Tap Handle #829: Dead Frog

8/17/2024 04:44:00 PM

Tap Handle #829: Dead Frog

Tap size: 12"

Rarity: 10 or less seen, fragile, no longer produced

Mounting: internal 3/8" nut

This Dead Frog tap was a replacement for the first Dead Frog tap I purchased several years ago, which arrived broken. It was in Museum Restoration Expert Kelly's projects, but he was unable to complete it before his passing. This version of the tap can be considered version 1. It is bigger and more fragile than the current version (version 2, see photo to right). Several of these version 1 taps that were shipped to the U.S. from the brewery or secondary market did not make it intact. Version 1 was produced in 2008, a couple of years after the brewery was rebranded from Backwoods Brewing to Dead Frog Brewing. Version 2 was released much later, possibly around 2018 when the brewery moved to their current location. Featuring a frog leg with signage on the front for a label, the tap is simple but brings a smile to the face of those who see it. Of the 2 versions, version 1 is more prized by collectors due to scarcity (older and discontinued, several lost to breakage etc.). The cost on the secondary market since 2020 has been over $100, with a couple of outliers selling for less. It is definitely still obtainable - but will it make the trip intact?

Dead Frog Brewing was originally founded in 1998 as Backwoods Brewing in Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada by Derrick Smith and Randy Wilcox. Smith and Wilcox were both born in Aldergrove and were life-long friends. In 1994 they had opened Copper Kettle Brewing, a "U Brew" operation in Aldergrove, and over the years had watched the clientele grow to include people from all over Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. In 1998 they closed Copper Kettle and started Backwoods Brewing in a small building off of Fraser Highway with 6 other partners. Their first beers were Stinger Ale and Timberwolf Pale Ale, but it was Smith's Nut Brown recipe and recognition at the Craft Beer Festival that caused sales to take off. Several pubs and bars in Langley and Abbotsford carried Backwoods' beer.

In 2006, Wilcox and some of the other partners decided to exit the business. Derrick and his wife Donna took the opportunity to rebrand Backwoods Brewing as Dead Frog Brewing, feeling that the name Backwoods wasn't marketable enough. Derrick and Donna were able to start up Dead Frog in a small warehouse across from the Twilight Drive-In in Aldergrove. The Nut Brown recipe carried forward and became the brewery's flagship brew as the business grew by leaps and bounds. In 2008, Dead Frog was sued by Sleeman for having a clear glass bottle design. In a case of David vs. Goliath - Sleeman was a $4.3 billion company at the time - Dead Frog won its case by claiming that Sleeman did not have a monopoly on clear glass bottles, and that the public was not likely to confuse the two beers because of Dead Frog's name, slogans, and logo.

By 2012, business was stagnating. The Smiths' partners thought that the brewery should be making beers like Budweiser due to its massive market share, and creativity was being stifled. In a bold move, Derrick bought out the remaining partners, became President of the brewery and hired the legendary Tony Dewald as head brewer. Dewald immediately brought bold, hop-forward beers to the lineup, and business took off. Another big change was the move to brown bottles. Considering the costly legal battle Dead Frog had with Sleeman to keep its clear bottles in 2008, this was a bold move, but needed to be done to keep beer from becoming “skunky”, allowed the brewery to make unfiltered beer, and improved recycling. The brewery was also making beer under contract for some other brands, including Steamworks (until their new production facility opened), which allowed Dead Frog to expand and improve the brewery itself. In 2013, the brewery won its episode of CBC’s The Big Decision reality TV show.

In 2018, after operating in Aldergrove for over a decade, Dead Frog moved into a new facility in nearby Langley, which featured a tasting room with 90 seats including a 25-seat patio, 20+ beers on tap, a retail store and growler station, and a food menu focused on locally sourced ingredients. The new space allowed them to brew small batches just for the tasting room, throw launch parties to get the word out on new brews, and put on special events. Derrick and Donna's son Cole became head brewer. Although the brewery had won awards in the past (especially for Nut Brown), since the tasting room was opened in 2018, the brewery had received 14 awards, such as 2 Canadian Brewing Award gold medals for Nutty Uncle Peanut Butter Stout, 4 BC Beer Awards for Commander Imperial Stout, and more.

Dead Frog's The Seasonal Citrus Wheat is a clean, crisp traditional Belgian wheat ale with light spices and refreshing hints of all natural citrus crafted to compliment long summer days. This beer does not appear on their website's list of current brews.