Tap Handle #827: Fox Bay

Tap size:  11.5"

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

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

Here's another tap from the Bill Gibson wing of the Museum and it's a beauty. It features the bust of a fox with vines of hops and stalks of wheat at the bottom of the bust. Below that is a sculpted ribbon, with the name of the brewery also sculpted into the ribbon in raised letters. A glossy black base/shaft makes up the rest of the tap. What really makes this tap stand out, however, are the glass eyes. They just add a touch of realism and uniqueness to the tap. I had talked to the manufacturer of this tap who said it was one of the taps they were most proud of with regard to how it turned out. With the brewery only in operation for 3 years back in the early 2000s, this tap is naturally pretty scarce - I have never seen another.

Unfortunately, there is very little information to be found on Fox Bay Brewing. They were a brewpub founded in St. Charles, Illinois in 1999. The one beer that was produced by the brewery that is documented anywhere was Ah! Bock, a German bock that was served at the Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, Wisconsin in 2000. According to a resident of St. Charles, Fox Bay limped from menu to menu, owner to owner, changing its name first to Rio Zorro and then Monet's Bistro, before closing in 2002. And that's all there is.

Fox Bay's Ah! Bock was a German-style bock with a deep red-brown color, a thick head, a mild coffee and malty aroma, and a medium-light body with a big toasty malt flavor and a mildly bitter finish.

There are no entries in Ratebeer or Beer Advocate for Fox Bay.

Since Fox Bay is long gone, no address or website is provided.

Source Material

Beer Me!

Beer is my life!

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