Tap Handle #691: Florida Beer Company - Key West Sunset Ale

Tap size:  10.75"
Rarity:  fragile
Mounting:  internal 3/8" nut

There is very little documentation to be found, at least on the Internet, about the Key West Brewing Company. Acquired by Ybor City Brewery a few years before they in turn were acquired by Florida Beer Company, Key West Brewing remains an enigma. The earliest I recall seeing this tap on the secondary market is 2007, which places its production firmly a couple of years after Florida Beer acquired Ybor City, and that means the tap itself has no direct tie to the original brewery. Yet this Sunset Ale, as well as Southernmost Wheat (the tap of which will be profiled here in the Museum in the distant future), are two Key West brews still being produced today, which is why you can still easily find and acquire this tap. It features a conch shell on top of a pier footing, with rope and metal bands wrapped around the top and bottom of the tap, though it is not real rope or metal. The former brewery's name, now a brand, appears as raised letters along the footing. At the top is a place for a label. I have seen several different colored Sunset Ale labels, and one version of the tap actually has the beer name sculpted in raised letters in place of a label. As I stated above, this is a fairly easy tap to find, and it is inexpensive, but it is hard to find them without damage...especially the points of the conch shell, which are fragile and prone to breaking off. Fun fact: Key West is also known as the "Conch Republic", which explains why a conch shell is found on the top of the tap.

For more about Florida Beer Company, see this post.

Click through to read more about Florida Beer Company's Sunset Ale and to see more photos of this vibrant tap...

Key West Sunset Ale is an American medium bodied amber ale. Carefully selected hop varieties create the perfect balance of biscuit flavors and toasted malt, all finished with a mild hoppy freshness. Recommended food pairings are cheeseburgers, chili, conch chowder, Romano cheese and lemon meringue pie. Sunset Ale, based on an original recipe from the original Key West Brewery, was awarded the 2015 Bronze Medal in the Best Florida Beer Championships and the 2007 Gold Medal in the Best Florida Beer Championships.

Ratebeer weighted average:  2.69 out of 5

Beer Advocate:  3.06 out of 5 (okay)