Tap Handle #808: Brigantine Seafood and Oyster Bar

September 05, 2023

Tap Handle #808: Brigantine Seafood and Oyster Bar - Brig Brew

Tap size: 11.25"

Rarity: 10 or less seen, small scale, beer retired, hand-made

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

I couldn't believe my good fortune when this tap came to me from Mr. Bill Gibson...not only is it very rare, but visually it's quite striking, photos do not compare to the real thing. It features a large cutter ship on top of waves, with the name of the beer in raised letters on the sails. The back is flat. I believe the tap dates back to the early 2000s, but I can't be 100% sure. I do know that anyone tying the tap to Ketch Brewing is incorrect, as Ketch only came into existence in 2018 and the tap ended production long before that. I suspect that only a handful of these were made; since Brig Brew was contract brewed for Brigantine to be their house beer, it would not have been distributed to accounts, and would only have been used in their restaurants, of which numbered 6 at the time the tap was produced. Secondary market pricing reflects the rarity; although 2 previous taps sold several years ago for about $100, the most recent tap sold for $250!

The Brigantine Seafood and Oyster Bar was established in San Diego, California in 1969 by the Morton family. From the mid- to late-1990s, Brigantine offered a house beer called Brig Brew, a golden ale contract brewed for them by Karl Strauss Brewing. In 2018, Brigantine president Mike Morton, Jr. and his team wanted a lager brewed for the group’s Mexican-themed Miguel’s Cocina eateries. However, Karl Strauss Brewing, as the 41st largest craft brewery in the country at the time, was at capacity, and had no bandwidth to take on more contract brewing for Brigantine. As a result, Brigantine decided to end the contract brewing arrangement, and formed Ketch Brewing, which was produced in the corner of their 15,000 square foot warehouse space at Brigantine's corporate headquarters.

The 10-barrel, direct-fire brewhouse and cellar (four 20-barrel fermenters and a pair of 20-barrel brite tanks) took up 2,000 square feet of space, while cold storage and grain-processing also occupied part of the warehouse. The initial plan was to start brewing Brig Brew, the Mexican-style lager, and an India Pale Ale. However, Brig Brew was eventually retired, and 4 year-round beers, a hard seltzer, and a seasonal offering are now produced. Tying into the Ketch name, Brigantine opened Ketch Grill and Taps, a casual seafood concept at the Point Loma space formerly known as the Red Sails Inn. Brigantine also completed a $13 million renovation of the high-profile former home of Anthony’s Fish Grotto on the San Diego Bayfront. Brigantine currently operates 14 locations.