Tap Handle #742 - Three Huskies

December 30, 2019

Tap Handle #742 - Three Huskies

Tap size: 11"
Rarity: less than 10 seen, nanobrewery
Mounting: internal 3/8" nut

Thanks go out to one of my club members, as well as Justin Henderson, the owner of Three Huskies Brewing, for getting this tap into my hands and thus into the Museum. At the top of the tap is a place for labels; the upper label is shaped like a paw print with the brewery's initials in the center. Below that is a place for a label with the beer variety that goes over the brewery's logo (see photo to right...I'll be profiling the brewery's Snow Nose Scotch Ale.) The rest of the tap consists of, appropriately, the likeness of three Huskies, who gave the brewery its name. They include Justin's two dogs Akira and Aurora, and also Stella, which belonged to Justin's parents, Todd and Mary. The dogs each face a different direction, providing all sorts of display opportunities. Only a couple of these taps have appeared on the secondary market and have commanded a premium price.

Unfortunately Stella passed away since the brewery opened, but she is remembered in the logo and tap handle. Skye is the newest member of the brewery's pack, ensuring that the name Three Huskies is still very much appropriate.

Click through to read more about Three Huskies Brewing, their Scotch Ale, and to see more photos of this tap full of character...

Three Huskies Brewing was founded in Canandaigua, New York in 2014 by Justin Henderson. His wife Venessa had purchased a homebrew kit for Justin in 2004. The first batch of extract-based beer was terrible, but Justin was hooked. Looking for better results, Justin built his own mash tun and boil kettle and turned to all-grain brewing. Justin was bartending at his parents' sports bar and grill, Dobber's, on Friday nights, and would bring in his home brews and share them with his Friday crowd of beer drinkers. After a couple of years of perfecting his recipes, he approached his parents, Todd and Mary Henderson, with the idea of converting the employee break room in Dobber's into a small 1 barrel brewery. They chose the name "Three Huskies" after the family's three Husky dogs. Shortly after going live in 2014 they immediately found that they had underestimated the demand, selling out 9 batches of beer, and early in 2015 they replaced the 1 barrel system with a 3 barrel system that allowed them to triple their production.

They started with 5-6 beers on tap at all times within the brewery, plus additional kegged beers waiting to be rotated through. Justin brewed 15 to 20 different varieties in the first year, sticking with a core of 4 beers year round. Beers are available on tap or in 32- or 64-ounce “howlers,” which are the Three Huskies version of growlers, and also in 25.4-ounce can-growlers, or “crowlers.” About 92% of sales are in house, but the crowler machine alone can’t meet the demand for its beers. That will change when Three Huskies opens its second Canandaigua facility. The new building, which will measure about 4,000 square feet, will have a much larger brewing space and a new canning machine. That machine will produce 12- and 16-ounce cans of beer.

Both Justin and Todd work day jobs, spending their evenings and weekends at the brewpub. When they expand the brewery, both of them plan to go full-time with it. There is a least 1 family member at all times covering the restaurant and brewery, and Venessa brews batches from start to finish on her own. Dobber's, which was already well known in the area (prior to the brewery) for its delicious, home cooked style meals, has menu options that include: soups, stews, and chili; appetizers and salads; classic pub food such as Reubens and chicken tenders; and pizza pies, wings, and burgers.

Three Huskies has held fundraising events for Dogs on Deployment, a non-profit that helps military members find volunteers to board their pets during deployments and emergencies. The Hendersons donate 100% of the proceeds from the fundraisers to Dogs on Deployment. The military, animals, and breast cancer are the areas of emphasis for the family’s charity involvement. Three Huskies is not a farm brewery, and while they do use local ingredients where appropriate, they also source ingredients from elsewhere to make the best product they can. Slow, measured growth is the goal for the brewery, prioritizing quality over quantity.

Three Huskies Snow Nose is a Scotch Ale with a rich malty, nutty and toasty flavor, a beautiful burgundy color, and a strong malt forward beer with a gentle sweet finish.