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Yeti coolers are known for their ability to keep your drinks ice cold for hours, but what about when you pull the drink out of the cooler? The brand’s Colster line of can insulators was designed to keep beers and canned beverages ice cold until the last drop—and the bestselling one is 50% off as part of Yeti’s Black Friday deals on Amazon.
Right now, the Yeti Rambler Colster Insulator Tall is $15—half off the $30 list price. The can cooler boasts nearly 12,000 perfect customer ratings with an average of 4.7 stars on Amazon. It’s also the No. 1 bestselling product in the thermocooler category, along with two other Yeti products that rank in the top five. Availability is limited in most colors, but navy, white, and “Seafoam” are all in stock at the $15 Black Friday deal price.
YETI Rambler 16 oz. Colster Tall Can Insulator for Tallboys & 16 oz. Cans, $15 (was $30) on Amazon
True to Yeti’s ethos of over-engineering, these aren’t your standard foam can coolers; they’re made from double-wall insulated metal for a straight-from-the-fridge chill.
There are multiple versions of Yeti’s Colster can insulator to suit different can sizes, including standard and slim 12-ounce cans. This one was designed for tallboys, which are 16-ounce cans, commonly used with craft beer and energy drinks. To use the Colster, simply take the top off, pop a can in, and twist the gasket into place for a secure fit.
The insulator also comes with a can-shaped insert that has a removable top. These are used when you want to drink from narrow cans without them rattling around inside the unit. The top of the can-shaped insert can also be placed at the bottom of the Colster to make shorter cans easier to drink from. This clever design allows the 16-ounce Colster to be used with different kinds of beer cans and bottles. The Colster is available with or without the can-shaped insert, but the version with the insert is actually cheaper right now.
YETI Rambler 16 oz. Colster Tall Can Insulator for Tallboys & 16 oz. Cans, $15 (was $30) on Amazon
Non-beer drinkers and teetotalers can also get plenty of use from the 16-ounce Yeti Colster because it’s a good fit for energy drinks, iced teas, and even plastic soda drink bottles. In its Amazon reviews, drinks were mentioned by 81 people, with 16 mentions of soda and 37 reviewers who mentioned water bottles, solidifying this as a good option for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
One shopper found that the insulator “keeps beers cold for hours,” and even found it useful for keeping milk bottles warm, a handy feature for parents.
Another shopper wrote that the 16-ounce Colster was a good fit for tall Rockstar and Arizona Ice Tea cans, and that “it keeps it cold (not cool, COLD) for hours,” they mentioned. “I left it in my hot car for 4 hours and it was still cold.”
Yeti coolers and drinkware are are some of the best, but they’re expensive, which is why we like to keep an eye out for any deals we can find. That’s why, if you’re trying to buy a Yeti gift for somebody, now is the time to strike. With 50% off the Yeti Rambler Colster for Amazon’s Black Friday sale, we recommend acting quickly. Not only is this at risk of selling out, but the price will surely be going up within days.
The holidays are upon us. Maybe you live somewhere blanketed by snow, and the wintry sheen makes the holiday lights look even brighter. Or perhaps you have a decorated palm tree in your yard, and there isn’t a hint of snow in the forecast. Either way, you’re probably in a festive mood, which means Christmas beers are definitely on the menu.
Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you can’t argue with the appeal of these rich, tasty beers on a chilly winter night. For the uninitiated, a Christmas beer is a seasonal beer created to be enjoyed during the holidays. While there’s no set definition (and brewers have their own unique takes), they’re usually malty, dark, and loaded with flavors that normally belong in a fruit cake: candied orange peel, cloves, cinnamon, and other wintry spices.
There’ve been some shakeups in the beer world this year, meaning that previous top picks—like Anchor Christmas Ale—are no longer available. To help you spend the next few weeks imbibing the best seasonal brews, we’ve rounded up our favorite Christmas beers of the year. ‘Tis the season to crack one open.
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1. Allagash Snow Report
Allagash Snow Report
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Snow Report is a perfect example of why Allagash is renowned for their mastery of Belgian-style beers. Dubbed a “celebratory saison” by the Maine brewery, this golden ale finishes sweeter—thanks to a helping of wildflower honey in the recipe—than the typical dry saison ale. It’s also a bit bigger, at 8.6% ABV, but true to the base style it’s dangerously drinkable. The honey character is complemented by lavender and sandalwood with a lightly toasted malt backbone.
2. St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
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One of the best Christmas beers ever made comes from Belgian brewery . This 10 percent ABV quadruple is loaded with hints of toffee, toasted almonds, dried cherries, gentle yeast, and wintry spices.
3. Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve
Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve
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Rogue Ales fans eagerly await the brewery’s Santa’s Private Reserve offerings every holiday season. This year, Rogue teamed up with Honey Mama’s ( a company that makes cocoa truffle bars) for a tahini, tangerine, and chocolate-flavored stout.
4. Avery Old Jubilation
Avery Old Jubilation
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Yet another eagerly awaited beer, Avery Old Jubilation is an 8.3 percent ABV strong ale brewed with Black, Chocolate, Bonlander Munich, and 2-Row malts as well as London ale yeast and Bullion hops. The result is a different type of Christmas beer: It’s not spiced like many other beers, but it offers notes of caramel and chocolate along with a nutty sweetness.
6. Tröegs Mad Elf
Tröegs Mad Elf
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There might not be a more aptly named Christmas beer than Tröegs Mad Elf. This 11 percent ABV ale is brewed with Chocolate, Munich, and Pilsner malts as well as spicy Belgian yeast. It gets its flavor from the addition of honey and several varieties of cherries.
7. Great Lakes Christmas Ale
Great Lakes Christmas Ale
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Great Lakes is one of those breweries that seems to brew a banger for every season. Its Christmas Ale is no exception. This 7.5 percent ABV Christmas ale gets its seasonal flavor from the addition of honey and spices. The result is a sweet, malty, rich beer with notes of cinnamon, honey, caramel, and ginger.
8. Delirium Christmas
Delirium Christmas
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It’s quite clear that in addition to making some of the best beer in the world in any season, Belgian brewers know how to craft delicious, memorable Christmas beers. At 10 percent ABV, ale is loaded with sweet yeasty flavors of caramel candy, dried fruits, and holiday spices, and it’s rounded out with a warming, subtly bitter finish.
9. Deschutes Jubelale
Deschutes Jubelale
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Deschutes’ foray into the world of winter warmers is its Jubelale. It has a great mix of hops and malts: Pale, Crystal, Carapils, and Extra Special malts as well as roasted barley pair with Bravo, Cascade, Delta, Us Tettnang, and East Kent Goldings hops. This results in a malty, sweet, caramel-filled beer with a nice hoppy backbone.
10. Southern Tier 2XMAS
Southern Tier 2XMAS
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Southern Tier is well-known for its holiday-centric beers. One of its newest and best is its 2XMAS. This eight percent ABV spiced double ale gets its seasonal flavor from being brewed with orange peels, figs, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and ginger root. The result is a spicy, robust, sweet beer that’s ideal for cold weather drinking.
11. Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Breckenridge Christmas Ale
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It makes sense that a brewery located in a city known for its prodigious snow would make a solid winter warmer. This malt-forward ale has notes of chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, and just a whiff of orange. A total crowd-pleaser, Breckenridge Christmas Ale is something you can share with friends and family this holiday season (but we’ll doubt you’ll want to).
12. Bell’s Christmas Ale
Bell’s Christmas Ale
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Generally speaking, Scotch ales are big, bold, overwhelmingly malty, and a bit heavy (hence their alternative name, “Wee Heavy”). That’s not the case with this Christmas Ale from Bell’s. Simple, well-balanced, and supremely drinkable (impressive considering it has a 7.5 percent ABV), it’s a beer you can sip all evening without falling over.
13. Shiner Holiday Cheer
Shiner Holiday Cheer
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Christmas ales are usually characterized by the addition of warming spices (think cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and star anise), but Shiner is based in the heart of Texas, and the brewery does things a little differently. Brewed with local pecans and peaches (the dominant flavor in this brew), Shiner Holiday Cheer is perfect for those who live in a warm-weather destination (or maybe those dreaming of one).
14. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
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Chicago’s Goose Island releases its massive bourbon stout and its variants (five for 2023) on Black Friday, making it a perfect salve for the crush of holiday shopping. This year’s Bourbon County Stout weighs in at 14.6% ABV. And while the character varies year to year due to the unpredictability of barrel aging, the flagship retains its hallmark chocolate and bourbon-vanilla character.
15. Hardywood Kentucky Christmas Morning
Hardywood Kentucky Christmas Morning
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This boozy (10.6 percent ABV) offering from Hardywood will definitely help you get through a gathering with the in-laws. To make Kentucky Christmas Morning, the brewery takes its Gingerbread Stout and ages it in Kentucky bourbon barrels, a process which adds notes of vanilla, coconut, and rich toasted oak. It’s also cold-filtered through coffee beans before bottling.
16. Athletic Brewing Co. Lodge Life
Athletic Brewing Co. Lodge Life
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This non-alcoholic oatmeal stout-inspired brew brings the comforting body of a big, dark ale. Athletic designed this beer to recall the flavors of s’mores around a campfire, adding cinnamon, cacao nibs, and marshmallow and vanilla flavoring.
17. Three Floyds Alpha Klaus
3 Floyds Alpha Klaus
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Alpha Klaus, a veteran of craft beer Christmas ales, has been around more than two decades thanks to its timeless yet unique character. Alpha Klaus combines the bitter citrus hops of a classic American IPA with the smooth, roasty chocolate of a porter. Three Floyds also adds a touch of Mexican sugar to the brew, which lightens the body in a similar fashion to tropical stouts like Lion or Dragon Stout.
18. Ayinger Celebrator
Ayinger Celebrator
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With a recipe descended from the original doppelbocks brewed by 17th century Bavarian monks, Ayinger is a modern classic that every beer lover must try—in any season. However, the rich, dark fruit flavors and subtle roasted barley make Celebrator an ideal beer pairing for big, savory holiday meals.
Few holidays encourage, and demand, beer drinking quite like Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer. With temperatures pushing the mercury and backyard grills blazing bright, Memorial Day beers combat humidity and sunshine, while perfectly contrasting juicy burgers and hot dogs.
Sure, we could recite the virtues of session IPAs and pilsners, but on this flag-waving, fireworks-blasting weekend, you should really pledge allegiance to the most patriotic of beers. From an IPA brewed to celebrate Paul Revere’s ride to a porter formulated by George Washington and an amber ale literally packed with apple pie, here are the most proudly American brews to stock in your cooler.
Word to the wise: Stock up on these craft beers because the Fourth of July will be here before you know it.
Best Memorial Day Beers
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1. Homefront IPA
Brewer: Left Hand Brewing
Style: American IPA
Back in 2011, to support folks in the armed forces, several craft breweries banded together to start the Hops for Heroes charity. Each year, participating breweries make an IPA that’s aged on untreated Louisville Slugger baseball bats (the wood is maple, if you’re curious), with all proceeds earmarked for a different organization. (The beneficiary for 2015 is Soldiers’ Angels.) As for the beer, Left Hand’s coppery Homefront IPA is a hit, smacking you with pine, grapefruit, and orange peel — zest is added right before the beer finishes fermenting.
Beer is the end product of natural resources and agriculture. Without farms growing barley and hops, and clean water supplies, happy hour would doubtlessly be more dismal. That lesson isn’t lost on the best eco-conscious breweries that make sustainability as central to their business as making the next great IPA.
These environmental efforts are as diverse as today’s tap lists. For example, Dogfish Head’s recently released Kernza Pils is made with its namesake grain that develops roots stretching 12 feet underground, minimizing erosion and soaking up carbon. Other breweries install solar arrays, capture and reuse carbon dioxide, and plant pollinator-friendly beer gardens. Earth Day might be just one day a year, but these eight eco-minded breweries put the environment first for the full 365.
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1. Hopworks Urban Brewery
Where: Portland, OR
As a certified B Corporation, Hopworks uses its brewing platform to help solve social and environmental programs, collectively focusing on its workers, community, environment, and more. “As craft brewers, it’s imperative that we do our part to protect our planet,” says owner Christian Ettinger. Hopworks is certified Salmon-Safe, helping to protect the local watershed and actively working to reduce water usage. Hopworks uses less than 3.5 gallons of water per gallon of beer produced, or about half the industry average, and recently launched a program to recycle plastic bags that contain brewing grain. Get a buzz on with the honeybee-helping Beestly Organic Honey Porter, which is brewed with all-organic malts, hops, and clover honey.
Making great beer is a priority for every brewery, but Pure Project views its standout IPAs and barrel-aged stouts as a force to do good, too. The brewery is a member of the 1% for the Planet network, donating 1 percent of sales to support environmentally impactful nonprofit organizations. Pure Project also offsets its plastic and carbon footprints, recaptures and reuses water used during brewing, and secures kegs for shipping with massive rubber bands in lieu of plastic wrap. Moreover, Pure Project sources organic grains from the Bay Area’s Admiral Maltings, and the brewery donates spent grains to a local farm to be repurposed as animal feed. Try the brewery’s latest release, the bright and broadly appealing Rove Adventure Beer.
If you’re not much of a beer drinker, you probably have a hard-to-shake image of what an IPA is. It’s likely loaded with dank, resinous pine, maybe a fair amount of citrus, and is extremely (borderline aggressively) bitter. We get why this is a basic image of the IPA. But it really only describes the heavily hopped, historically bitter West Coast IPA. There are many other versions that might be better suited to some palates. Today, we’re going to turn our attention specifically to hazy IPAs.
Unlike its cousin the West Coast IPA, New England-style IPAs have a bouquet of hops in both taste and aroma but lack the bitterness that turns off some drinkers. Instead, hazy IPAs have a cloudy, almost unfiltered look. They appear to be more like fresh-squeezed orange juice than a classic pilsner.
It gives drinkers a sneak peek at what they’re in for. On top of the hazy appearance, the style has an over-the-top juicy flavor with highlights of fruits like mango, guava, pineapple, grapefruit, passionfruit, and tangerine. Moreover, many hazy IPAs are dry-hopped and many have flaked oats and other specialized ingredients added in for flavor and mouthfeel.
So, if you’re either an IPA hater or you’re looking for something juicy, fruity, and thirst-quenching any time of year, hazy IPAs should be on your list. Luckily for you, this style has been around for a few years and there are myriad exciting choices available. Keep scrolling to see our hazy IPA list of what to drink now.
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In winter, easy-drinking light lagers can be cold comfort during those basketball quadruple headers. They deliver big refreshment, but the trade-off is minimal taste. Increasingly, craft brewers are creating crisp, Czech-style lagers that offer moderate alcohol, rich malt flavor and an enlivening bitter pop that cuts through chips, wings and other hefty game-day grub. The refined approach is gaining traction among beer fans burned out by two too many hazy IPAs.
“It’s the natural progression of beer lovers,” says Lisa Allen of Heater Allen in Oregon. The brewery’s biggest seller is its unfiltered, naturally carbonated pilsner (a type of lager) that ages cold for eight weeks.
Brewers across the country are experimenting with crafty Czech styles. In New Hampshire, Schilling’s Alexandr, a Czech-inspired winner featuring Moravian pilsner malt, pairs subtle sweetness with smooth bitterness.
The beers can be cleaved into sub-styles generally classified according to color and alcohol content. A proper Czech lager forgoes gimmicky ingredients in favor of high-quality hops and malt, the grain’s character intensified through a process called decoction. It imparts a richness Eric Larkin of Denver’s Cohesion Brewing calls “so drinkable.” His Czech-style lagers are served with lustrous froth.
1. Wild East Brewing Patience & Fortitude
Where it’s brewed: Brooklyn, NY
ABV: 5.1%
The brewery opened just prior to the pandemic and produces lagers like this cracker-crisp Czech-style pilsner packed with the country’s herbal Saaz hops.
[Price varies in stores]
2. Heater Allen Pils
Where it’s brewed: McMinnville, OR
ABV: 5%
“Time is our expensive ingredient,” says head brewer Lisa Allen. Her pilsner is inspired by Pilsner Urquell, the Czech standard-bearer born in the early 1840s.
[Price varies in stores]
3. Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse 10°
Where it’s brewed: Sacramento, CA
ABV: 3.9%
Brisket, nachos, and pulled pork are spot-on pairings with this low-alcohol, high-flavor pilsner made, per tradition, with Saaz hops and malt produced near Prague.
[Available in stores]
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If you see your favorite beer on sale, you may want to grab an extra six-pack, because according to one major brewer, prices are going up. The supply chain issues that affected cars and electronics are now coming for beer. In fact, if the price is right, you may want to pick up a case. According to Dolf van den Brink, the CEO of Heineken, increases on prices may be big.
“These kind of price increases and inflation, I think we have not seen in a generation,” Dolf van den Brink told Reuters this week.
While Heineken sold 5 percent more beer last year, the brewer says the cost of making beer is increasing due to a number of reasons. The cost of barley is twice the price it was in 2021, while aluminum has gone up by 50 percent, according to Heineken. In addition, the brewer reports increased costs for energy and shipping. The larger costs for the brewer will affect the prices that customers are seeing at stores.
“In my 24 years in the business I’ve never seen anything like it, not even close,” Van den Brink told the Financial Times. “Across the board we are faced with crazy increases.”
Will Inflation Impact Small Craft Brewers?
The big brewers aren’t alone in the current uncertain economic landscape. Toward the end of 2021, Ball Corporation, the largest can manufacturer in the U.S. announced changes affecting smaller craft brewers.
Ball’s new policy would change minimum orders of cans for non-contract customers from one truckload to five. That’s an increase from around 200,000 cans to a million. In addition, Ball will no longer offer warehouse space. So not only do small brewers have to order one million cans, they need someplace to put them.
As the Brewer’s Association, a trade organization for the beer industry pointed out, many craft brewers had turned heavily to cans during the COVID-19 pandemic, as tasting rooms, bars, and restaurants closed. It was the one way they could get product out to their customers. In fact, the Brewer’s Association estimates that cans make up 60 percents of craft beer output.
The Ball policy change, which was set to begin January 1, faces opposition. After a request for a delay by the Brewer’s Association and Senator Ron Wyden from the craft brewing hub of Oregon, Ball postponed the start of the policy until March 1 to allow brewers to find alternative sources for cans.
Whether you’re drinking a green-bottled lager from one of the largest brewers in the world or a can of hoppy IPA from your local craft brewery, know that you may be paying more in the coming days.
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The race among alcohol purveyors to make the lowest calorie and carb beer (or hard seltzer) has a new entrant with Bud Light Next. This beer (“beer?” we’ll get to that in a bit…) boasts some impressive stats for those looking to keep their macros low when getting their drink on: zero carbs, 80 calories, and 4 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). Those are great numbers for weight-conscious beer drinkers and those who prefer light, sessionable quaffs over bitter triple IPAs, heavy saisons, or malty porters.
The new light beer took Anheuser-Busch almost 10 years to craft to their liking, which they stated needed a “brewing breakthrough” for it to come to fruition. Though they won’t say what that amazing breakthrough is: “When you combine technology with Bud Light’s innovation, the impossible becomes possible!”
What they came up with is, for sure, something you can drink to get a buzz without imbibing a bunch of calories or any carbs. But, with that drastic drop in carbs and calories, you inevitably end up losing what most love about beer—flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel.
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The lager is brewed with malted barley and rice (hard seltzers get their alcohol from fermented cane sugar). Though we can’t say it tastes anything like a beer. Anheuser-Busch says it has a “super crisp” taste and is “refreshing,” which we’d say is true; but that obfuscates the fact it’s on par with plain seltzer. Water that’s got some bubbles…and some alcohol.
It’s a fine drink as is, and would be nice on a hot summer day when you don’t want any semblance of flavor tickling your taste buds. Or you could use it as a mixer for any manner of warm-weather cocktails. Next would work great in a vodka or tequila soda.
But really, if you’re seeking some flavor in your downtime beverage of choice, you’re probably better off just sticking to a zero carb hard seltzer, and there are plenty out there to choose from. If you—technically—want to be drinking a “beer” and are a diehard Bud Light fan looking to shave some carbs and calories from your brew, then Bud Light Next will be just what you’re looking for.
Just don’t expect major flavor or taste.
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Oh, and that’s not all…the ad wizards at Bud Light (you know, just a plucky brewery that happens to be part of global juggernaut Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV) have included the buzzwords of the moment: NFTs and metaverse.
Called the “Bud Light N3XT Collection,” it’ll feature 12,722 unique tokens in similar hues to Bud Light Next’s light blues and white. Anyone who buys an NFT (only $399 a token!) will be able to vote on Bud Light Next merchandise, have access to Bud Light Next brand and partner events, and other unannounced opportunities centering around the light lager.
Those Bud Light stans that ride or die Bud Light can keep up to date on the latest by following Bud Light on social media.
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We want you to look fondly on the deep, dark suck of winter. You may be shrouded in darkness by 4 p.m.—but you can dull the bite of a bone-chilling frost with winter ales, our seasonal brew of choice. Like imperial stouts, barleywines, and porters, winter ales are dark and robust—nice and malty and sometimes spiced. They’re usually higher proof, which helps warm you from the inside out.
Like many contemporary beers, winter ales aren’t actually a specific style. They’re a seasonal beer that many brewers produce. None are more synonymous with winter than the iconic “winter warmer.” Known for being sweet, malty, and slightly hoppy, winter warmers are true to their name.
If the brewer makes theirs in the classic British wassail style (and many do), various wintry spices are added to amp flavor and that belly-warming sensation.
So, stoke that fire, find a comfortable spot to relax, and crack open one of these winter ales. You’re tired of hazy IPAs anyway.
10 Best Winter Ales to Warm Your Spirits
Anderson Valley Winter SolsticeTotal Wine
1. Anderson Valley Winter Solstice
This 6.9 percent ABV brew is Anderson Valley’s foray into the winter warmer world. It’s brewed with Northern Brewer and Chinook hops; Pale Two-Row, Crystal, and Munich malts; Oat Flakes and House yeast. Expect a malty brew with plenty of caramel and vanilla notes with a bit of spice.
This isn’t your usual winter ale. A smattering of floral, slightly bitter hops (including Chinook, Mosaic, Citra, Nelson, and El Dorado) gets married to a medley of caramel malts (Rahr Pale, Simpsons Munich, Simpsons Crystal Dark, and Carafa III), and Christmas spices.
Snowed in? Odell created this winter ale specifically for snow days. This 6 percent ABV winter warmer has a great combination of sweet malts and crisp hops that’ll make you almost forget about all the shoveling you need to do…almost.
Deschutes is the kind of brewery that cranks out nothing but winners. Its winter seasonal Jubelale is no exception. This highly awaited beer is brewed with Pale, Crystal, Extra Special, and Carapils malts as well as Bravo, Cascade, Delta, Us Tettnang, and East Kent Goldings hops, and roasted barley. The result is a spicy, malty winter ale with a nice hop presence.
Consider this the fast track to getting in the festive spirit. The 8.1 percent ABV winter ale is brewed with lots of malts as well as Centennial and Golding hops. It gets its wintry flavor from the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg. The end result is a spicy, malty, nutty beer perfect for cold-weather sipping.
Portland’s Shipyard Brewing Company might be most well-known for its Pumpkinhead beer. While that’s great for the early fall, it’s time to turn your attention to its Prelude Special Ale. This 6.7 percent ABV winter warmer is made in the English style with tons of malts and just a hint of spicy hop flavor to tie everything together.
Boulevard’s Nutcracker Ale is loaded with various malts and gets its spice, not from seasonal spices, but Chinook hops. You’ll get bold, rich, caramel and vanilla flavors up front with a slightly bitter, hop-fueled finish.
This English brand makes one of the best winter warmers around. This 6 percent ABV brew has a great combination of caramel and toffee malts, dried fruits, and gentle, floral, spicy hops that make it just as appealing in late fall as when the snow begins to fall.
Brewed the same way since 1988, Harpoon’s Winter Warmer boasts Pale, Dark Caramel, Victory, and Chocolate malts as well as Apollo and Northern Brewer hops. This beer gets its seasonal flavor from the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s sweet, spicy, and more or less tastes like winter in a glass.
Inspired by Franklin Roosevelt’s Great Depression radio broadcasts to the nation, this winter warmer is brewed with Pale, Munich, Wheat, Crystal, De-bittered Black, Chocolate, and Abbey malts as well as Columbus and US Goldings hops. It gets an added kick from winter spices and cocoa.
There’s a lot going into orbit lately. Space craft with multiple billionaires, Captain Kirk, and million dollar bottles of wine have all taken a spin around the Earth. But what does this mean for you, a beer drinker? Until today, not much. That’s changing because Samuel Adams is making a beer brewed with hops that’ve been to space. It’s a gimmick, sure, but it’s a gimmick that got our attention. Who doesn’t want to drink space beer?
Last month, Inspiration4 was the first all-civilian spaceflight mission. Aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, four people spent three days orbiting Earth. Along for the ride with the crew—a billionaire, a community college professor, a physician’s assistant, and a data engineer—were 66 pounds of Mosaic and Citra hops.
Brewing space beer
Back on Earth, Samuel Adams took those hops and brewed a special-release West Coast-style IPA with a firm bitterness and notes of grapefruit, guava, and passionfruit. You can also expect piney, resiny hop aromas. For the name, the brewing company turned to social media. After receiving more than 5,000 entries, Samuel Adams and Inspiration4 crew picked, quite appropriately, Space Craft.
Space Craft will be available starting November 16 at Sam Adams Boston Brewery and taprooms and givethembeer.com. The release was timed to coincide with the Leonid meteor showers. So, if you’re out in the middle of the night, staring at the skies, you now have the perfect beer to drink. The cost of a Space Craft is $22.33, a tribute to Inspiration4’s 2-day, 23-hour, and 3-minute mission. You can pre-order this beer starting today.
In addition to inaugurating a new era of civilian space flight, the Inspiration4 mission is also raising awareness and funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Samuel Adams donated $100,000 towards Inspiration4’s fundraising goal of $200 million for pediatric-cancer research. Thanks to donations that include $125 million from Inspiration4 mission commander (and billionaire) Jared Isaacman and $50 million from SpaceX’s Elon Musk, the mission has already raised more than $239 million. If you’d like to help St. Jude’s, you can donate here. It’s the least you can do for the people who gave us space beer.
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