Tap Handle #838: Casco Bay Brewing (Shipyard)

September 30, 2024

Tap Handle #838: Casco Bay Brewing (Shipyard) - Riptide Red

Tap size: 11.25"

Rarity: 50 or less seen, brewery closed

Mounting: oversized 3/8" ferrule on 3/8" anchor bolt

As a sucker for nautical taps, this Casco Bay Riptide Red purchase was a no-brainer for me when I acquired it several years ago. When they first appeared you could only find the red version, but later green (for IPA) and yellow (for Summer Ale) began to show up. It wasn't until 2024 that a blue and orange color scheme, for the brewery's Oktoberfest beer, made its presence known. The tap's simple design is of a fishing float with some rope attached to it, and bears decals for the brewery and beer variety front and back, but it is actually very nice in person. A matte finish would have made it look more realistic and less reflective of light, but I can see why a glossy finish was chosen - it's quite attractive and more artistic. These Casco Bay taps first started appearing in 2016 - after Shipyard had phased out the brand - and were in new or lightly used condition. It's likely that someone was liquidating existing stock. However, by 2018, supply had dwindled, with an average of 1 Riptide Red showing up per year, with some of those being well-used. The green IPA and yellow Summer Ale versions disappeared completely. At the time of this writing, it's been over a year and a half since a Riptide Red appeared; the only version that can be found now is the Oktoberfest. Initially prices were very affordable, in the $30-$45 range (which holds true for current Oktoberfests), but a few years ago the increasingly scarce Riptide Red shot up to well over $100, and continued to climb to $130 for the most recent offering. Just over 25 for all versions combined have appeared, so despite the "50 or less" category it falls into, the tap is much closer to "25 or less", and thus makes it harder to find than you'd expect - unless you want an Oktoberfest.

Casco Bay Brewing Company was founded in Portland, Maine in 1994 by Bob Wade and Mike Lacharite. Both men were well-regarded home brewers and had served as judges at beer competitions. The brewery's initial capacity was 6,000 barrels annually, with their first 2 offerings being Katahdin Red Ale and Katahdin Golden Beer. Within 6 months, capacity quickly had to be increased to meet the huge spike in demand. Their line of Katahdin Beers quickly became big sellers and soon found their way into an impressive distribution network. In early 1995, Bryan Smith joined the brewery as a part time bottler. Within 5 months, Smith had worked his way up to brewer. In 1997, Smith left the brewery to attend the American Brewers Guild brewing school at UC Davis - California, where he studied the biochemistry and micro-biology side of brewing. In 1998, Smith, Alex Fisher and Stew Maloney bought out Mike Lacharite's share in the brewery, with Smith taking over all brewing operations. Later that year, the brewery introduced their Casco Bay Pilsner, the first beer under the Casco Bay brand name.

Casco Bay Brewing began contract brewing Carrabassett Pale Ale for Sugarloaf Brewing Company. By the end of the year, additional renovations were necessary and capacity was increased yet again, to 8,500 barrels per year. In early 1999, all Katahdin beers were discontinued; however, the strongest selling, the Katahdin Red Ale, underwent a slight recipe tweak and was reborn as Casco Bay Riptide Red Ale. In 2000, Casco Bay bought the brand rights to Carrabassett beers from Sugarloaf Brewing. The acquisition required capacity to be increased from 8,500 to 11,000 barrels per year. In 2001 they made more improvements in order to increase packaging efficiency, and the brewery completed its fourth straight double digit growth year. In 2002, Smith, Fisher, and Maloney bought out Bob Wade, the remaining half of the original ownership pair. The brewery also revamped its packaging design, which further increased sales.

In 2008, Casco Bay was acquired by Shipyard Brewing Company and became a sister brand. Beer production and bottling were moved to the Shipyard facility near the Portland, Maine waterfront, with access to premium equipment and resources. With Shipyard being one of Maine’s largest original microbreweries, the increased exposure was, at first, very rewarding for the small Casco Bay brand. Nine ales and lagers from Casco Bay and Carrabassett were distributed throughout New England under their own label, and in 2014 the Casco Bay brand celebrated its 20th year anniversary. But by 2015, both Casco Bay and Carrabassett were phased out by Shipyard, never to return.

Casco Bay's Riptide Red Ale was their flagship brew and won a gold medal at the 2000 World Beer Cup. A combination of 5 different malts and 3 hop varietals provided perfect balance. It presented a reddish-amber color capped by a sizeable, fluffy head, with notes of warm caramel, toasty bread crust, graham cracker, and a bit of butterscotch. The malts offered up a toasty, caramelly, and mildly nutty flavor, with a touch of chocolate in the finish. Hops provided a touch of mild citrus and added just enough bitterness to keep the malt backbone in balance. Brewed using a top-fermenting ale yeast, but conditioned for an extended period of time at cold temperatures (like a lager), Riptide was very clean and crisp like a lager, with the complexity and robustness of an ale. It was also very sessionable at under 5% ABV. Riptide made a good partner for orange chicken over fried rice, or with a snack of green grapes.