Our new handles hit the taps

We partnered with local architects to create three brand new tap handles for our beers, inspired by Brixton

If you've visited our taproom or a pub that pours our beer lately you may have noticed our brand-new tap handles! Our two most popular beers Coldharbour Lager and Reliance Pale Ale now have their own unique designs, and we've updated our generic handle, designed to be used for any of the tasty beers that we brew.

The tap handle re-design project came from a very local collaboration with our near-neighbours, architecture firm Squire & Partners. Since we share their passion for local architecture, we worked together to build a set of distinctive, sculptural tap handles inspired by Brixton's built environment. 

Our close proximity to Squire’s in-house model-shop and 3D printer allowed us to build a number of prototypes and play around with different combinations to perfect the design and functionality.

Each resulting handle takes elements from our cans and other branding, and re-envisions them as sculptural tributes to the bits of Brixton that inspired them – while never compromising their purpose as tap handles for expertly assisting in the serving of a cold pint. 

The Coldharbour Lager tap handle uses the famous zig zag decorative motif of Southwyck House – a.k.a the Barrier Block, a ground-breaking brutalist style council estate on Coldharbour Lane, the road for which the beer is named.

The Reliance Pale Ale tap handle uses the distinctive art deco curves and Egyptian-inspired design of Reliance Arcade, which lent its name to our brew. 

For the generic handle of course we chose the lightning bolt, referencing Brixton’s Electric Avenue, the first electrically-lit shopping street in the UK, Brixton-born David Bowie, and the Eddy Grant song Electric Avenue.

Tim Gledstone, Partner at Squire & Partners, with whom we worked closely on this, says: 

"Since moving our practice to Brixton in 2017, we have relished sharing knowledge, ideas and friendship with local businesses, and Brixton Brewery is no exception. Rooted in the local community and dedicated to producing a great product inspired by the buzz and electricity of our shared home, their appreciation of craft, quality and design resonates with our values. We were therefore delighted to collaborate with them on a new set of tap handle designs which could tell their story in pubs and bars across the country.

Our designs for the handles extract the shapes and forms that are used to depict different Brixton landmarks on each of the original can designs. These have been simplified to create bold, colourful graphics and a distinct silhouette and character true to each brew, creating a chess-like set of collector’s totems. The resulting dynamic and tactile objects tap into the Brewery’s values and set their product apart at the bar. We hope that they will assist in amplifying the experience, encouraging the consumer to discover more about Brixton – its past and present – and pull even happier pints."