Tap Handle #459: Flying Mouse

January 08, 2015

Tap Handle #459: Flying Mouse - Five

Tap size: 11.75"
Rarity: Scarce
Mounting: standard 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

I'd like you to meet a new friend of mine. His name is Bartleby Hopsworth, and he's the official mascot of the Flying Mouse Brewery. Brewery owner Frank Moeller explains:

“I’ve always had a thing for bats (a “flying mouse” as it is called in other languages), and we initially selected a bat as the character around which the brand of the brewery would be developed. As the idea of the brewery grew, along with our thoughts of linking the brewery with the “steampunk” design concepts born out of the books of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, it was decided that the character should be an example of the spirit of invention, and actually be a mouse that invents a set of mechanical wings in order to fly. The idea of a small mouse wanting to become something so much more than it is also embodies the idea we have for the brewery experience, and how a small brewery can be about more than just making beer.”

The tap is full of all kinds of amazing little details. A bust of Bartleby at the top of the tap shows off his winged jet pack suit. Below that is a copper barrel inscribed with the word "Flymo:b", and sporting a couple of gears, one of which holds the numeric labels (see right). Under the barrel is small chamber that almost looks like beer or an energy source, with little electrical diagrams across the entire surface. At the very bottom is what looks like stitched leather. All over the tap you can find small details such as aging effects, rivets, and gauges. Another steampunk tap added to the collection is cause for celebration! I have a feeling this tap will appear more in the future as the brewery grows, but at this time the tap is scarce.

Click through to read more about Flying Mouse Brewery, their Flying Mouse Five brew, and to see more photos of this incredible tap...

Flying Mouse Brewing was founded in Troutville, Virginia in 2013 by Frank and Debbie Moeller. The couple had met as students at Virginia Tech. Frank had been homebrewing for 18 years before his wife urged him to open a brewery. Leaving his engineering job, Frank located the brewery in an abandoned concrete fabrication plant, an 18,000 square foot facility on 15 acres. Although Troutville was a small town, Frank chose it because he felt the area could support it and needed it, and the location is close to the Trans-America Bike Trial and the Appalachian Trail, where hikers, bicyclists and families are active. Also, the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors approved a $36,000 incentives package for the brewery to induce them to locate and open the brewery within the county. Frank and Debbie, as well as their partners, invested over $500,000 in capital improvements, and it took over 7 months to convert the old concrete plant to a brewery.

The brewery also contains a tasting room and beer garden. Each of the brewery’s beers are known by a number instead of a name. They cover light, medium and dark ranges, with numbers going up as the color, flavor and weight of the beers get darker and heavier. For example, Flying Mouse Three has a Kolsch base; Flying Mouse Four has an IPA base; Flying Mouse Five has a Pale Ale base; while Flying Mouse Eight has a Porter base. Seasonal beers are also being brewed. Frank chose to brew session beers due to their lower alcohol content, allowing drinkers to enjoy several at a time without being overwhelmed by a high alcohol content. Flying Mouse, available at some restaurants now, plans to install a canning line in-house to get cans into convenience stores and grocery stores.

Flying Mouse Five is Bartleby's brew of choice. An ale with a tint of crimson, not quite an amber or red, but something all of its own. Crafted from a Pale Ale foundation, the Flying Mouse Five has a defined malt character, hop flavor and finish. It’s the perfect companion to kick back and watch the world go by...also great to take along when time traveling.