There's the art of brewing it, the art of pouring it and the art of drinking it — responsibly, of course. Unknown to many is the art atop it: the art of the beer tap handle.
But behind Twin Cities bars, goose heads peer over sculpted wooden apples, and reclaimed fenceposts mark their territory next to macho etched metal pulls, while thirsty patrons gaze back, wallets in hand.
As the number of breweries in the state has climbed, now producing more than 525,000 barrels of craft brew a year, tap handles have gotten bigger, fancier and, in some cases, costlier. (A Dogfish Head Steampunk Uber Beer tap handle, a bulky thing full of faux gears, was recently listed on eBay for $1,525.)
It's not all about aesthetics, however. It's a marketing tactic for many brewers, who consider tap handles one last chance to lure a patron.
"Tap handles are like tiny billboards on the back of the bar," said Sarah Sherber, an instructor for the University of Minnesota's College of Design. Flashy handles have become such an icon of design that two of Sherber's classes at the university have included tap handle design and construction.
Branded tap handles were created — and legally mandated — to protect consumers from bait-and-switch bartending after Prohibition, said George Baley, author of "Vintage Beer Tap Markers: Ball Knobs, 1930s-1950s." But the days of bland ball knobs with tiny logos are behind us.
Serious thought goes into handle creation, said Nathan Berndt, co-owner of Indeed Brewing Co. The Minneapolis brewery's handles are made of oak, to mirror Indeed's oak-filled tasting room.
"Its very difficult to stand out in tap handles," he said. "Everybody wants to be different."