Tap Handle #392: Kassick's

April 20, 2014

Tap Handle #392: Kassick's - Whaler's Wheat

Tap size: 10.25"
Rarity: Rare
Mounting: standard 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" hanger bolt

This is a great nautical themed tap from Kassick's Brewery. It has lots of great details like the bearded captain with the spyglass, the beer he is holding in his hand as waves splash up around him, and the big white whale behind him. The whale and the sign are three dimensional while the captain is flat and almost bas relief. It's my favorite tap that Kassick's makes. It's fairly rare and hard to come by, as the supply has appeared to have dried up.

Click through to read more about Kassick's Brewery, their Whaler Wheat, and to see more photos of this great tap...

Kassick's Brewery was founded in Kenai, Alaska in 2005 by Frank and Debara Kassick. Debara worked for Tesoro oil company, and Frank was employed at a fertilizer plant. She bought Frank a home brew kit for Christmas, and Frank was hooked, soon becoming a proficient home brewer. They built a shop in hopes to someday have a brewery, which was realized when they purchased a used seven barrel system, and then remodeled their building to accommodate the equipment with the help of family and friends. The brewery opened Memorial Weekend 2006, with their first brew being Beaver Tail Blonde.

Kassik's grew steadily, expanding and adding a modern bottling plant which allowed them to ship their products statewide and into Washington State. However, the brewery did meet some resistance to its brands when Carrs-Safeway refused to carry their lineup because of edgy beer names, like Morning Wood IPA and Big Nutz Imperial Brown. Still, Kassick's remained in high demand. The family brewing business continued with the addition of their son Jason as brewmaster. Currently the brewery has 8 core beers and 10 seasonal and specialty brews. Five of these varieties have won medals at the World Beer Championship.