The Museum Turns 9 Years Old, Part 4: 2020 ATH Tap Handle Awards

December 06, 2020

The Museum Turns 9 Years Old, Part 4: 2020 ATH Tap Handle Awards

I wanted to add a new feature to this year's series of anniversary posts. One idea that a friend had was to pick a "Tap Handle of the Year". What a great idea, I wish I had thought of it! The only criteria was that the tap had to be put into use or released this year. I made a list of taps that I knew fit that criteria - although I'm certain there are taps out there that I have no knowledge of - and I submitted the list to my Collector's Club, as well as the Tap Handle Collectors group on Facebook. Here's the list of taps that were up for Tap Handle of the Year:

Liquid Alchemy Mead

Millstream

Sugar Island Rum Island Time Daquiri mermaid

Flying Machine

Torque What the Helles

Parish Pilsner alligator

Hop Trick Hottie

Industry skull on plate

Pearl Street Trainwreck

Pearl Street Pearlie Girl

Mad Scientist

MDW Mermaid

Rogue Batsquatch

Seven Sirens

Irish Death

Wyland whale tail

South Beach Light

Parallel 49 Hillbilly Ninja

Lost Coast Hazy IPA

True Vine Fermenter

River Bluff Speedliner IPA

Trientaycinco 3 headed goat

Heavy Metal

Mountain Fork Sneaky Snake

Knight sword and hops

Green Gold rocketship

Motley Zoo

1947 elephant head

Stone Buenaveza

Parallel 49 Bicycle Radler

Moddy #3

Busch Light corn

Hobgoblin new style

I decided to expand the award to add other categories...kind of like how the Great American Beer Festival has awards for beers in various categories. Thus the 2020 ATH Tap Handle Awards were born. I created 6 categories and an overall "Tap Handle of the Year" category - I guess you could call it "Best In Show". Each category has a Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal for the winners. Here are the categories and winners for 2020:

Best Nautical Themed Tap