Can I go custom?

Every super hero needs an origin story and for Captain Zig, a super hero inspired craft brewery, so did their tap handle. 

Inspired by their daughter's imagined superhero, Captain Zig has seen new growth in southern Connecticut since they began brewing back in 2008. With a lineup of IPAs, stouts, and lagers, they have steadily grown their volume of kegs sold over the past year.

For many years, they've used our standard 3-sided handle featuring colorful art drawn by their youngest daughter. Their taps have stood out at the bar and built a loyal following.

Eventually, Mike, zig’s founder, decided he wanted to elevate his tap handle presence. After ordering a few more of our standard-shaped handles to hold him over, he decided to work with us to design a custom handle, and he's never looked back since.

The design process started with a brief overview of our custom options using our tiered design system. Mike knew he wanted something taller than the standard 8" 3-sided handle he'd previously used, so he chose a topper design. For the shaft, he selected the 4-sided taper, which gives the handle an elegant feel for both drinkers and bartenders.

Since this was Mike's first custom order, cost was an important factor. He knew he'd spend more than he had on the standard handles ($20-22 a piece), so one key decision to keep costs aligned with his budget was using removable stickers on two sides of the handle shaft. Rather than direct-printing beer-specific names, we color-matched custom stickers for his core beers in distribution. This way, if he switches out a beer for a seasonal release or something new, he only has to replace the sticker rather than the entire handle.

Other noticeable features of the handle include the custom pink paint we color matched from other brand material, and the unique topper element cut into the shape of Captain Zig herself: all credit due to Mike’s daughter. Working together allowed us to keep the costs down while keeping the most important features.

For brewers experiencing new growth, with or without their own superhero, reach out to us to learn more about the cost of elevating your tap handle to a customized design. Whether you stick with a standard shape and add some custom features or  design something bold, Green Mountain taps specializes in delivery economical options for craft breweries of all sizes.