Tap Handle #751: Liquid Alchemy Beverages (LAB)

May 20, 2020

Tap Handle #751: Liquid Alchemy Beverages (LAB)

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

Many thanks to the CEO of Liquid Alchemy Beverages (LAB), Terri Sorantino, for giving me the opportunity to purchase this fantastic tap for entry into the Museum. Conceptualized as a beaker sitting on top of a Bunsen burner, the tap is quite colorful and full of amazing details throughout the design. For instance, note the "liquid" (mead? honey?) splashing out of the top of the beaker, or the silver apple at the very top that is made of metal and has a cutaway section where a magnetic label can be placed...or even all of the small hexagons sculpted into the surface of the beaker. There is a red sign just above the Bunsen burner with LAB's name on it. The tap is used for all of LAB's offerings; the label determines the variety (I'll be profiling their Thai-Grrr Mead). I've only seen one of these appear on the secondary market at the time this profile was written.

Click through to read more about Liquid Alchemy Beverages, their Thai-Grrr Mead, and to see more photos of this inventive tap...

Liquid Alchemy Beverages (LAB) was founded in Wilmington, Delaware in 2012 by Jeffrey Cheskin and Terri Sorantino. Cheskin was a physician and Sorantino was a tax accountant. They had stopped at a coffee shop while visiting Portland, Maine, and were attracted by an offering that was a lavender lemonade mead. Inspired by what they had tried, the two returned home to Delaware but found there was no mead available there or in any nearby states. They decided to make their own varieties by using a home mead kit, and then progressed to their own system that utilized homebrewing supplies. The combination of Cheskin's background in microbiology and Sorantino's kitchen skills led to creative results that impressed their friends. They discovered that they could not only produce delicious fruit-based varieties of mead, but they could also brew versions that tasted like wine (without using a single grape) or even an IPA (by adding hops). Their experiments felt like they were creating "Liquid Alchemy", hence the name of their budding enterprise was born.

By 2015 they were ready to go commercial. Using all of their reserves, they found and purchased an old industrial building that had been used for decades by a roofing company. The site was in need of extensive renovations, so Sorantino and Cheskin turned to Kickstarter to raise funds to help cover the remaining startup costs. In 2016 they finally opened the doors to the public after repairs and construction were completed. The opening was historic, in that mead had not been professionally produced in the state of Delaware in almost 130 years. LAB focused on locally sourced whole fruit and spices, with beverages that are gluten free and contain no artificial flavors or colors. Soon they were offering nine core beverages, two seasonals and other special brews. A six-barrel system was soon added to increase production. LAB landed some wholesale accounts and did some large format bottling, but there were no concrete plans for canning.

The tasting room features stools gathered around barrels, an L-shaped bar, a bookshelf of toys and games for kids, and afternoon light flooding through the high windows. There's also a collection of artifacts and antiques that help tell the history of mead, cider and the "first state" (the state of Delaware). Food trucks began visiting the site to provide a food culture to match the inventive beverages. In addition, local restaurants began using LAB beverages as ingredients in some of their food dishes like chicken tacos, orange walnut sausage, and dessert cakes.

In 2018, both Sorantino and Cheskin became two of only a handful of Certified Cider Professionals in their area of the United States. This designation from the USACM is only awarded to cider makers who pass an extensive examination. By 2019, LAB had racked up over 30 medals in their short existence, with 10 gold medals and 3 Best-In-Shows. One example of an award collected by LAB came from The Great American International Wine Competition in 2017, in which LAB was awarded a silver medal for their 04 Mead (honey wine) out of over 1,000 entries from 200-plus wineries representing 12 countries and 26 states. In 2018, Liquid Alchemy Ciderworks was awarded 4 medals for 3 of their brews by the US Open Cider Competition and GLINTCAP Competition.

Thai-Grrr Mead is possibly the most well-known and award-winning mead made by Liquid Alchemy Beverages. A celebration of home-grown Thai Chili peppers mixed with fresh lime creates a pretty innocent looking but powerful little concoction. It has aromas and flavors of lemon-ginger chiffon, lavender honey, lime chutney, and floral coconut. The sweetness is off-dry, and the ABV is a whopping 12.5%! Awards won include: a gold medal and Best In Show Grand Champion at the 2016 Texas Mead Cup, a gold medal that the 2017 Mead Cup, a 2017 gold medal rating from Tastings.com, a gold medal at the 2017 World Mead Challenge, and a gold medal at the 2018 Mead Free or Die competition. Recommended food pairings are chicken fajitas, General Tso’s chicken, short ribs, or other spicy foods...or if you prefer more purr than growl, add some orange juice and serve at your next brunch.

[Note: since meads are not well-represented on Ratebeer or Beer Advocate, I'm presenting the Tastings.com rating for Thai-Grrr Mead that reflects the website's distinguished and highly qualitative scoring system.]