Tap Handle #861: Russell - Blood Alley ESB

11/30/2025 03:05:00 PM

Tap Handle #861: Russell - Blood Alley ESB

Tap size: 9"

Rarity: 10 or less seen, tap no longer produced

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

While Russell Brewing's Blood Alley tap isn't the most figural of taps - it does have that "toy on a stick" feel - it is nonetheless pretty interesting. It features a dead pig (!) on the top, marked out in sections for butchering. The pig is lying on a red section that has the name of the brewery on it. Below that, on a black base in raised white letters is the name of the beer and the image of a small red meat cleaver that is also raised. Finally, "Extra Special Bitter" is raised in red and white letters below the meat cleaver. The last point of interest is the round section near the bottom, bearing a label with the brewery's name and symbol of a stag with wheat stalks, and the descriptor "Brewmaster Series". The front and back of the tap are reverse images of each other. Each side also has the name of the beer and the brewery, in the form of decals. The dark, high gloss finish will show fingerprints if you are not careful when handling. Other taps in this same style are the A Wee Heavy Scotch Ale with a lion as a topper, Black Death porter with black scroll work at the top, IP'eh! with a red sash topper, and White Rabbit Hoppy Hefeweizen with (of course) a white rabbit on top. The first images I found of this tap style appeared around 2014, but may have been in use as far back as 2012, suggesting that they were commissioned and produced during the brewery's expansion period. Taps with a white pedestal and a red "R" on top are older and pre-date this tap style. I believe that this tap style being profiled was only produced or in use for a short time, after which Russell switched to a simpler, cheaper style when the brewery was going through what they refer to as their "dark times". Less than a handful of these have appeared on the secondary market, with prices ranging from $100-$135, although I know of several Canadian collectors who possess this tap.

The name Blood Alley refers to a specific site in Vancouver's Gastown district. It is a public plaza called Blood Alley Square, located between Water Street and Cordova Street in Vancouver. It is part of a mixed-use development which includes 62 market rental homes and 80 non-market rental homes, retail spaces, and an underground restaurant and performance venue. The project preserves the historic façades of the Stanley Hotel and the New Fountain Hotel while integrating a new mid-rise tower behind them. The name "Blood Alley" was officially adopted in the 1970s during the renovation and beautification of Gastown, a heritage district, and was chosen to evoke a sense of history and mystery, though it is not rooted in actual historical events such as bloodshed or slaughterhouses. The name is believed to have originated from a 1964 newspaper article that referred to the alley as a place where people were "disgorged" from nearby bars and rooming houses.

Russell Brewing was founded in 1995 in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada by Mark Russell and the Russell family. As one of the original 10 microbreweries in the province, Russell was dedicated to making unpasteurized "real beer," adhering closely to the 1516 Bavarian Purity Law. This established their early reputation for high-quality, traditional English styles, with Andrew Harris - who would eventually become one of the future owners of Russell Brewing - famously purchasing the second keg ever sold by the company for his Vancouver café. In 2004, the Russell family decided to sell, recognizing they lacked the capital to scale up production. The buyers were entrepreneur Brian Harris and his four children. This was not merely an investment, but a full family commitment; the Harris family, whose roots were in Alberta but who had lived abroad in South Africa and Australia before settling in Vancouver in 1992, immediately took over management. Brian Harris became the CEO. His son Andrew Harris became the President, while 2 other sons, Peter (P.J.) Harris and Paul Harris, apprenticed directly under Mark Russell for three years to become the new Brewmasters, while Angie Harris managed Marketing.

The infusion of capital and dedication led to the company being listed on the TSX Venture Exchange in 2005, achieving incredible results: by 2006, Russell was ranked the #1 fastest-growing brewery in B.C., posting a staggering 138% increase in sales. This success fueled more serious ambitions. The company expanded into Manitoba by acquiring Fort Garry Brewing, and launched Russell Breweries China Inc. (RBCI) following an agreement finalized in 2012. The strategy was to introduce true North American craft beer to Hefei, China, a booming industrial city, by opening a test brewery and brewpub restaurant in Hefei that became operational by 2013. This venture was carefully structured, involving an initial 20% equity position for Russell, an up-front fee, and ongoing royalties, with senior brewer Kevin Wilson dispatched to Hefei to oversee quality control.

However, in 2013, Brian Harris retired, and the public expansion phase came to an end. In 2015, the company was taken private again, shedding its international ventures and acquisitions to strictly refocus on its core Surrey operations. This transition was difficult, described by leadership as a period of dark times where the brand had become static, relying too heavily on staples like the award-winning A Wee Angry Scotch Ale and Blood Alley ESB. This crisis forced a dramatic evolution: Russell committed to an aggressive innovation strategy, releasing dozens of new beer styles annually, and rebranded their marketing. In 2022 the brewery opened its highly anticipated on-site tasting room. Arriving a full 27 years after the brewery's founding, Russell was the last brewery in B.C. to open a public tasting room, a delay caused by historical licensing laws that originally permitted only production, not on-site consumption.

The spacious facility became an immediate success, serving a focused menu of tacos and snacks, and featuring 14 beer taps alongside cider and beer slushies. The tasting room's existence allowed Russell to utilize its test batch system to gather live public feedback on experimental brews, fostering the culture of innovation that the market demanded. It also quickly established itself as a community hub, hosting significant industry events such as the 40th Anniversary of Craft Beer in B.C. celebration, where Russell brewed a tribute ale to the "Grandfather of Canadian craft beer." Though Russell had recognized that they needed new styles, they did continue to brew their old favorites A Wee Angry Scotch Ale and Blood Alley ESB.

Russell's Blood Alley Bitter is an Extra Special Bitter named after a noteworthy cobblestone laneway in Vancouver’s Gastown district. At 50 IBU’s this beer is slightly higher in bitterness than the average ESB but it is well-balanced by the rich, roasted malt flavors. Stylistically, the malt side is very English, but the hops are all floral US varieties. It is brewed with only the best including: 2-row Pilsner malt, Flaked Barley, UK Crystal Malt, and a touch of UK Chocolate Malt. Columbus hops are used in the brew kettle, and the brew is dry hopped with Cascade and Willamette hops.