Tap Handle #689: Narrows Brewing

April 16, 2018

Tap Handle #689: Narrows Brewing

Tap size: 13"
Rarity: less than 10 seen
Mounting: internal 3/8" nut

Original Narrows Tap

I was able to track this tap down thanks to a lead from one of the Museum's club members. The old Narrows tap (see photo to right) was made of metal and produced by a local machine shop. This newer tap is very similar, except it is made of resin and features a Giant Pacific octopus taking over the bridge. The octopus is a brilliant feature and shows how just a little extra creativity can make a tap a real conversation piece that draws attention. According to local legend, a 600 pound octopus lives under the Narrows Bridge, providing inspiration for the tap design. Although "King Octopus" is an urban legend, divers often do see large ones that rest in the rapid tides below the Narrows. At the top of the tap is a hexagon shape that features a sticker with the initials NB (for Narrows Brewing). This sticker is highly reflective and was difficult to photograph. Below the octopus is a small, flat area where a beer variety label can be attached. I've chosen to profile the brewery's Giant Pacific Octopus IPA, as it seems very appropriate for this tap. On each side of the tap are raised letters with the brewery's name, although they are partially obscured by octopus arms. Grooves and tiny rivets, along with texturing of the bridge surface, are other fine details found on the tap. The octopus itself is quite detailed, with eyes, a bulbous head, and arms with suckers. For now I'll classify this tap as scarce since I haven't seen one on the secondary market.

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is a pair of twin suspension bridges that span the Tacoma Narrows strait of Puget Sound in Pierce County, Washington. The bridges connect the city of Tacoma with the Kitsap Peninsula. The original Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened on July 1, 1940 and was nicknamed "Galloping Gertie" because of the vertical movement of the deck observed by construction workers during windy conditions. The bridge became known for its pitching deck, and collapsed into Puget Sound the morning of November 7, 1940, under high wind conditions (see video above). Engineering issues, as well as the United States' involvement in World War II, postponed plans to replace the bridge for several years; the replacement bridge was opened on October 14, 1950. By 1990, population growth and development on the Kitsap Peninsula caused traffic on the bridge to exceed its design capacity; as a result, in 1998 Washington voters approved a measure to support building a parallel bridge. The new bridge opened to carry eastbound traffic on July 15, 2007, while the 1950 bridge was reconfigured to carry westbound traffic. At the time of their construction, both the 1940 and 1950 bridges were the third-longest suspension bridges in the world in terms of main span length, behind the Golden Gate Bridge and George Washington Bridge. Currently the 1950 and 2007 bridges are the fifth-longest suspension bridge spans in the United States and the 43rd-longest in the world.

View of the Narrows Bridge from the brewery

The Giant Pacific octopus is a large marine cephalopod. It lives in the coastal North Pacific, along California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Russia, northern Japan, and Korea. It can be found down to 6,600 feet. It is arguably the largest octopus species, based on a record 156 pound individual. The octopus has eight arms, each of which has two rows of suckers. Many of the suckers are lined with hooks for adhesion. The web between the arms can be expanded to form a parachute-like structure to capture prey. In the center of the arms is a mouth, containing beak and radula (toothed-tongue). Using a siphon, they are able to eject water to reach speeds up to 25 mph. They tend to use their arms as legs, and slowly crawl along the bottom. The siphon is also used to expel ink for escaping predators. The entire body of the octopus is compressible, so they are able to fit through any opening slightly bigger than the size of their beaks. Octopuses are cool-blooded, and have three hearts and blue, copper-based blood. An octopus can change the color of its skin and alter its skin texture, giving it the ability to blend into the environment. It preys upon shrimp, crabs, scallop, abalone, clams, lobsters, and fish, while marine mammals such as harbor seals, sea otters, and sperm whales depend upon the Giant Pacific octopus as a source of food. It is considered to be long-lived compared to other species, with lifespans typically 3-5 years in the wild. Octopuses are ranked as the most intelligent invertebrates, and can recognize humans that they frequently come in contact with. They have the ability to solve simple puzzles, open childproof bottles, and have been known to open tank valves and disassemble expensive equipment in aquariums.

Narrows Bridge and Giant Pacific octopus info courtesy of Wikipedia.

Click through to read more about Narrows Brewing, their Giant Pacific Octopus IPA, and to see more photos of this wondrous tap...

Narrows Brewing Company was founded in Tacoma, Washington in 2012 by Scott Wagner, his wife Sue, and 4 other managing partners. The group of 6 friends, who had a passion for great beer, got the idea to open a brewery in Tacoma because of the city's rich brewing history. Wagner and his partners had been working to rejuvenate the 26 acres and 24 buildings around the historic Narrows Marina since they purchased it in 2006, as much of the marina had fallen into disrepair by the early 2000s. The unique 9,000 square foot site originally opened as a lumber mill in 1912 and was converted into the Narrows Marina in 1949. From the windows, the vast expanse of the Puget Sound, Fox Island, and the Olympic Mountains are visible. In the center of the view is a postcard panorama of the Narrows Bridge, so Wagner thought it was only fitting to name the brewery Narrows Brewing Company, and adopt the original 1940 Narrows Bridge as their icon. They had metal tap handles resembling the bridge towers forged at a local machine shop.

The building underwent dramatic renovations, which including constructing 3 separate tap rooms and a 55 foot long main bar made with reclaimed wood from the original Day Island Bridge, and a 15-barrel brewhouse was installed. The interior is maritime-themed with octopus decor and vintage pictures of the old Narrows Bridge hanging on the walls. There is also a 20,000 square foot space beneath its brewery and tasting room built over the incoming and outgoing tide, which keeps the space at a near constant 50°F, perfect for barrel aging using an Infantile barrel age system. Narrows Brewing hired Joe Walts, who was working as a quality manager at Ale Asylum in Wisconsin, to be Head Brewer and help oversee construction. Walts had been in the craft beer profession since 2003 and learned his brewing basics at the Siebel Institute after homebrewing for several years. The brewery opened in 2013 with six beers on tap.

In early 2015 ten additional taps were added in the taproom by building a new cooler system in the loft of the brewery. However, just one month later Head Brewer Walts announced he was returning to Wisconsin to be closer to his family. The brewery then turned to Mike Davis to become their new Head brewer. Davis was formerly the Head Brewer at Harmon Brewing for 15 years. He helped open Hi-Fi Brewing in Redmond, Washington and was helping Twelve Rounds Brewing in Sacramento, California get started when Narrows Brewing called. He has won multiple national awards from the Great American Beer Festival, as well as the North American Brewers Association. Davis left many of the current brews intact while developing new brews such as an innovative winter IPA called Ring of Fire. Named after the volcanic rim of the Pacific Ocean, Davis obtained ingredients from countries that reside in that part of the world, including hops from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Washington, and Oregon, grain from Patagonia, Hawaiian red sea salt, and purple mountain rice from the Philippines.

One of the most unique features of the brewery is the ability to get there by boat. Wagner, who is also the marina manager and a boater himself, wanted the site to become a destination for the South Puget Sound, so the brewery has a guest dock for approximately 30 boats and allows moorage free of charge for brewery visitors. While food is not currently offered, Narrows Brewing encourages guests to bring in outside food from their neighbor, Boathouse 19, as well as food trucks like the Smokin’ Zees BBQ and Los 3 Hermanos. Core beers include Galloping Gertie Golden Ale (paying homage the nickname of the old Narrow Bridge), Giant Pacific Octopus IPA, and Orca Mike Red Ale, as well as a host of seasonal options that rotate. Growlers, bottled beer, and swag are available for purchase. Two of the three taprooms are available to rent for private parties, and the main taproom hosts special events and trivia nights. Future development plans for the site include condos and possible retail space.

The Narrows Brewing Company is also no stranger to doing their part for the community. Aside from hosting events that helped support the Emergency Food Network and the NW Furniture Bank, they also periodically release beers where a portion of the proceeds go to support veterans and their families. For example, the Lead the Way IPA benefits the Pointe du Hoc Foundation, which supports the 2nd Battalion Rangers and their families. There is also the Release Point IPA, a beer brewed specially for the Night Stalker Association West, a non-profit that supports soldiers of the Army’s 4/160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne).

Giant Pacific Octopus is a northwest style IPA that pours a hazy orange with a thick fluffy white head, and has notes of citrus and pine. Grapefruit comes through strong in the body with a strong hop finish. The orange color and big head conjures up an image of a giant octopus lurking under the Narrows.