Tap Handle #479: Cisco - Sankaty Light Lager

March 23, 2015

Tap Handle #479: Cisco - Sankaty Light Lager

Tap size: 10.5"
Rarity: Scarce
Mounting: internal 3/8" nut

Sankaty Light represents another lighthouse based on a real structure, the Sankaty Head Lighthouse. This tap is a "newer model"...the old Sankaty Light tap (pictured at right) is wooden, with a smooth surface, decals of the Cisco symbol and beer name, and small black circles in windows of the lantern room. It also has a ferrule. My tap is made of resin, with sculpted bricks, a sculpted and raised Cisco symbol, and the beer name carved into the base along with windows and a door. A railing is sculpted outside the lantern room, and yellow circles are painted on the windows to simulate the lantern light. A small patch of green grass circles the very bottom of the lighthouse, and there is no ferrule. I'm calling my version of the tap scarce since I have never seen another.

The Sankaty Head Light is a lighthouse located on Nantucket Island. The shoals off the eastern coast of Nantucket had a long history as a hazard to navigation. The United States government decided in the 1840s that a prominent lighthouse should be erected to alert mariners to that hazard. Congress appropriated $12,000 for its construction in 1848, with additional funds totaling $8,000 in following years. The light went into service in 1850, located at the easternmost point of the island in the village of Siasconset. The tower is 60 feet high; its lower portion is constructed of brick, and its upper part is granite. The light's turning mechanism was powered by a weight-driven brass clockwork,

A brick house was built next to the tower at the time of its construction to house the light keeper's family. In 1887 this house was torn down and a new structure was built. Renovations to the tower at the time included installation of a new lantern section, adding some 10 feet to its height. In 1933 the light was electrified, and the mechanical works to turn it were taken out of service. It was one of the first lighthouses in the United States to receive a Fresnel lens, which was removed in 1950, and is now at the Nantucket Whaling Museum. The light was fully automated in 1965. In 1987, the lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Sconset Land Trust acquired the lighthouse in 2007, and had it moved away from the eroding bluff (approximately 400 feet) in October of that year.

For more about Cisco Brewing, see this post.

Click through to read more about Cisco's Sankaty Light Lager, and to see more photos of this brilliant tap...

Sankaty Light was originally an American Golden Ale, but after the yeast strain was changed, it is now a lager. This delicious creation is light-bodied with tremendous balance and distinct hop character. At 3.8% alcohol and 126 calories this light beer has true flavor and body while being easy to drink and easier on the waistline.