Right Brain Brewery plans to debut their new right brained tap handles for a special tapping of the Cherry Pie Whole beer. The Cherry Pie Whole beer was recently brewed using fifty whole Cherry Crumb pies from the Grand Traverse Pie Company. The new tap handles will debut at the special tapping on Friday, July 1st at 6 p.m., just in time for the National Cherry Festival kick-off. New at this year’s National Cherry Festival beer tent, being served out of their new tap handles, will be Right Brain Brewery’s Will Power Pale Ale!
Right Brain Brewery (RBB) has been working on creating their new tap handles since the fall of 2010 after Russell Springsteen, owner and operator of RBB, was asked to speak at a U of M entrepreneurial conference. Other guest speakers representing Northern Michigan companies were, Mike and Denise Busley, co-founders of the Grand Traverse Pie Company, and Mike Steele, founder of the Tape Wrangler. During a lunch brainstorming conversation the idea of new tap handles and brewing a beer using whole pies from the Grand Traverse Pie Company (GTPC) sprouted.
It was this brainstorming conversation that led to the experimental brewing this past February of the original Pie Whole, which used seventy-five Carmel Apple pies from the Grand Traverse Pie Company. When asked, why another pie beer, Springsteen stated, “Why not? It makes sense and it was really fun the first time. Plus, Grand Traverse Pie Company has such a fantastic variety of flavors!” RBB chose to experiment with the Cherry Crumb pie for obvious regional and seasonal reasons; it’s the season for cherries, the influx of visitor to our region, and of course, the National Cherry Festival.
On Thursday, June 16th, Corey Wentworth, head brewer at RBB, brewed the Cherry Pie Whole using fifty whole GTPC Cherry Crumb pies. The Cherry Pie Whole will be a lighter ale than the original Pie Whole and has a lighter malt profile to highlight the natural cherry flavors.
When asked what’s next, Wentworth replied, “The Cherry Pie Whole is another right brained adventure in the world of pie beer; next stop Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, I don’t know what’s next, but watch out Little Debbie Zebra Cakes!”
The Cherry Pie Whole beer will be released at a special tapping on Friday, July 1st at 6 p.m. at Right Brain Brewery (221 Garland St., Traverse City). It will be served as a premium beer in a 12 oz. glass for $6.50. Along with the special tapping RBB will be debuting their new tap handles.
RBB’s new tap handles have been a nine-month design process. Springsteen first started to investigate options with Mike Steele, founder of the Tape Wrangler, a local Traverse City company, in hopes that RBB could keep this project within the local economy. They soon discovered that the tap handle design was extremely unique and unfortunately with the company’s lack of tap handle production, experience, and technique Springsteen would need to use a company that specializes in tap handle production. Taphandles Incorporated, a tap handle company based in Seattle, Washington, decided to take on the challenging and unique design. Nielson Design Group, based in Traverse City, designed the overall look and feel of the new tap handle.
The new tap handles are clear acrylic with many random objects, including but not limited to RBB sayings, safety pins, glitter, random beads, seashells, space shuttles, and more randomness floating in the handle. The new handles are adorned with a cube on the top that contains Right Brain’s branding. This is the first tap handle of this design and took approximately three months to design and six months to get the prototype correct.
“Overall it has been a fun experience. One of the most challenging aspects of this design project was finding the objects that appear to be floating in the tap handle. These objects needed to be certain sizes, couldn’t melt when put into the hot acrylic, and also needed to be whimsical, playful, and random.” stated Springsteen.
RBB will retire the original tap handles and officially change them to the new design during the special tapping of the Cherry Pie Whole beer on Friday, July 1st at 6 p.m.
Expect to see additional RBB tap handles in the seven counties that Right Brain currently distributes to, as RBB expands their distribution through Wicksall Distributors based in Traverse City. Springsteen plans to sell the limited edition original Right Brain taps for $75 each. Interested parties should contact Right Brain directly. There are less than fifty original taps available.
Right Brain Brewery, featuring rotating artwork and beer menu, is committed to brewing its handcrafted microbrews with the best available local ingredients. Right Brain Brewery is located in Traverse City’s Warehouse District and is open seven days a week. Right Brain Brewery is also proud to support our community by being involved in countless community events.
Grateful recipient of the 2010 and 2011 Local Hero Award received from Grand Traverse Edible.
Traverse – Northern Michigan’s Magazine Red Hot Best winner for Bar To Inspire Conversation.www.RightBrainBrewery.com
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