Tap Handle #812: Flathead Lake

December 24, 2023

Tap Handle #812: Flathead Lake - Wild Mile Wheat

Tap size: just over 11"

Rarity: less than 10 seen, beer retired, taps no longer produced

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

This bas relief style tap popped up on the secondary market several years ago and I debated whether to get it or not. There was also a Centennial IPA version, and I settled upon this Wild Mile Wheat over the other offering. It worked out well from an interest standpoint because I later got into kayaking and this tap features a kayaker exploring the waters of Flathead Lake (see the definition of what "Wild Mile" is below), with trees on each side and a long paddle over the top of the trees on left side. There's a round sign at the top displaying the brewery name and logo, which is attached to the rest of the tap by a small metal rod. Below that, above the bas relief scene, is the name of the beer. "FLBC" also appears as sculpted letters on the flat of the paddle. The front and back of the tap are identical, so I have reduced the number of photos taken. These figural taps were produced when Flathead Lake opened their new brewery in Bigfork in 2014. Wild Mile Wheat has since been retired, but other beers with figural taps similar to his one, such as Centennial IPA and Bufflehead, are still in production. However, the figural taps are no longer produced - recent images of the taproom show a wooden paddle tap style. After 4 other figural taps showed up on the secondary market, none have been seen since, with the last one appearing in 2016. The price has varied between $20-$40.

Flathead Lake is the largest lake in the western U.S. and is one of the cleanest lakes in the populated world for its size and type. Located in the northwest corner of the state of Montana, 7 miles south of Kalispell, it is approximately 30 miles long and 16 miles wide, covering 197 square miles. It is larger in surface area than Lake Tahoe, but it is much smaller in volume due to Tahoe's depth. The lake is in a scenic part of Montana, 30 miles southwest of Glacier National Park and is flanked by two scenic highways, which wind along its curving shoreline. On the west side is U.S. Route 93, and on the east, is Route 35. The lake is bordered on its eastern shore by the Mission Mountains and on the west by the Salish Mountains. The Flathead valley was formed by the glacial damming of the Flathead River and sustains a remarkably mild climate for a region located this far north and inland. The mild climate allows for cherry orchards on the east shore and vineyards for wine production on the west shore. There are also apple, pear and plum orchards around the lake as well as vegetables, hay, honey, nursery trees, Christmas trees, sod/turf, and wheat production bordering or near the lake. The lake has an irregularly shaped shoreline and a dozen small islands cover 5.5 square miles, and is home to a number of native and non-native fishes, such as bull trout and cutthroat trout, as well as the non-native lake trout, yellow perch, and lake whitefish. Local residents have reported sighting other aquatic fauna in the lake as well, such as sturgeon, and the Flathead Lake Monster. The city of Bigfork is located on the north end of Flathead Lake, where the Swan River spills into Bigfork Bay. The last mile of the Swan River, known as the "Wild Mile", is a class IV section of whitewater. This beautiful and challenging whitewater venue has a scenic nature trail paralleling the north side, giving spectators front row seats for some of the best whitewater action in the area.

Flathead Lake info courtesy of Wikipedia and Big Fork White Water Festival.

The Flathead Lake Brewing Company (FLBC) was founded in 2004 in Woods Bay, Montana by Terry Leonard and Greg Johnston. Leonard was a 10 year Navy veteran with a degree in biology and a master's in business who had been working at the Kalispell Regional Medical Center. He dreamed of opening a brewery and saw an opening when the local Raven Brewing Company closed. Across the street from the closing brewery was a former Ace Hardware building that Leonard chose as his brewing site. The name of the brewery came from nearby Flathead Lake. The tasting room adjacent to the brewery, which had a nautical theme and counters made of driftwood pulled out of Flathead Lake, also had windows that allowed viewing of the brewing equipment. As the brewery began to land accounts across the valley, Johnston joined as co-owner.

In 2006, FLBC was the youngest brewery ever to win not just 1, but 2, World Beer Cup awards. The brewery brought home a bronze medal for their Peg Leg Porter and a silver medal for their Mutiny Stout. In 2009, Leonard left the business to become a deputy with the Lake County Sheriff's office, making Johnston the sole owner. Needing some help, Johnston recruited his daughter Sandy Schwartz to take over as General Manager, where she helped remodel the taproom and started on rebranding the company’s look. In 2010 Schwartz opened the FLBC Pubhouse in Missoula. By 2012, the brewery was seriously strained for capacity, and Johnston decided to move brewing operations to the vacant North Shore Bowling Alley building 5 miles away in Bigfork. Schwartz and her mother Elvira Johnston purchased the building. After remodeling the site, the move was completed in 2013. Johnston installed a state of the art canning line that allowed the brewery to can both 12-oz and 16-oz cans alongside their bottling machine that was already producing 22-oz “Bomber Bottles”. With the original Woods Bay still in operation, total capacity increased to 12,000 barrels per year, although initial production began at 6,000 barrels.

The new brewery opened in 2014 with an eye on sustainability, prioritizing energy and water efficiency and utilizing solar and geothermal systems throughout the building. In 2015, the FLBC Pub House (restaurant), owned by Schwartz, opened as well. The restaurant featured FLBC beers as well as other craft brews from around Montana. There was an outside fireplace for cool fall days and nights, as well as TVs inside and out for watching sporting events. The original Woods Bay site was used for experimentation and seasonal beers, while the Bigfork brewery focused on production of signature beers. Johnston also rolled out a barrel-aging program, and began bottling their Farmhouse Ales and Sour Beers, as well as releasing more styles in cans including seasonals. Besides beer and beer cocktails, FLBC also served beer in its food dishes, such as balsamic vinaigrette with stout, Caesar dressing with ale, IPA in red pepper aioli spread, and a beer-based mac and cheese. Beer ice cream was especially popular, from espresso porter and mocha chip to pumpkin pecan with amber ale.

In 2017, the owners of the building in Missoula that Schwartz was renting for the FLBC brewpub notified Schwartz that they wanted to sell. Schwartz made the decision to close the brewpub in order to focus more on the Bigfork location and pursue other adventures. In 2018, Johnston was involved in an serious automobile accident on an icy road that broke 12 ribs on his left side and 6 on the right side, punctured both lungs (causing them to collapse), broke his neck at C1 and C2 (the top two bones in the cervical spine), and broke his collarbone, shoulder blade, and tibial plateau. Doctors didn’t know if Johnston would survive. Fortunately, thanks to expert medical treatment, followed by physical therapy and speech therapy, Johnston made a complete recovery. In the summer of 2022, Schwartz announced that she was selling the FLBC Pubhouse in Bigfork to Nicole Harker. Having joined the company when the Bigfork site opened in 2014, Harker had been the General Manager of the brewpub for the previous 5 years. The transition was to take place at the end of the year.

However, in December, a suppression pipe burst over the main kitchen of the pub house. The water was shut off after around 15 minutes, but an estimated 400 gallons of water was released each minute. The flooding caused the ceiling to collapse in the restaurant kitchen, covering the space with insulation and other materials, and water swept out of the kitchen and into the pub’s main floor. More damage was discovered in the basement area, known as The Cellar, which FLBC had been using as an event space. The brewpub closed indefinitely. The damage to the building was covered by insurance, and work crews replaced flooring, kitchen walls and ceiling damage. Kitchen equipment, including water coolers, freezers and ice machines, all had to be replaced. The brewing equipment was housed in a separate building from the brewpub and was not damaged, so canning production was able to continue. After 4 months of repairs, the brewpub reopened in April of 2023.

FLBC's Wide Mile Wheat has a crisp, clean taste that exemplifies the American Hefeweizen style. This summer brew is unfiltered giving it its cloudy appearance. The hop character is light and perfect after working and playing hard all day. This beer appears to have ceased production around 2016-2017.