A system for dispensing beverages such as beer, lager, cider in which the beverage is transported from a beverage source 2 to a remote dispense point 5 in a flow line 6 and a source 10 of potable liquid such as water is provided that is selectively connectable to the flow line 6 at or close to the beverage source 2 to replace beverage in the flow line 6 as it is dispensed with potable liquid. The potable liquid can be introduced prior to the end of a serving period so that the flow line 6 does not contain any significant volume of beverage between serving periods. The system is configured to introduce a pre-determined volume of potable liquid that is less than the residual volume of beverage in the flow line 6 to prevent dispense of water with the beverage and that is sufficient to allow a specific number of drinks to be dispensed.