Tap Handle #803: Bale Breaker

July 10, 2023

Tap Handle #803: Bale Breaker - Topcutter IPA

Tap size: 11.75"

Rarity: None

Mounting: internal 3/8" nut

Golden Version

Bale Breaker Brewing's tap is an example of a simple yet elegant design. The posts that make up most of the tap have hop vines wrapped around them as well as wire or rope windings. Signage at the top bears the name of the brewery, while adjacent signage in the middle is a magnet with the name of the beer on it. This tap is used for all the brewery's varieties; changing the beer name is as easy as pulling off a magnetic label and applying a new one. Despite the simple design, the color scheme and layout make it desirable. One thing I should mention is that the tap looks different depending on which side you look at; many taps like this have matching sculpting front and back, as well as side to side, but this Bale Breaker tap has a unique appearance from any side due to the design. It's one of the easiest to find and most affordable taps on the secondary market, but you can also get brand new ones directly from the brewery's web store. In fact, there is a special "10th Anniversary" golden edition tap available (see photo inset). I'm hoping to pay a visit to the brewery in the near future, as it is only about 3 hours from my house.

Bale Breaker Brewing Company was founded in Yakima, Washington, in 2013 by siblings Meghann Quinn, Kevin Smith, and Patrick Smith, along with Meghann's husband, Kevin Quinn. The Smiths had been growing hops in the Yakima Valley for four generations. In 1932, Charles Smith, the great-grandfather of the founders, first planted hops in the Yakima Valley. The family continued to cultivate hops over the years, expanding their operation and gaining expertise in hop farming. Meghann graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Business Finance in 2006. After graduation, she worked a number of consulting jobs, took courses in graphic design and web development, and worked for a local winery. Meghann was also a homebrewer and took brewing courses at UC Davis and the Siebel Institute. She assumed responsibility for the business side of the brewery. Kevin Smith also graduated with a degree from the University of Washington in 2010 and started working at Two Beers Brewing Company in Seattle shortly after graduation. During his time at Two Beers, he worked his way into a position as a Shift Brewer, learning the many aspects of what it takes to operate a successful brewery. In addition to his commercial brewing experience and education at UC Davis, Kevin spent countless hours on the family farm’s 10-gallon Sabco “nanobrewery” developing the recipes for Field 41 Pale Ale and Topcutter IPA. He assumed responsibility for the production side of the brewery.

Patrick was a fourth generation farmer at Loftus Ranches, the Smith family’s farms that include hops, apples, and cherries. Prior to rejoining the family businesses in 2009, Patrick spent five years in the financial industry, leaving his analyst job with Bank of America Merrill Lynch to return to the farm. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Washington, a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, and a Master of Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Kevin Quinn, yet another graduate of the University of Washington, received dual degrees in Business Finance and Geographic Information Systems in 2005. After spending time in the financial services industry in Seattle, he took a position in Franchise Sales & Development at the corporate headquarters of The Pita Pit. Upon moving to Yakima in early 2012, he further developed his brewing knowledge by helping with nearly every batch brewed at Bale Breaker's nano brewery, and took brewing courses at UC Davis and the Siebel Institute. Later, he turned his focus on developing the brewery's sales and distribution network.

Bale Breaker Brewing takes its name from the historic hop-baling equipment used on the farm. The baling machine, called a "bale breaker," was used to compress and package hops into bales for transportation. The name reflects both the brewery's connection to hop farming and its commitment to producing hop-forward beers. Situated in the heart of the Yakima Valley, one of the largest hop-growing regions in the world, helped give the brewery access to an abundant supply of high-quality hops. The brewery quickly gained attention within the industry and among beer enthusiasts. In 2014, just a year after opening, the brewery received the prestigious "Rising Star" award from the Washington Beer Awards. As the demand for their beers grew, the brewery expanded its operations.

In 2015, they launched their "Rotator Series", featuring limited-release beers that showcased different hop varieties and brewing techniques. In 2016, Bale Breaker increased its production capacity with the installation of a new brewhouse and fermentation tanks. As a result, by the next year the brewery had exceeded 23,000 barrels, with a capacity of over 32,000 barrels, making Bale Breaker the fifth largest independent craft brewery in Washington State. In addition to their core lineup of beers, Bale Breaker also started experimenting with new and innovative brews. In 2017, Bale Breaker made headlines when it became the first craft brewery in the country to install a commercial-scale hop pelletizing machine on-site. This machine, known as the "Lupulinator," allowed the brewery to process and pelletize freshly harvested hops immediately, preserving their quality and intensifying the hop flavors in their beers. By 2018, distribution had expanded into northwest Oregon.

In 2019, Bale Breaker embarked on another expansion project, opening a new taproom and viewing deck that overlooked their hop fields. The taproom provided visitors with a unique opportunity to enjoy their beers while experiencing the picturesque surroundings of the hop farm. Distribution expansion continued into more of Washington and Oregon, while also adding Idaho and California. Bale Breaker continued to grow, becoming the fourth largest brewing company in Washington State. The brewery was also focused on collaborations. The ‘Frenz’ series - pronounced “friends” - began in 2016 with Georgetown Brewing Company, located in the Seattle neighborhood of the same name. Other collaborations were also done the Odell and Cloudburst breweries. Then, in 2021, Bale Breaker and Yonder Cider joined forces to open the Yonder Taproom in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. Up to that point, Washington State breweries and wineries (which included cideries), could not share tasting rooms.

However, a bill was passed in the legislature that year which allowed distilleries to share their tasting rooms with breweries and wineries. Their shared taproom was the former home of Populuxe Brewing, which closed in 2020. For the combined brewery and cider taproom to be permissible under Washington law, the team established Wise Fool Spirits, a 50/50 joint venture between Yonder and three of Bale Breaker’s co-owners, Meghann and Kevin Quinn and Kevin Smith. Wise Fool holds the lease and sublets space to Bale Breaker and Yonder. Bale Breaker’s brewery and Yonder’s Wenatchee, Washington cidery supplied most of the beer and cider for the 32 taps, and the taproom also featured an on-site brewhouse for small batches. The building had 6,200 sq. ft. of outdoor space, on-site rotating food trucks, firepits, and dedicated retail space. Future plans include outdoor movies, cider and beer education classes, and joint releases.

Bale Breaker crafts seven year-round canned beers, including the widely celebrated Topcutter IPA, and a diverse offering of seasonal beers in cans and on draft. The brewery's commitment to sustainability has also been a significant focus. Bale Breaker utilizes solar panels to generate a portion of their energy needs, and they employ environmentally friendly practices throughout their brewing process. Chartible works include Ales for ALS, started in 2013 by the hop farm, to raise funds and awareness for ALS research. Each year, Loftus Ranches and Yakima Chief Hops donate a unique blend of primarily experimental hops to breweries across the country, with the ask being a donation to the ALS Therapy Development Institute of at least $1 per pint brewed. In 2016, over 100 breweries nationwide created and brewed their own beer to best showcase that year’s special blend of hops. Every year, Bale Breaker brews a special Ales for ALS brew, Bubba’s Brew, named after the owners' uncle, Scott “Bubba” Hanses, who passed away in 2020 after a long battle with ALS.

In 2022, the brewery resumed the Frenz series by collaborating with Barley Brown’s Brew Pub (Baker City, Oregon), Fremont Brewing (Seattle), and five different Yakima-based breweries in November (the latter was called Frenzgiving). In 2023, the brewery celebrated its 10th anniversary by reuniting with Georgetown for a new Frenz collaboration, with release parties in Seattle and Yakima. Later in the year, Bale Breaker plans to release collaboration beers with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Chico, California) and Russian River Brewing Co. (Santa Rosa, California).

Topcutter IPA is Bale Breaker's flagship IPA. It is a well-balanced yet aggressive West Coast IPA that showcases Yakima Valley hops at their finest. Late additions of Simcoe, Citra, Loral, and Mosaic give this beer its complex citrus, fruity, and floral aroma and flavor. Named for a unique piece of farm equipment that removes hop vines from the trellis during the annual hop harvest, Topcutter IPA delivers loads of hoppiness all year long.