Tap Handle #836: Florida Keys Brewing

September 27, 2024

Tap Handle #836: Florida Keys Brewing - Honey Bottomed Blonde

Tap size: 10.75"

Rarity: hand-made, 1 version and 1 hair color no longer produced

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

This beautiful mermaid sitting on a barrel and holding up a round brewery sign was a tap purchase I made directly through the Florida Keys Brewery's webstore several years ago. I actually bought 3 of these mermaids; the second tap became the prize for my second Tap Giveaway in October of 2015. Now, I'm not one who usually collects multiples of the same tap when the only difference is paint color, but when 4 more of these came into my possession later on, with different hair colorings of the mermaid, I decided to keep them. There are 2 versions of the tap; version 1, which is older, had the signage for the label set inside the barrel, while version 2 has a large rectangular signage area that sits in front of the barrel. From my understanding, this change was made to increase the size of the label and make it easier to read, but the larger signage does hide most of the barrel from view when looking at the tap from the front. If the blue and purple haired models exist for version 1, I have never seen them. I have blonde and brown haired version 1 taps, and blonde, purple, and black haired version 2 taps. There are also red and blue haired taps (which I do not have). Color differences between version 1 and 2 are as follows:

My mermaids

Flowers on sign and mermaid's hair are violet on version 1, pink on version 2
Sea shells are magenta on version 1, pink on version 2
Sunset in the upper signage area is pale yellow and pink on version 1, dark orange on version 2
For the blonde, hair is lighter and skin is darker on version 1, hair is darker and skin is lighter on version 2

Version 1 is a little bit harder to find than version 2. Any label can be put on any tap, but most people try to match up the type of beer to the hair color, such as Smuggler's Moon Stout with the black haired mermaid, or Spearfish Amber with the red haired mermaid. I'm profiling the brewery's Honey Bottomed Blonde for the blonde tap. Since the version 2 taps are still sold in the brewery's webstore at the time of this writing (for a very affordable price), I'm not going to discuss secondary market value. I will say, however, that the purple haired mermaid is no longer offered for sale by the brewery.

Florida Keys Brewing Company (FKBC) was founded in Islamorada, Florida in 2012 by husband and wife team Craig and Cheryl McBay. Craig graduated from Seneca College in Toronto in 2000, majoring in fire protection. He considered taking a job with a company based in Florida, and decided to visit Florida to see if he liked it. During a fishing trip to the Keys, he ended up having a few drinks in an Islamorada bar called “Hog Heaven”. It was there he met Cheryl, a native resident of the Keys. When they married, there was no thought of opening a brewery and the couple moved to West Palm Beach. Cheryl’s mother gave her son-in-law a home-brew kit as a gift. What started as a hobby turned into a passion for Craig. Meanwhile, Cheryl was homesick for the Keys, so the couple relocated to Islamadora. They noticed that when they were in bars or restaurants, patrons were asking about local beers. There weren’t any.

In 2012, Cheryl came up with a plan to become the first brewery in the Keys, and inspired Craig to reach out to craft breweries in order to learn the trade. He studied the business for two-and-a-half years, and after finding an empty warehouse a couple of blocks off the Overseas Highway and securing equipment, the couple opened the doors to FKBC in 2015. Craig handled the brewing portion of the business, while Cheryl took care of branding and marketing, utilizing her native Keys influences. The murals inside the production facility were created and donated by local Morada Way artists.

Business was slow at first, but the brewery struck a distribution deal in 2016 that saw 3 of their beers land in almost 70 locations throughout the Keys: Hogfish Amber Ale, Sunsessional Session IPA and Iquana Bait, a honey hibiscus kolsch. Brewing had previously been done on a 1.5bbl system with 5 3bbl fermenters. To land the distribution opportunity would require a major expansion, so they embarked on an upgrade. The new 20bbl system included 4 40bbl fermenters purchased from Red Hare Brewing out of Marietta, Georgia, and had an annual capacity of 3,800 barrels.

The brewery had to overcome several obstacles after their big expansion. In 2017, Dogfish Head threatened FKBC with legal action over the latter's Hogfish Amber, named after a popular sport fish in the keys. The name was changed to Spearfish Amber because FKBC could not afford a legal battle. Later in 2017, Hurricane Irma struck Islamorada hard. But in 2018, the brewery was able to purchase a building 1 block away from the original location and on the Overseas Highway, where it would attract more drive-by visitors. The purchased location became their new taproom and included a spacious outdoor beer garden, complete with tropical plants, colorful decorations, and a stage for live music. It also is home to the brewery's toucan as well as their cat, Purr Monster, who has her own Instagram account.

Craig and Cheryl support many sponsorships and donations. One of Cheryl’s favorite sponsorships is with MOTE Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota to help protect ocean reefs. FKBC is 1 of 15 Florida craft breweries participating in MOTE Lab’s Sharktoberfest, and they also donate $2 from select six packs sold and $1 from select drafts to MOTE. Each year on president's Day the brewery celebrates their anniversary with hermit crab races, iguana races, and people racing while dressed in iguana costumes and then chugging beer; the Upper Keys Humane Society is the main benefactor, receiving 50% of the proceeds collected from bets on the races. Keys performer David Feder, known locally as a “hillbilly flamenco” star, said the McBays’ commitment to the local music scene goes way beyond providing gigs in their patio...Feder runs fundraising festivals that have supplied hundreds of instruments to local kids and scholarships to budding musicians, and FKBC has donated most of the money that was raised. FKBC's commitment to the community doesn't end there; Craig is also President of the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce.

FKBC uses no extracts in their brewing process. Passionfruit, tamarind, mango, pineapple, and other fruits come from nearby Homestead. Lyon Farms in Homestead, for instance, is their source for mangoes. FKBC's source for honey in their Iguana Bait varies; they order as much as they can get from sources in the Florida Keys and Homestead. They also purchased their own key lime trees and now produce key limes for most of the restaurants and bars in the Keys. There are two food trucks at FKBC, offering food seven days a week. Currently there are 20 taps in the taproom, and FKBC distributes throughout the Keys and up the mainland as far as Fort Pierce. Their beers can be found in restaurants, Total Wine stores, and select grocery stores. For those who really want to get close to the action, the brewery offers a vacation rental apartment that sits above the tasting room.

Honey Bottomed Blonde is made with Local Keys Honey. Every batch is unique as the bees gather pollen from seasonal flowering plants to make their honey. Mangrove, Jamaican dogwood & wildflowers are some favorites for the local bees! This light, crisp American blonde ale has a smooth honey finish.