Tap Handle #457: Zuma - Cancun Pilsner

December 30, 2014

Tap Handle #457: Zuma - Cancun Pilsner

Tap size: 11"
Rarity: Scarce
Mounting: large 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

The first thing you notice about the Zuma Cancun tap is the beautiful deep blue color of the lizard hanging on the side. Its tail is wrapped around the base of the tap. At the very bottom appears the words "Atlanta, GA". On the back is a mark we have seen on other taps profiled on this site like Rock Creek Nuttrageous and Drop Kick: an S inside of a C, followed by an '05, dating the tap to the height of Zuma Brewing's success, when their beers were winning regional competitions. I really wanted this tap for the beautiful lizard and also because the brewery is closed and the tap is scarce...I have never seen another.

Click through to read more about Zuma Brewing, their Cancun Pilsner, and to see more photos of this vibrant tap...

Zuma Brewing was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003 by Filiberto Prieto. Locating the brewery in a former Sweetwater Brewing building, Prieto targeted his beers for the Latino market, even using lager yeast originating in Mexico City, and by 2005 had won several regional awards for his beers. Zuma also did contract brewing for Terrapin Brewing. However, the brewery had a tough time with Georgia's restrictive regulations, in which breweries could not have brewpubs on site, brewpubs could not sell their beer off restaurant premises, and it was illegal for brewers to pour their own products at festivals, or any event outside the brewery (these are just a few examples). Prieto had to get a special permit (and assistance from the police department) just to serve beer in the parking lot. These restrictions, combined with the small niche Latino market and poor sales, led to the brewery's closure in 2008, after only 5 years in operation. Terrapin acquired most of Zuma's equipment for their Athens location that they were opening around the same time that Zuma was closing.

Cancun was a medium-bodied Pilsner style beer, brewed with 100% German malted barley and hops, and fermented with lager yeast originating in Mexico City. It was well-balanced with a slightly hoppy finish.