Hawkstone Black Keg Hire
Hawkstone Black is a 4.2% nitro stout, not a dark lager. We supply 50L kegs with an S-Type coupler, 70/30 mixed gas and a cooler set for cellar temperature.
Wedding or party with 80 adults or more in England or Wales? We can bring a fully staffed cash bar for £150 instead. Guests pay at the bar and there is no minimum spend.
Hawkstone Black keg specifications
Officially Hawkstone Black, “the smooth one”. Trade lists it as a nitro stout: roasted coffee and dark chocolate from the malt, then Target and Goldings bitterness. It needs nitrogen mix, not the CO2 used on Hawkstone lagers.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Keg size | 50L |
| Pint count | About 88 pints, depending on head |
| Coupler Type | S-Type |
| Gas required | 70/30 mixed gas (70% nitrogen, 30% CO2) |
| ABV | 4.2% |
| Best served | Cellar temperature (8–12°C) |
70/30 gas, not extra-cold lager
Plain CO2 turns Black into a fizzy dark beer. We supply 70/30 mixed gas so it can surge and settle. Unlike Guinness (U-Type), Hawkstone Black trade kegs take an S-Type Sankey head.
Serve it at cellar temperature, not 3°C. Icing a nitro stout kills the texture. Choose Black when you want a British nitro stout on the same coupler family as the rest of the Hawkstone bar, or when Guinness is not the named drink.
Do you need a cooler?
Use a cooler to hold 8–12°C, not to extra-chill it. In a warm marquee the cooler stops it going flabby. In a cellar you may not need one.
The Hawkstone keg range
Hawkstone is the Cotswold farm brand. The drinks below are different products, not one lager with a swapped name. We hire them as separate 50L kegs.
- Hawkstone Lager
- Session Lager
- Hawkstone Pilsner
- Hawkstone IPA
- Hawkstone Black (this page)
- Hawkstone Cider
- Hawkstone Hedgerow
What's included?
- 50L Hawkstone Black keg
- S-Type coupler
- 70/30 mixed gas bottle
- Temperature-controlled cooler
- Delivery and setup
- Full refund on unused sealed kegs
How we pour Hawkstone Black
Two-part pour, then wait. Do not treat it like Session Lager.
S-Type and 70/30
Fit the Sankey coupler and confirm the gas is 70/30 before the first pour.
Part fill
Glass at 45 degrees, tap fully open, stop around three-quarters.
Let it settle
Wait until the surge drops to a dark body and a cream head.
Top up slowly
Finish so the head sits just proud of the rim.
How it works
A straightforward hire, from first enquiry through to collection.
Tell us the brief
Send the date, venue and guest numbers, and whether you want Hawkstone Black on its own or as part of a Hawkstone bar.
We spec the kit
We confirm the 50L keg, S-Type coupler and the right gas before anything leaves the warehouse.
Delivery and setup
We deliver, connect the lines and pull the first pints so the system is pouring correctly.
Collection
After the event we collect the keg, gas and cooler. Any unused keg that is still sealed at collection is refunded in full.
Coverage and logistics
Black is the Hawkstone we send when the room wants a stout and the rest of the bar is already Hawkstone on S-Type. Delivery is from the Midlands. See areas we cover.
If guests named Guinness specifically, hire Guinness instead. Other Hawkstone drinks and the main keg hire list are linked below.
Hire packages
Prices depend on location and date. We quote each event rather than listing a flat national rate.
Keg only (dry hire)
For venues that already have the correct coupler, gas and cooler.
- 50L Hawkstone Black keg
- Delivery and collection
- No gas or cooler included
Full setup
Keg, cooler, gas and setup so you can pour at the venue.
- 50L Hawkstone Black keg
- Cooler set for cellar temperature
- 70/30 gas, regulator, tap and lines
- Professional setup