Tap Handle #681: Belmond Charleston Place Thoroughbred Club

February 03, 2018

Tap Handle #681: Belmond Charleston Place Thoroughbred Club - Thoroughbred XXX

Tap size: 7.5"
Rarity: less than 10 seen, small scale
Mounting: large gold 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

I've had this tap for a few years, but had no idea what brewery it was associated with. My efforts to find any information about it yielded nothing. I thought it might perhaps be a distillery tap, but nothing turned up there, either. Fortunately the Amazing Tap Handles Collectors Club came through. Club Member Graham shared his all-knowing wisdom and revealed that the tap belongs to the Thoroughbred Club, a lounge within Belmond Charleston Place, a hotel in Charleston, South Carolina. To the upper right you can see a photo of the tap (along with taps for Thoroughbred IPA and Pilsner) within the bar, taken from the Thoroughbred Club's Facebook page. It's a very elegant tap, painted as one solid color and very detailed. It reminds me a little bit of the Budweiser Clydesdale Heritage tap. Since this tap is small, there was no reason to take extra photos with a higher zoom. As an exclusive to the Thoroughbred Club, the quantity of this tap would have to be extremely limited, and I've never seen another except for the bar's own photos.

Click through to read more about Belmond Charleston Place and its Thoroughbred Club, and to see more photos of this elegant tap...

Downtown Charleston had a very different feel in the 70s and 80s: with the city’s businesses relocating to the suburbs, the center of Charleston was fast becoming desolate. But, in 1977, then-mayor Joe Riley had a plan to get people back on the streets. It was a plan that centered around Belmond Charleston Place. This grand new hotel breathed life into the region, drawing businesses and visitors back to the city. Consistently ranked among the best hotels in the world by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines, Belmond Charleston Place evokes the feeling of a grand, 17th century residence, from its lush personal suites to the Italian marble lobby with its signature Georgian Open Arm staircase and 12-foot crystal chandelier. The staff of the hotel is dedicated to indulging its guests with the finest in Southern hospitality, and has become the choice of celebrities, princes and politicians. Guests can enjoy the hotel’s award-winning restaurants, full service spa and horizon-edge swimming pool with retractable glass roof.

The Thoroughbred Club at Belmond Charleston Place hotel pays homage to the oldest Jockey Club in America, which was founded in 1792. Although the track closed in 1882, the Thoroughbred Club recaptures some of its spirit with a lounge that exudes the casual sophistication of a social club where horseracing aficionados and betting men would gather for a day at the derby. In 2016 the Thoroughbred Club at Belmond Charleston Place nearly doubled its seating capacity, thanks to an expansion “northward” through a former service area and onto a landscaped patio. In addition to expanding its footprint, the lounge updated its interior with new carpets, and seating done in plush upholstery and rich leathers. It features signature cocktails, tapas style appetizers, live jazz music, and draft beer, including 3 of its own offerings which are contract brewed by a local brewery.