Multi-channel local beverage cooler

An apparatus for communicating a plurality of pressurized beers from respective kegs to respective taps, and chilling the beers as they are being so communicated, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a liquid coolant container;
• (b) liquid coolant disposed within the container;
• (c) a chiller for keeping the coolant within the container at a selected temperature;
• (d) a set of channels, one for each keg, extending through the container and continuously bathed in the liquid coolant, each channel including a beer ingress and a beer egress;
• (e) a set of lines, one for each keg, for communicating beer from said each keg to the ingress of the keg's corresponding channel, and
• (f) a set of lines, one for each channel, for communicating beer from said each channel egress to a corresponding tap.

An apparatus for communicating a set of pressurized beers from respective kegs to respective taps, and chilling the beer(s) as they are being so communicated, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a liquid coolant container;
• (b) liquid coolant disposed within the container;
• (c) a chiller for keeping the coolant within the container at a selected temperature;
• (d) a set of channels, one for each keg, extending through the container and continuously bathed in the liquid coolant, each channel including a beer ingress and a beer egress;
• (e) a set of lines, one for each keg, for communicating beer from said each keg to the ingress of the keg's corresponding channel;
• (f) a set of lines, one for each channel, for communicating beer from said each channel egress to a corresponding tap;
• (g) a source conduit communicating pumped coolant from the chiller to the container;
• (h) a return conduit communicating coolant from the container to the chiller;
• (i) a bypass for communicating coolant from the source conduit to the return conduit without the container;
• and
• (j) selectively actuated valve means for blocking the bypass when actuated and blocking circulation through the container when not actuated.