Tap Handle #670: Labatt - Duffy's Draught

Tap size:  7.5"
Rarity:  less than 10 seen, hand-made, beer retired
Mounting:  half-length 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

I wanted this tap because it is an import (Canada), features a barrel, is fairly rare, and was inexpensive.. What's unusual is that the beer name appears on all four sides of the tap. The shaft resembles a tree trunk - I'm not sure why - and since it basically looks the same from all angles I only took one photo of it. What's also unusual is the very small copper colored ferrule...I don't recall seeing that on any other tap in the collection. When viewing the tap from the front, it almost resembles a gavel. These taps pop up on the secondary market infrequently, but usually for a reasonable price.

For more about Labatt, see this post.

Click through to read more about Labatt's Duffy's Draught and to see more photos of this simple tap...

In 1998, Labatt released Duffy's Dark Lager, also known as Duffy's Draught, in attempt to compete with the growing popularity of microbrews and to capture some of their market share. Described as "a rich amber lager that is slow brewed and is the pride of our Brewmaster", Duffy's was premium priced and sold only on draft. By giving volume discounts, Labatt's strategy was to sell thousands of barrels to big restaurant chains, taking over taps and squeezing out micros while keeping production in the factory running during tough times. Without the Labatt name on it, Duffy's aimed to trick consumers into thinking they were drinking a microbrew. But consumers weren't buying what Labatt was selling (literally), and Duffy's was discontinued due to poor sales.

There is no entry on Ratebeer or Beer Advocate for Duffy's.

Source Material

Brew North: How Canadians Made Beer and Beer Made Canada By Ian Coutts

Brewed in Canada: The Untold Story of Canada's 350-Year-Old Brewing Industry by Allen Winn Sneath