Fighter Jet Tap Handle Concept: Inside the Design for Head Right Brewing's Luke Haze
Updated September 2026 by Brad Lugar
Quick answer: Steel City Tap Co. designed a fighter jet tap handle concept for Luke Haze, the hazy IPA from Head Right Brewing Company in Surprise, Arizona. The resin handle puts a jet on top, afterburner flames down a black body, and HEAD RIGHT down the front. Every color and finish gets locked on the concept sheet before a single handle is made.
What does the Luke Haze fighter jet tap handle look like?
The jet sits at the top of the handle, nose up, as if it's climbing out off the tower. LUKE HAZE rides across the wings in gold. Afterburner flames sweep from the tail down the side of the body, and HEAD RIGHT runs vertically in raised gray letters, finished with the brewery's HR mark near the base.
The back of the handle carries LUKE HAZE again at the top, so the beer name reads from behind the bar too. That matters more than people think. Bartenders pull from the back side all shift.
What goes on a tap handle concept sheet?
A concept sheet is the contract between the brewery and the shop. If it's vague, the finished handle will be too. Ours carry:
- Three or four views. Front, side, and back at minimum, so nobody gets surprised by what the handle looks like from the bartender's side.
- Overall dimensions. Height, width, and depth, checked against tower spacing.
- Construction. What the body is made of and how it's put together.
- A color for every part. Called out by Pantone number, so the same gold shows up everywhere it appears.
- Decoration method per element. Raised, painted, or printed. Each one looks different and costs different.
- Hardware. The ferrule or insert and its thread.
Once the brewery approves that sheet, it becomes the build spec. Nothing gets reinterpreted on the shop floor.
Why build the handle around the beer instead of the brewery logo?
A brewery handle tells people whose beer it is. A beer handle tells them what to order. When a hazy IPA lands on a wall next to four other hazy IPAs, the brewery logo alone won't win that pull.
This concept does both. The jet and the flames sell Luke Haze from across the room, and HEAD RIGHT on the body keeps the brewery name in front of every customer who walks up. If you're only going to build one custom handle, build it for the beer you need moving and put your brand on it second.
How do you get a tap handle concept approved faster?
Most handle programs don't stall in production. They stall in review. Five habits keep a concept moving:
- Start with a snapshot, not a spec. A phone picture of the logo and one sentence about the beer is enough for a first concept.
- Tell the shop the story behind the name. The best silhouettes come from the name, not the logo.
- Look at the back view. Bartenders see that side all night. Approve it on purpose.
- Put one person on approvals. Three people giving three rounds of notes adds weeks.
- Give all your notes in one round. Every round of changes resets the clock.
Resin is what makes a shape like this possible at a 100 unit run. See more cast work in our resin tap handles.
If you're in the West Valley, you can find Luke Haze and the rest of the lineup at headrightbrewing.com.
What happens after a tap handle concept is approved?
The approved concept moves to production. Fully custom handles carry a 100 unit minimum with price breaks at 100, 250, 500, and 1,000+, and lead time is 6 to 8 weeks after final design approval.
Want to see how closely a finished handle matches its concept? Read how we built the custom sword tap handle for Next Quest Brewing, where the finished handle had to match the render it was sold on. Ready to start your own? Send a logo or a phone snapshot on the custom tap handle quote page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a tap handle concept?
A tap handle concept is a drawing of the proposed handle, usually in front, side, and back views, with dimensions, materials, colors, and decoration methods called out. Once the brewery approves it, the concept becomes the spec the handle is built to.
Why do tap handle concepts use Pantone colors?
Pantone numbers pin each color to a standard, so the brewery's brand gold or red comes out the same on every handle and matches cans, signs, and other branded gear.
How tall should a custom tap handle be?
Most beer tap handles run 10 to 12 inches tall. That range stands out on a tower without being awkward to pull or crowding the handles next to it.
What thread do custom tap handles use?
Our handles use a 3/8-16 thread, which fits standard US beer faucets without adapters.
What is the minimum order for a custom tap handle?
Fully custom tap handles start at 100 units. Stock handle shapes printed with your logo start at 12 units, and blank stock handles can be ordered one at a time.