Tap Handle #433: 4 Paws

October 09, 2014

Tap Handle #433: 4 Paws

Tap size: 11"
Rarity: Scarce
Mounting: internal 3/8" nut

Dog lovers will enjoy this tap. The dog (as well as much of the brewery's theme) is modeled after Sadie, a pup that 4 Paws owners Matt and Meghan adopted in 2010. Sadie had a really rough start (her owners were wanted by the police and skipped town, leaving her behind in an abandoned house without food) but she recovered well and has been great ever since. The tap is beautifully detailed, with Sadie's likeness, hops and wheat stalks, printing of Chicago skyscrapers, their motto "1st Class Beer for the Second City", and their logo. I've never seen another on the open market, and with the brewery closed, they are very hard to find.

Click through to read more about 4 Paws Brewing, their Bitchin Brown Ale, and to see more photos of this wonderful tap...

4 Paws Brewing was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 2013 by Matt and Meghan Gebhardt. They were home brewers who dreamed of owning their own brewery, and began fundraising to overcome the startup costs. They started out with a stove-top setup while scouting locations for their future brewery. They raised enough money to establish a 15 barrel brewhouse, and settled on 4 flagship beers: Pioneer Red, Blueberry Lou, Fawn Blonde, and Brown Dog Stout. In addition, they also brewed some special and seasonal varieties.

In 2014 the Gebhardts decided to close the brewery. The brewery was not in financial trouble and could have kept brewing beer, but the Gebhardts received what they called "an incredible offer" and sold the brewery to Strange Pelican Brewing. Strange Pelican had been waiting for building permits at their Fulton location, and when the opportunity to buy the 4 Paws location and equipment came up they couldn't pass it up. The Gebhardts retained the 4 Paws brand so they can revive it in the future if they choose to.

4 Paws Bitchin Brown was a malty, slightly nutty brown ale developed in collaboration with Hamburger Mary's, an open air bar and grill in Chicago. No entry for this brew exists on Ratebeer or Beer Advocate.