Tap Handle #542: Gordon Biersch - Festbier

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

This is the first of two Gordon Biersch snowglobe taps I own. There were 4 different varieties, each with a unique scene within the snowglobe, and the bases have different colors as well. The base is sculpted as a group of wheat stalks with a rope tied around them. The brewery's name and the beer variety appear on the signage below the wheat tips. Inside the snowglobe, a serving girl carries a mug of beer in each hand. Off to the side is a striped pole with a banner attached to it. Behind the girl is a maypole with colored streamers attached to it. Inside the globe is a small amount of glitter, which is what gives a snowglobe its appeal. Usually you would tip and shake the tap to agitate the glitter for a nice effect, but I wouldn't recommend it in this case. The banner is very loosely attached to the striped pole, as are the streamers to the maypole; I've seen some examples of the tap that received too much shaking, and the banner or the maypole streamers had come loose, sitting on the bottom. Snowglobes are also prone to getting large air bubbles that form at the top and detract from the appearance; so far, mine is bubble-free. There were hundreds of these taps made, so they are easy to find on the secondary market and priced very reasonably.

For more about Gordon Biersch, see this post.

Click through to read more about Gordon Biersch's Festbier and to see more photos of this exquisite tap...

Gordon Biersch FestBier celebrates fall and the flavor profile of beers served at the modern-day Oktoberfest. FestBier emphasizes rich, malty undertones with a moderately hoppy finish. The maltiness is created via a combination of dark-roasted, Munich-style malt and Pilsner malt. The hoppy aroma is achieved via the imported Hallertau aroma hops. Recommended food pairings are Oktoberfest dishes such roast chicken, grilled sausages, roast pork and just about any meat dish off the grill. A traditional accompaniment for FestBier at the modern day Oktoberfest is sausages with freshly baked pretzels and thinly spiral sliced daikon radishes. Gordon Biersch's website has recipe for sausages marinated in Festbier.

Ratebeer weighted average:  3.05 out of 5

Beer Advocate:  82 out of 100 (good)