Tap Handle #723: Moddy Brew - Deep Troubles Blonde Ale

July 05, 2019

Tap Handle #723: Moddy Brew - Deep Troubles Blonde Ale

Tap size: 12"
Rarity: limited to 100 made
Mounting: 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

It is extremely rare for me to acquire a tap that is not associated with an actual brewery (or cidery or meadery). I had decided early on in my collecting to focus on brewery taps because there was a story to tell, either about the brewery, the tap, or both. For most generic, homemade, or artistic taps (like those belonging to Ron Lee) that are not associated with a brewery, there isn't a story to tell.

This one, however, is a bit different.

After I was first contacted by Moddy Brewing (they wanted to know how to get their tap in the Museum) and I learned about the story behind the tap, I decided to acquire one when they became available. When I saw the photos they sent me of the design, the first thing that struck me was not the monstrous tentacles, which are pretty cool, or the girl, who is finely sculpted - it is instead the fact that you cannot see the girl's face. Since I thought this feature (or should I say lack of one) was probably significant, I reached out to Moddy Brew and asked them about it, and you can find out what I learned as you read more of the write up. The tap is very impressive in person, and the labels (pictured, right) match the tap perfectly (they are meant to be applied over the oval "M B" section of the tap). "Moddy Brew" appears at the very base of the tap, just above the ferrule, in gold lettering. Only 100 of these taps have been made, and each comes with a certificate of authenticity. To date, more than half of the Deep Troubles taps produced have been sold, so at some point they will no longer be available and could become hard to find. You can order this tap through Moddy Brew's Facebook page (link provided at the end of the post), and it can also be found on eBay, while supplies last. This is a great conversation piece and an excellent addition to the collection.

The story of Moddy Brew started in the summer of 2011 with an addition to the Frank family, the birth of a beautiful little girl named Eliana. She was literally one in 8 billion. The center piece of this story was born with a rare genetic disorder; in fact, she is the only person in the world that has it. Over time, as her needs became greater, her family became more creative to meet her financial needs. Selling beer tap handles became just one of many endeavors that they have perused. Moddy Brew is the Frank family's brain child, an exclusive series of beer tap handles. Each design will made as a limited production run of 100 beer tap handles that come complete with an individualized and numbered certificate of authenticity, signed by Moddy himself. As an infant unable to pronounce daddy, Eliana created an approximation that she still uses today, Moddy (Mommy Daddy). One of the many issues she struggles with is speech...it is a neurological condition that is part of her genetic mutation called apraxia of speech.

The design of the tap handle began with a concept that was based on a feeling that Moddy had. In each design, the same girl will be struggling against some sort of monster, symbolically representing how Moddy's daughter struggles with her disability. Her face has been purposefully kept hidden. Part of the Frank family's problem that they are dealing with is the fact that no one else in the world has Eliana's condition. According to her geneticist, the condition is severe enough that the fetus shouldn't have been viable. It is very hard to have a diagnosis for her without having a prognosis. Just as Eliana's prognosis is hidden, so is the face of the girl within the tap handle. If the series is successful, there might eventually be tap handles that show the girl defeating the monsters, and perhaps her face may even be shown. That possibility, however, is further down the road. As of now, Moddy Brew has four designs, and Tap Handles has produced the first one, which is titled Deep Troubles Blonde Ale.