Tap Handle #832: Full Tilt - Baltimore Pale Ale

August 30, 2024

Tap Handle #832: Full Tilt - Baltimore Pale Ale

Tap size: 11"

Rarity: fragile, brewery closed

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

My first 2 attempts to acquire this tap resulted in disappointment, as one arrived chipped and the other was broken in half. The third attempt was finally successful, but the tap was missing a label, which I remedied by pulling the labels from the broken tap. Featuring a glass of beer perched atop landmark buildings from the city of Baltimore, a blue ribbon encircles the glass with the name of the brewery on it. At the bottom of the tap is a layer of stone brick and under that is signage with "Baltimore, MD" on it, while a colorful medallion at the top holds a round label for the beer's name. The design of the buildings is quite interesting...the front and the back are nearly reverse images of each other, but the tall skyscraper in the front is fully sculpted with the glass of beer behind it. In the back, the glass sits on top of the building, cutting off the top half of it. There are two labels on the bottoms sides...one side is a checkered pattern, while the other is a red and white crown pattern, but I do not know the significance of these patterns. The tap was produced early in Full Tilt's operational history, arriving sometime between 2012 and 2013, when the brewery first used Peabody Heights Brewery to contract brew their beers. Many of these have appeared on the secondary market since then, with the majority having some kind of damage - usually to the ribbon, buildings or base, and due to them being resin and not urethane - and selling between $10 and $40. Historically speaking, prices over $60 have mostly been fetched for taps in excellent or new condition, or having the "Hops the Cat" label, and I have to admit: that label is pretty awesome.

Full Tilt Brewing was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 2012 by cousins Nick Fertig and Dan Baumiller. Fertig had returned to civilian life after six years of serving in the U.S. Navy when Baumiller approached him with the idea of creating their own craft beer. In 2008, the two bought a $100 beer-making kit off eBay. As time went on, they expanded their collection of brewing gadgets and equipment, and switched from extract brewing to all-grain once they had built a semi-auto brewing system. They had to move everything into a friend's garage because the system was too big to be kept in a house. They would make parties out of the brewing process by having friends over to drink while they experiment with different flavors. Fertig was nicknamed "Full Tilt Fertig" due to his "pedal to the metal" style of doing things, and the name Full Tilt also seemed appropriate for the brewery they formed.

After attending the Great American Beer Fest, they felt that Baltimore lacked breweries and brew pubs and wanted to change that. They chose Peabody Heights Brewery in Baltimore to contract brew their beer, with the first beer brewed being their Baltimore Pale Ale, while they focused on obtaining their own brewery location. Baumiller worked for the U.S. Department of Defense, and Fertig worked as a power plant operator, but both wanted to brew full-time. Some of their early beers included Berger Cookie Chocolate Stout (partnered with DeBaufre Bakeries to produce a stout inspired by the sweet, rich cookie), Fleet Street Raspberry Wheat, Patterson Pumpkin, Camden Cream, and Hop Harbor.

In 2015, Fertig and Baumiller began donating 10 percent of their profits from sales of their new The Bay IPA to the Chesapeake Bay Trust. They wanted to support a local organization and were inspired by the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s “Treasure the Chesapeake” license plates. Money collected by the Trust was redistributed to local communities toward cleanup and water quality improvement projects. The label for the new citrus-flavored beer had the Full Tilt logo placed on top of the image from the license plate. In return for using the image, Full Tilt supplied the Trust with beer for its events and donated money throughout the year.

In 2018, after 6 long years of contract only brewing, the brewery was finally able to open its own facility in an 89 year old building that was a former police station, after receiving their Class B restaurant license. The brewery had to shift gears in the process when it was determined they were too close to a school to obtain the Class D tavern license they initially sought. With the addition of the restaurant component, the brewery included a small kitchen for sandwiches and light fare. On-site brewing consisted of special one-off brews, while many of Full Tilt’s more popular beers continued being brewed at Peabody Heights. The taproom had bar and table seating for about 110 guests, and included an area for shuffleboard and arcade games. Crowlers and 6-packs were available to go. The building itself featured graffiti art from Fertig's friends Brad Turner and Derrick Noel, and included the brewery's mascot, Hops the Cat.

Business was a struggle in 2019, but when the brewery partnered with pop-punk rockers All Time Low on a limited-release beer, a blonde ale named Beer Maria after the band’s hit “Dear Maria, Count Me In,” it seemed like business was picking up and the brewery was starting to hit its stride. That came to a screeching halt in 2020 thanks to Covid shutdowns. To keep staff employed during the pandemic, Full Tilt paid bartenders to deliver beer and later served french fries and other snacks so that the taproom could qualify as a restaurant at a time when taprooms and bars without food could not serve customers on-site in the city due to pandemic regulations. This did help keep the brewery afloat during the lockdowns. In 2021, the brewery made pilsners to donate to 9/11 memorial charities. They sent $1 from every draft or can 4 pack to America’s 9/11 Living Classroom. Also, the Hope and Peace Foundation parked the Maryland 9/11 Rolling Memorial outside the brewery to honor the 69 Marylanders that were killed on 9/11.

However, by 2023, things had taken a turn for the worse for Full Tilt, despite having innovative sour series called Dan's Jams, where they brewed unique beers with everything from sour gummy worms to rainbow sherbet. Covid shutdowns had stunted the brewery's growth, but the crippling inflation that followed was the final nail in the coffin. Fertig and Baumiller tried to stave off closing for as long as they could, taking out loans and working on new events to bring customers in, but they ultimately ran out of options. The brewery’s electricity costs rose 30% to 40%, and prices of grain soared. With costs skyrocketing, but knowing they could only charge so much for a burger or a beer, they made the tough decision to close the brewery.

Full Tilt's Baltimore Pale Ale was brewed with only the finest American hops and barley. It utilized Nugget, Columbus, Summit, and Crystal hops in a flavorful blend. This created an unforgettable aroma apparent from the very instant it was served, with a full and pleasant taste which satisfied tastebuds no matter what time of year. This was the brewery's first beer produced and sold.