With the rise of microbreweries, a few adventuresome establishments began to offer multitap bars. Now a beer aficionado can walk the length of a bar and survey a small forest of tap handles, each representing a different American microbrew. If serving good beer is good for business, then serving lots of good draft beer must be great for business. At least that's the theory of a growing number of bars carrying lines of craft brews. Al Lininga, owner of Chrislan Ceramic Inc. in Vancouver, British Columbia, estimates his company has more than 400,000 ceramic tap handles in use throughout North America.
Owners add the appendages because it is smart marketing.
While many of the tap handles remain the same year-round, some rotate as the seasons change or for a special promotion. Look for the three different whale handles for each of the Humpback brews. The whales are behind the bars at Hudson Bay Seafood, the Red Oak Steakhouse in Encinitas, the Rusty Pelicans throughout San Diego, the Boat house, the Catamaran Hotel, the Strand Bar in Oceanside, Cucina Fresca in Ocean Beach and Ruby's Diner in Oceanside. At any of the Rockin' Baja Lobster Cantinas, the Windsock, O'Briens and La Tapa Tia, look for the brightly colored parrot handles representing Hussong's. German immigrant John Hussong opened his now famous cantina near Ensena-da in 1892.