Tap Handle #669: Choc Beer Company (Krebs Brewing) - 1919 American Wheat

Tap size:  11.5"
Rarity:  less than 10 seen, beer renamed
Mounting:  large 3/8" ferrule

Back in profile #449, I spotlighted Choc Beer Company and mentioned that their core beers are called "Story" beers. Founder Joe Prichard's grandfather, Pete Prichard, is the subject of the "Story" beers, with each beer (and tap handle design) representing a significant event in Pete's life. 1919 American Wheat represents the period of Pete's life from 1919 to 1925, when Pete first sold choc beer brewed right in his own home. Before long, other immigrant miners began gathering at his house regularly to relax and enjoy a beer during breaks. He started fixing the men a hearty lunch to go along with it, serving up generous helpings of homemade Italian specialties like spaghetti, meatballs, ravioli, and sausage. The chef's hat on the tap handle is associated with these home-cooked meals, and like the tap in the previous profile, gives it a symbolic meaning that goes beyond the average tap. This is only the second or third tap of 1919 that I've ever seen. In 2012, Choc Beer Company was sued by New Ulm Brewing & Beverage Company over the 1919 trademark, which New Ulm had been using on its root beer for almost 25 years. Choc Beer Company agreed to to change the name of 1919 to simply Choc, so this tap predates the trademark settlement and is no longer produced.

For more about Choc Beer Company, see this post.

Click through to read more about Choc Beer Company's 1919 American Wheat Ale and to see more photos of this cookin' tap...

1919 (now called simply "Choc") utilizes the original recipe of unfiltered wheat beer that Pete Prichard developed back in the year 1919. It is golden opaque in color with a definite lemon note, a bready/grainy malt background, and slight spicy notes to round it out. Unfiltered, crisp, and a touch of sweetness make this brew a consistent favorite!

Ratebeer weighted average:  2.71 out of 5

Beer Advocate:  3.36 out of 5