systems that are difficult to manage for venues with limited staff or those wanting flexibility in small batches. Additionally, with a shelf life of just five days once tapped, traditional draught beer often leads to unsold leftovers, impacting profitability for venues with unpredictable sales.

Carlsberg approached us to help redefine a category where previous products struggled due to poor user experience, bulky systems, and uninspiring design. Leveraging our expertise in research, UX, industrial design, and engineering, we crafted a solution that embodies Carlsberg’s vision of ‘Brewing in Pursuit of Better.’ Our multidisciplinary, user-centric approach was key to executing a complete redesign and propelling Carlsberg forward in the market.

Blending innovation and elegance

Our team identified several key insights during their field research, one of which was the need for a truly compact countertop solution – essential for smaller venues like bars, cafés, and restaurants. Using a multidisciplinary, iterative approach, we quickly prototyped and tested various product architectures. By raising the drip tray, we created space underneath for components, resulting in a surprisingly compact unit with an additional two litres capacity and a smaller footprint than competitors, while also providing an improved ergonomic pouring height.

Our team developed an innovative folding beer tower to improve the user experience of changing the heavy 10 litre kegs – a cumbersome experience that previously required two staff members. The folding tower allows a single user to access the keg at an ergonomic height, making changes efficient and user-friendly. The design’s exposed back and sliding cassette system further simplify monthly tube replacements.

To address issues with inadequate beer cooling, we designed a grooved base pattern that conceals strategically positioned air vents for optimal airflow and enhanced cooling efficiency. Additionally, an optimized thermal insulation layer around the keg helps maintain ideal temperatures, keeping the cold in and the heat out. This design ensures the beer remains consistently cold, prevents overheating, and minimises foam – delivering a perfect pour every time.

Aesthetics are key to ensuring the product matches the sophistication of target venues while also expressing the promise of a refreshing beer. The design combines elements from professional brewing equipment with timeless elegance, seamlessly fitting upscale environments, including high-end wine bars. The brushed metal dome evokes traditional brewing tanks, conveying a sense of premium quality, while the chrome beer tower with its “frog-eye” branding detail mirrors larger, permanent brewing systems. Paired with a generous ergonomic handle, the design empowers staff to serve quality beer with confidence and professionalism.

The user experience has been thoughtfully simplified with a minimalistic light strip interface that animates and changes colour to indicate key statuses, such as beer volume and optimal serving temperature, ensuring staff can monitor the system at a glance. Complementing this, the Extra10 is supported by a companion app providing deeper insights, including real-time data on pour volume and timing, live alerts for pre-cooling the next keg, and preventative maintenance notifications – all designed to minimise downtime and ensure consistent product quality.

Revolutionising draught beer service

Extra10 represents a major advancement in draught beer systems, offering an integrated, user-friendly solution that blends innovation with elegance. Throughout the project, we collaborated closely with the Carlsberg team – starting from the initial onsite user research to engineering solutions, refining the final surfacing, and defining CMF (Colour, Material, Finish) specifications. This deep collaboration ensured that every aspect of the product was crafted with the end user in mind.

Since its launch in March 2024, early adopters are already applauding the system’s seamless installation, improved quality, and enhanced operational flexibility. By allowing venues to offer a broader range of draught options effortlessly, it’s transforming the customer experience and reducing waste. This encouraging market response underscores the product’s potential to redefine the standards of draught beer service.