Tap Handle #724: Departed Soles

July 27, 2019

Tap Handle #724: Departed Soles

Tap size: 11.5"
Rarity: less than 10 seen
Mounting: 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

I received this tap back in March from Brian Kulbacki, the owner of Departed Soles Brewing. I wish I could have finished this post sooner, as I really wanted to get Brian's story out there, but better late than never I guess! At the top of the tap is a sign bearing the brewery's name, and a pedestal at the base of the tap allows a place to put a label for the beer variety (I'm going to profile A Dark Night Black IPA). The main feature of the tap is the Statue of Liberty holding a mug of beer and wearing sneakers. The iconic statue is resting against a brick wall that has "graffiti" written on it, including the words "New Jersey". The statue and the graffiti reflect the fact that the brewery is located in Jersey City, and the sneakers are a passion of Brian's. In small letters above the graffiti art you will see "RIP CW". This refers to Brian's friend Chris Ward, and when you read the rest of the post, the meaning of this will become very clear. I've seen maybe a half dozen hit the secondary market at prices over $100. The brewery shows some different, plainer taps on their social media accounts, so I'm not sure if the tap is still being produced.

Click through to read more about Departed Soles Brewing and to see more photos of this symbolic tap...

Departed Soles Brewing Company was founded in 2015 in Jersey City, New Jersey by Brian Kulbacki. Brewing became a passion of Kulbacki's after he spent time working at a dive bar in Boston, and then living where craft beer seemed impossible to find. He ended up managing his family's funeral service business. In 2009, his older brother got him a home brewing kit for Christmas. Kulbacki and his best friend Chris Ward dreamed of opening a brewery, and jokingly called their home brewing operation "Dead Man's Brewing Company" due to Kulbacki's funeral service ties. When Ward was diagnosed with Celiac’s Disease, which meant he could not consume gluten, Kulbacki started looking for ways to brew beers they both could enjoy as they geeked out over tennis shoes and experimented with "mad science" beer. When Ward, a teacher, passed away as the result of a car accident in 2010 while driving to his second job as a server at a restaurant, Kulbacki was devastated, his life falling apart. Eventually, with the support of his family, he figured out that the best way to honor Ward's memory and move on, would be to revive their dream of opening a brewery.

Kulbacki was accepted in to the American Brewers Guild Brewing School's Intensive Brewing Science and Engineering program, with a focus on Breweries in Planning, and graduated in December of 2012. He knew he was going to start a gluten-free craft brewery and was the first brewer specializing in gluten-free beer to graduate the school. Kulbacki started a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, and by 2015 opening the brewery became a reality when Departed Soles Brewing Company officially launched, despite some unforeseen costs that pushed the brewery beyond the start up budget and initial investment. Kulbacki chose a name that was a play on words of his previous profession, as well as reflecting his and Ward's love of sneakers, but it also represented those who "do something a little different, defy the odds, go against expectations, and chase their own dreams." The brewery opened in the Powerhouse Arts District in Jersey City, next door to gelato shop Bucket and Bay. While many properties had been considered as a site for the brewery, often times zoning regulations, difficult landlords, or equipment woes got in the way. Ironically, the property that they now call home was one of the first they tried to get.

Departed Soles was Jersey City's first craft brewery and only the second functioning commercial brewery and tasting room in Hudson County. It was also the first brewery in the state of New Jersey that specialized in making gluten free craft beer. One of two beers produced at launch, GoodbiPA became the flagship gluten free offering of the brewery, and it won the popular "Specialty" category of New York City's Homebrew Alley, placing 3rd overall out of 777 entries. The brewery's other launch beer, A Dark Knight, which is a Black IPA, won a Bronze Medal at the 2016 World Beer Cup in Philadelphia in the Gluten-Free Beer category. Departed Soles beers can be found all over the state of New Jersey and are carried in the most popular bars in Jersey City, such as Barcade and Porta, as well as many local restaurants.

When designing the interior of the brewery, Kulbacki wanted to bring the bright colors and murals from the streets of Jersey City inside the tasting room. Flights are served on mini skateboards. Classic 80s and 90s rule the decor and music, and plenty of board games abound, including a hugely over-sized Connect Four. If the bright colors don’t make you feel happy, being greeted by Brian’s dog Bogan will. Bogan is an Australian Shepherd and has a beer named after him that is a 10% Barleywine; 100% of the proceeds from Bogan's beer are donated to the local animal shelter. It goes without saying that Departed Soles is a dog-friendly brewery.

Since breweries in NJ cannot legally sell food, guests are encouraged to support several restaurants nearby by bringing their carry out meals to Departed Soles. The tasting room is open five days a week and welcomes guests to take a tour, sample beers, kick back with friends, or to pick up some beers to go. In addition to their support of local restaurants, the brewery works in tandem with many other neighborhood businesses to host unique collaborations, such as Yoga and Beer, and has live music nights with musicians. The brewery also has a White Stout paired with brioche doughnuts in collaboration with Montclair Bread. Departed Soles not only has gluten-free options (6, in fact!), but vegan ones as well.

Departed Soles Brewing Company is dedicated to the memory of Chris Ward.

The award-winning launch beer of Departed Soles, A Dark Night, is a gluten free, Black IPA designed to taste like a Black & Tan shaken up… hoppy, dank, resinous on the nose, malty and roasty on the back end. It has a rotating availability in colder months. This amazing beer won a Bronze Medal at the 2016 World Beer Cup.