Tap Handle #842: Tilted Kilt - T-K Lager ("Cassie")

November 11, 2024

Tap Handle #842: Tilted Kilt - T-K Lager ("Cassie")

Tap size: 11"

Rarity: 25 or less seen, fragile, beer retired

Mounting: oversized ferrule on 3/8" anchor bolt

version 1

After seeing this tap for the first time in 2013, I chased it in vain for a few years, hitting up various locations and even having my dad briefly investigate a closed site in California. I finally obtained one in 2016, and later was even able to obtain a second one for Museum Restoration Expert Kelly. The tap is nicknamed "Cassie", as it features a 3-D likeness of Tilted Kilt's fictional "mascot" character, Cassie. I also have a Tilted Kilt Leggy Lass tap that will be profiled at a later date. There is a third tap that was used by Tilted Kilt, which is the Scottish "Braveheart" tap; that same tap was used for MacTarnahan's Scottish Ale, and the taps are identical except for the label (I posted about that one in profile #303). The Cassie tap first appeared on the secondary market around 2013, at the height of the company's popularity, and was used only for their house beer T-K Lager. Cassie, a beautiful red-haired lass dressed in the Tilted Kilt "uniform", holds a tray with two glasses on it (one of which is spilling beer). At the base is a shield with the Tilted Kilt logo on it, and behind Cassie is the top round of a barrel. Below Cassie is a signage area where a label indicates the beer variety, and at the very bottom is an oversized ferrule. There are actually two versions; this is version 2. Version 1 has a black block between the ankles, a standard ferrule, no shield, no barrel, and Cassie's legs are fully formed (see photo inset to right).

Due to the stress of pulling on the tap at the top and the thinness of Cassie's legs, it was common for the version 1 taps to break at the ankles. The manufacturer revamped the design and created version 2, using a larger ferrule and adding the shield and barrel, with one of Cassie's legs disappearing into the barrel...it looks a little odd from the back but isn't really visible from the front. While all these changes did make the base of the version 2 tap much stronger, some still broke from heavy abuse, but the frequency was far less than that of version 1. It's also common to find the glasses on the tray missing due to breakage, as well as parts of Cassie's hair chipped. This tap is so coveted that even broken ones routinely sell for over $200. It has sold as high as $700 in the past; the most recent sales have been between $400-$500 for one in good condition. Neither version is more valuable than the other. There's no telling how many exist; by 2011 there were 100 Tilted Kilt locations, so one for every location would have been 100. However, there's no way to know if that many were distributed - it was up to the individual franchisee to decide if they wanted to buy one - and who knows how many broken ones were discarded and not replaced. Due to the amount of intricate detail on this beautiful piece - the numerous and intricate curls of hair, the plaid paint on the kilt and bra, the additional sculpted pieces such as the tray, glasses, shield, and barrel, and the facial features including the life-like eyes - I consider this one of the top 3 taps ever produced.

Tilted Kilt is a restaurant/pub chain that was founded in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2003 by Mark DiMartino, Shannon Reilly, and John Reynaud. DiMartino was the son of parents who were successful restauranteurs, and he had carried on the family tradition as the owner of the longtime Las Vegas favorite Tillerman restaurant. He developed the concept of Tilted Kilt, an Irish-Scottish sports bar with American bar food, and got Reilly and Reynaud ( a professional golfer) to invest in his idea. The first Tilted Kilt opened on St. Patrick's Day 2003 at The Rio Hotel and Casino, at the site previously called J.W.'s Tavern. It attracted immediate attention and success, in no small part to its servers. Taking a cue from Hooters, Tilted Kilt hired attractive women dressed in knee-high socks, plaid kilts with matching plaid bras, sporrans (a Scottish purse), and white tied-off tops. Food consisted of Britain-inspired dishes such as fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and "Big-Arse Burgers", and there were over 20 beers on tap, including flagship beverages such as Guinness and Samuel Adams, and house beers that included T-K Lager (brewed by George Killian), Tilted Kilt Scotch Ale (brewed by Portland Brewing), and Leggie Lass IPA (brewed by Goose Island). There were TVs for sporting events, and games such as pool and darts were available for patrons.

In 2005, restauranteur Ron Lynch acquired the intellectual rights to the Tilted Kilt concept and helped launch 100 restaurants in 6 years by offering up franchise opportunities. In his 25 years in the industry, he also had opened more than 100 Schlotzsky’s restaurants. In 2012, Lynch was asked by CBS to appear on the TV reality show "Undercover Boss", where he visited 3 locations in disguise to examine operations and root out problems. However, although Lynch had expanded the brand rapidly and with great success, trouble was brewing on the horizon. Tilted Kilt began struggling with identity, store closures and unsatisfied franchisees. There was also bad publicity when a former Tilted Kilt waitress successfully sued a restaurant manager (and the franchisee) for videotaping her changing into her uniform in the women's bathroom at one Nebraska location, and she was awarded $1.47 million. Two other victims settled out of court.

In 2015, sales were at $175 million per year. By 2016 the number of locations had dropped to 80, and by 2017 had dropped again to a total of 51, with sales falling to $117 million. After announcing a new catering program, off-premises program, and a new menu making burgers the star, the location count was down to 47. In 2018, ARC Group, Inc., owner, operator, and franchisor of Dick’s Wings & Grill, acquired Tilted Kilt. SDA Holdings, LLC, a company owned by ARC Group board member Fred W. Alexander, bought and then held Tilted Kilt until ARC Group could complete the purchase after achieving financing. Richard Akam, ARC’s CEO, had been the CEO of Hooters from 1995 to 2003 and was later chief operating officer of Twin Peaks.

By the time the sale of Tilted Kilt was completed, the location count had dropped again, to 34. Unfortunately for ARC, they were unable to stop the bleeding. By 2022, the number of locations had shrunk to 8, and today there are only 6 locations remaining: Las Vegas, Nevada; Lexington, Kentucky; Clarksville, Tennessee; Killeen, Texas; Laredo, Texas; and Prince George, Virginia. While the original location at the Rio in Las Vegas is gone, there is one a couple of blocks away in Harrah's. After the sale of Tilted Kilt, Ron Lynch moved on to open Voodoo Daddy's Steam Kitchen, a Cajun fast-casual concept in Tempe, Arizona.

T-K Lager was a house beer brewed for Tilted Kilt by George Killian's. No entries for T-K Lager exist on Ratebeer or BeerAdvocate, but it's likely this beer is simply Killian's Irish Red Lager that has been rebranded for Tilted Kilt. T-K Lager appears to be retired...it cannot be found on any of the menus of the remaining 6 Tilted Kilt locations.