Tap Handle #506: Beggars Brewery

July 23, 2015

Tap Handle #506: Beggars Brewery

Tap size: 11.5"
Rarity: Very Rare
Mounting: standard 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

This beautiful tap was designed to reflect on everything that has put Traverse City on several "top ten small towns in America" lists (and it was also voted most beautiful place in America by Good Morning America viewers). The guitar symbolizes the Traverse City Music Festival, while the fish is indicative of the abundant trout and salmon fishing, and the trees represent the heavily forested aspect of the city. The backdrop of the tap is actually a large snowshoe, which is a reference to the several ski resorts in the area. The popular local slogan "Up North" appears on a band across the snowshoe, while the brewery logo resides on the upper part of the snowshoe. At the bottom of the tap are two small bands with the words "Traverse City, Michigan" on them. The front and back of the tap are reverse images of each other, meaning the two sides are not alike. It does not have a label and is used for all varieties of the brewery's beer (I will be profiling Old Friends Pale Ale, their flagship beer). The tap is rare; only 25 were originally sold to the public to help raise funds for operating costs, and other taps went to distributors. Combined with the small size of the brewery, the tap is of limited quantity, although the secondary market price has been very affordable.

Click through to read more about Beggars Brewery, their Old Friends Pale Ale, and to see more photos of this symbolic tap...

Beggars Brewery was founded in 2011 in Traverse City, Michigan by Michael B. Rizik III. Rizik was a Michigan native who studied film at St. John's University before returning to Michigan State University to study Viticulture. At MSU he started home-brewing and developing a serious passion for beer making. After college Rizik traveled around a bit including a stint as a winemaker in Oregon, eventually settling in Traverse City. While spending time in local pubs and breweries and seeing the engaging atmosphere, he decided he wanted to become a brewer. Rizik traveled to Chicago to study brewing at the Siebel Institute of Technology, and then moved on to The World Brewing Academy in Munich, Germany.

After graduating, he came back to Traverse City and started brewing at a local brew pub with an eye towards opening his own brewery. The dream became a reality when he found a location for his production facility, located in Chums Corners near Wuerfel Field, in the fall of 2011. His goal was to specialize in hand-crafted ales inspired by local ingredients. Rizik then put together a Kickstarter campaign to raise capital for equipment and construction, In 2012 he began brewing beer, but setbacks delayed the opening of the taproom, which was still not complete as of mid 2015. The brewery's beers can be found in restaurants, pubs, and bars all over Michigan.

Old Friends Pale Ale is the brewery's flagship beer. A light bodied and crisp American Style Pale Ale, it is brewed with 100% local hops. This beer is perfect for those warm summer nights or for sitting on the river bank.