Tap Handle #734: Wildrose

November 07, 2019

Tap Handle #734: Wildrose

Tap size: 11.25"
Rarity: less than 10 seen
Mounting: internal 3/8" nut

I purchased this tap from a friend and fellow club member who gave me a great deal on it, and I wanted it badly. The detail on this tap is incredible...it is basically a three sided tap, with a skull on each side. Underneath each skull is a pink colored rose. A sign on the front top has the name of the brewery, while another sign under the rose says "Brewing". The skulls, roses and signs are attached to a rust-colored, leather-clad post in the center that has barb wire wrapped around it. The tap has so much character, and the skulls definitely lend a morbid, creepy factor - but in a cool way, of course - this is a highly desirable collectible! No beer variety is found on the tap; instead it is used for all of the brewery's varieties (I'll be profiling their Mad Cow Milk Stout). This was one of the ten taps I was looking forward to profiling in my anniversary post from last year, so I'm happy to finally get it done. This tap has certainly been pretty scarce, with only perhaps a half dozen appearing on the secondary market at premium prices.

Note: Wildrose Brewing is not to be confused with Wild Rose Brewery, which was a Canadian brewer that was eventually consumed by Sleeman.

Click through to read more about Wildrose Brewing, their Mad Cow Milk Stout, and to see more photos of this incredible tap...

Wildrose Brewing was founded in Griffith, Indiana in 2015 by David DeJong, his wife Karen DeJong, Ed Halajcsik, Tony Nicola and Kevin Krippel. The five owners had been neighbors in a subdivision in Schererville, and they were all into home brewing out of their garages. They called themselves Wildrose Brewing (after the name of their neighborhood, Wildrose Lane), and neighbors and friends enjoyed the results of their labor at summer parties and football Sundays. This continued for over three and a half years, and after winning several awards, and various comments from tasters, they realized that their home brewed Craft Beer was as good if not better than many craft beers on the market. The group decided they wanted to be able to share their passion with more people, and kept the name Wildrose for the new brewery.

After months of planning, the first hurdle was to find a location. After looking at several properties that just didn't fit, they finally found an empty pole barn in Griffith. A 6,000 plus square foot former refractory business, the building needed a considerable amount of mechanical and cosmetic improvements, which the landlord agreed to make. Once done, it looked like a brand new building. They installed a 7 barrel system, and converted 2,000 square feet into a brewpub with a spacious outdoor patio. The walls feature brightly painted murals, the floors are concrete, and there are steel and metal accents. Initially they had a barbecue focused food menu prepared by a caterer, but Wildrose added their own kitchen in 2016, with appetizers including baked crab artichoke dip, jumbo pub pretzel and Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds. Sandwiches include the Wildrose pub burger with red wine onion jam, jerk pulled pork and turkey panini. Burgers and pot roast grilled cheese are also popular. The theme is high-quality pub fare.

Wildrose has several core beers, including a red rye pale ale, a coconut milk stout, a Citra-hop IPA, and an Imperial Coffee Stout. A Double IPA, along with another Wildrose house selection, LOIPA, are flavor creations that were originally owner-brewing experiments using “leftover’ ingredients that were on hand. The coffee stout is made with Sumatran coffee roasted by nearby Bridgeport Coffee Company. In addition to their own craft beers, red and white wine and hard ciders are offered for non-beer drinkers. They also have an occasional guest beer on tap. The brewery hosts open mic jam nights on Thursdays, live performers on Friday nights and quarterly art exhibits curated by South Lake Artists Co-op.

Wildrose Brewing's Mad Cow was developed by co-owners David and Karen DeJong and is the brewery's highest rated beer. It is sweet smooth milk stout aged with coconut.