Tap Handle #795: Newport Beach Brewing Company (NBBC)

January 28, 2023

Tap Handle #795: Newport Beach Brewing Company (NBBC) - Pelican Pale Ale

Tap size: 9.25"

Rarity: 10 or less seen, brewery closed, hand-made

Mounting: 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

If you follow this site closely, you will recall that I have mentioned that there is a "wing" of the Museum dedicated to Mr. Bill Gibson (tap profile #657). This Newport Beach Brewing tap is another contribution from him. The entire concept of the tap recalls not only the beach life in the California city where the brewery was located, but also the artwork that was on labels, coasters, and painted on one of the brewery's walls. The main part of the tap is the surfboard that runs from top to bottom. At the top, in front of the surfboard, is a 3-D sculpted sign with the brewery's name and a beach scene complete with a 40's era Ford Woody. Below that is a large signage area that a card slips into from underneath. The card has the beer variety on it, and is held in place with a small screw at the bottom. The border of the signage is sculpted to resemble a rope. A gold ferrule completes the look. On the backside of the surfboard on this tap the paint has started to bubble and crack. This is a resin tap that dates back several years to a period of defective resin that shrank, and thus the paint no longer contacts the surface. This is common for many older resin taps. Besides this one, I have only seen one other and it was missing the label.

Newport Beach Brewing Company was founded in 1995 in Newport Beach, California by Mike Madlock and Roz Salamone. They chose to locate their brewery in a 4200 square foot, two-story Cape Cod-style building in the historic Cannery Village. The first microbrewery in Newport Beach (and the second in Orange County), NBBC immediately made in impact in taking home a gold medal in that year's Great American Beer Festival for their Raspberry Rage. Their beers were brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot (the German Beer Purity Law). The site quickly became a local hang out for sports and late night, with a large outdoor patio and unusually ample parking compared to other places on the Balboa Peninsula. The interior had a sports bar feel, with arched, wood-beam ceilings. Opened at a time when Californians were accustomed to light beer, the brewery saw 50 percent of sales dominated by its Newport Beach Blonde Ale. The menu was populated with comfort food such as their signature tuna melt, an angus burger, lobster mac and cheese, and fish and chips. Brewing efforts could be watched from inside the restaurant, where the copper-clad, stainless steel, steam-fired system was visible.

Over the years the brewery continued to win medals at the GABF under the guidance of head brewmaster Kirk Roberts. Dead Cowboy Imperial Stout won silver medals in 1997 and 1999. In 2006 NBBC took home a bronze medal for Balboa Stout, and in 2007 it was a bronze for Relapse, a barrel-aged beer. By 2015, IPAs were dominating the brewing and pushing aside the venerable Blonde Ale. Healthy items like kale salad and gluten-free pizza crust were added to the menu, as well as a complete line of cocktails. In 2016 the brewery produced Wipeout Imperial Red, their 21st anniversary ale.

In 2018, Madlock had decided to retire and the brewery was sold to Mario Marovich and Andrew Gabriel, who owned the Lounge Group, a food and beverage consulting firm. This group owned as many as 11 restaurants and pubs in the area, but this was their first attempt at brewing their own beer. Renaming the site "The Helmsman", they hired the Hatch Design Group to renovate the space as a seafaring theme, with nautical antiques and muted tones. The renovation adapted the space into two bars, a dining room, and a covered and heated patio with comfy seating. The new owners built a 15-barrel brew house with the capacity to create a dozen or so small-batch beers at a time. There were 14 beers on tap with house signature styles, rotating seasonal offerings and popular guest brewery selections. Growlers and 32-ounce cans were available for take home. The food was a California take on “classic pub fare” for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. With the opening of The Helmsman, NBBC's story came to a close. While NBBC is no longer in existence, the old NBBC website and Facebook pages still exist, though they are inactive.

Newport Beach Pelican Pale Ale was a traditional American style pale ale hopped with Cascade hops for a crisp citrus finish. It had an aroma and flavor of citrus with toasted maltiness, mild bitterness and an amber color.

Ratebeer: 3.38 out of 5

Beer Advocate: 83 out of 100 (good)

Newport Beach Brewing Company is no longer in business, but anyone wishing to visit the historic venue in its current form as The Helmsman can find it at 2920 Newport Blvd, Newport Beach, California, 92663.