Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom is celebrating its 40th birthday with a bang: a massive 1,400-plus tap takeover in an attempt to break the world’s record.
The restaurant chain, which opened its first location in Boulder in July 1976, is partnering with The Boston Beer Company for the feat. Fifteen taps will be dedicated to a variety of Samuel Adams beers at each of the 94 Old Chicago locations across the country — 26 of which are in Colorado.
“We started seeing people doing these big tap takeovers and saying they were the biggest ever,” Old Chicago brand manager Jason Murphy said. “Three locations, 10 handles, how could that be the biggest tap takeover ever? We have 100 locations, we could easily beat that.”
To set the record — in which Draft Magazine authenticated the mark, Murphy said — required a large craft brewery. Several were looked at before the maker of Sam Adams was settled upon.
“Sam Adams has been a great partner of ours for years,” Murphy said. “Really one of the only ones who could pull something like this off.”
The menu consists of several Samuel Adams staples, such as the Boston lager and the summer ale, to winning entries from its Longshot home-brewing competition.
“It’s the most exciting time to be a drinker in America. For years Americans have taken the brunt of having no beer culture. Now other parts of the world are looking to us for inspiration … and this is a great example of it,” said Jennifer Glanville, Boston Beer Company brewer.
Murphy said that he would like to see the tap takeover become an annual event, depending on its success this year. Whether Old Chicago partners with Samuel Adams, another brewery or several regional breweries remains to be seen, he said.
