There are plenty of conceptions around what athletes do and don't consume as part of their routine when their sport is in session. There's a reason why Lionel Messi has lent his name to an energy drink - and why one of the all-time great SNL sketches features John Belushi as an Olympic athlete fueled by doughnuts. It's surprising, then, to read about a record-breaking athlete who's very open about his fondness for a less heralded athletic beverage: beer.
Sam Adams just made a beer so strong, you may not even be able to legally drink it in some states. The rollout of this year's Utopias, a barrel-aged "extreme" beer from the Boston-based beer company, has a whopping 30% ABV (alcohol by volume). "Defying convention with a 30% ABV, Utopias 2025 is one of the strongest beers ever brewed," Boston Beer Company, which owns Sam Adams, said in a press release. Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams, called the 14th edition of Utopias a "milestone." Utopias in the past have landed at 24% to 28% ABV, still a far cry from a typical Sam Adams beer with an ABV of around 5%.
In the 1940s, gluten was identified as the trigger for celiac disease, and in the decades since, more and more people have realized that even if they didn't have celiac, they might be slightly or significantly gluten intolerant. Cue the rise of gluten-free diets and products in the 1990s and early aughts, with many a terrible gluten-free muffin, cupcake and bowl of pasta consumed along the way.
The Wernesgruner Pilsner was unexpectedly the best of the bunch, fulfilling all of our tasting criteria and making for a can we didn't want to put down. To begin, the Wernesgruner comes as a tallboy in a 16.9-ounce can, so you get more bang for your buck right off the bat. When we cracked the can open and poured it into a tall glass, the golden straw hue and bubbly appearance looked as refreshing as it would taste.
The championship finale of the Beer City Half Northern California Series will feature $5,000 in prize money and a full day of fresh beer in San Ramon on Sunday, Oct. 26. Sunday's festivities start early, as runners will take off at 8:30 a.m. to participate in a half marathon, 10K and a 5K along scenic routes around the 2.5-mile loop on Annabel Lake and parts of the 32-mile Iron Horse Trail. The winner of the half marathon will receive something known as the Golden Growler. Runners will cross the finish line and head straight to the Beer City Festival, which calls itself a "traveling beer circus" that is spending the weekend in San Ramon showcasing the East Bay's top craft beers, live music, games and food.
America will have to wait for the new creamy version of Magic Rabbit chocolate and peanut butter-flavored whiskey. The liquor's planned January debut is another casualty of the government shutdown, which has ground to a halt Treasury Department approvals alcoholic beverage makers must obtain before introducing a new product or making changes to their recipes or labels. The consequences extend from delays in the availability of some craft breweries' Christmas beers and new California wines to the forced postponement of new herb-flavored hard seltzers.
Top Ten Liquors owner and CEO Jon Halper has witnessed consumers' desire for these products in his 15 stores, sharing sales trends on LinkedIn. At Brewbound Live this December, Halper will discuss his firsthand experiences selling the product and tips for suppliers looking to enter the space. Halper will also be taking 1:1 meetings with suppliers during the event. These meetings are prearranged and must be approved in advance, so secure your Brewbound Live ticket today to apply.
There are many reasons to be wary of generative AI these days, from the unsettling way people use it to duplicate the likenesses of dead celebrities to the lawsuits connecting AI chatbots to the deaths of multiple people. Even as some AI boosters advocate for new uses for the technology, skeptics debate the jobs AI is unlikely to attempt. You might think, for instance, that tasting food or beverages is something that requires a human palate. And you'd probably be correct - a recent controversy over a craft beer competition notwithstanding.
While craft beer breweries in the U.S. have been on a slight decline, the industry's creativity and ingenuity have helped beer giants like Anheuser-Busch grow their portfolios while allowing independent breweries to truly shine. Apart from being independent and creative, craft beer breweries have also been applauded for their sustainable, eco-friendly practices like using recycled packaging materials, repurposing spent grains, and exploiting renewable energy to fuel the brewing process.
When the lockdown occurred, many people turned to the internet for ideas on how to entertain themselves. Some took up sourdough making, some learned to dance, and others discovered home brewing. In the years since, home brewers have come up with plenty of wacky ideas for new flavor profiles and unusual ingredients to use to create interesting-tasting beers, from beer flavored with birch branches to oyster stout beer and brews reminiscent of peanut butter and jelly. So given this wide range of modern beer flavors, it's not entirely uncommon to picture a coffee-tasting beer. But did you know that you don't have to buy special ingredients to bring this creation to life?
She had joined the Bend, Oregon-based craft brewery in 2012, piled up competition medals for her beers and created a following at the brewery. She thrived as the brewery's R&D brewmaster before and after its 2014 sale to Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B). But then Tilray Brands acquired 10 Barrel and seven other brands in 2023. A year later, Tilray laid off Cornett and members of her team in a move that shocked many within the industry.
Side Gate Brewery & Beer Garden is celebrating its 4th anniversary on Saturday, October 11, 2025, with 2 fantastic beer releases, new merchandise, live music and finger-licking good food. Join us! FRESH BEERS: The Hopside Down - a Hazy IPA to ring in the new season of Stranger Things Side Gate 4th Anniversary IPA - an IPA made in collaboration with Toyota Pavilion at Concord's 50th Anniversary and Visit Concord
Colorado is home to 456 craft breweries down from a peak of 468 in 2023 ranking fourth nationwide in 2024, according to the Brewers Association (BA), which hosts GABF. Those breweries produced a combined 779,338 barrels of beer and generated $2.5 billion in economic impact for the state, according to BA data. Closings accelerated in 2024, when there were 41 compared to 35 in 2023.
Dubbed the Rec Room, it's East Brother's first taproom outside of the East Bay flagship. The 3,500-square-foot space will eventually have 15 beers on tap, including its popular Bo Pils, a light, crisp Bohemian-style pilsner. The taproom doesn't serve food, but people can bring sustenance from the Metreon food court inside to enjoy with their beer. On Friday, curious San Franciscans filtered into the new space. Some tested out the pool table and dart board.
AleSmith is celebrating its 30th anniversary with momentum behind new products in and out of beer and a growing contract brewing business. In this episode of the Brewbound Podcast, AleSmith president Brandon Richards shares how the San Diego craft brewery has evolved to meet drinkers' needs with new products while fortifying its business by brewing for others. Richards explains how the Party Tricks IPA line and addition of Sun Path fruited lager line have driven growth for the company.
According to data from market analyst Circana, Michelob Ultra surpassed Modelo Especial in sales volume at bars, restaurants, and other retail outlets, but Modelo still leads in revenue. Each case of Modelo costs about $7 more than a case of Michelob Ultra, so one brand leads in volume (units sold) and the other in income. In other words, customers buy more Michelob Ultra, but spend more on Modelo.
I would like to thank you for your continued support and loyalty to Boxcar Brew Works over the years! It has been a joy to serve you all over the last 8+ years. This is a message I have been regretting writing. It saddens me to inform you that the taproom for Boxcar Brew Works located on the Doolittle Station complex (1290Rich Hwy) will be closing permanently on Sunday 09/28/2025.
Whether it's clinking steins of pilsner at Oktoberfest in Germany, lingering over a Guinness Extra Stout in a Dublin pub, or washing down seafood with a lager at a Goan shack, beer is often the most democratic of drinks. Affordable, easy on the palate, and effortlessly social, it's a longstanding favorite around the world. But in our global economy, beer is cheaper or more expensive depending on where you are and what exactly it is that you're drinking.
After decades of steadiness atop the world of American beer, the last few years have seen a sudden shakeup, with a third beer in three years becoming the No. 1 best seller. For 20 years up until 2023, Bud Light was the undisputed champion of beer in the United States, topping the sales over and over. Then, in 2023, following the rise of top Mexican beer brands, Modelo took the No. 1 spot in a massive unseating.
Since the advent of the craft beer revolution, great breweries have popped up in every corner of the United States, with almost 10,000 breweries operating in the country as of 2023. That's up from only around 90 in the '70s, when macrobrews like Budweiser and Coors were at their most dominant. Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors still rule beer production in the country, with both brands controlling a little more than half of the U.S. market.
Much has been written about the acceleration of declines in beer during 2025 along with spirit ready-to-drink (RTD) growth and wine softness. In fact, Suntory and Pernod have/are establishing separate route-to-market organizations for RTD spirits. At the same time, ABI has become a major player in the space and emerging brands like Surfside are projecting more than 10 million cases for its business.
Fish and beer have a longstanding relationship. Beer-battered fish, fish and chips with a frosted pint; these combos are popular and a crowd favorite. But there's another collaboration between fish and beer that most people are unaware of - unless they know to look for it. We're talking about isinglass (or fish bladder), and no, you can't taste it in your ale. However, small traces of it are probably in your glass, depending on the brewery, and it's largely the reason for your beer's crisp, cloudless appearance.
From the very beginning, Blue Moon built its flavor profile around Valencia orange peel, a choice that set it apart from other wheat beers on the market. Where most breweries leaned into coriander or spice, Blue Moon leaned into citrus, crafting a brew that was smooth, bright, and unmistakably refreshing. The garnish-originally an experiment to amplify those natural notes-quickly became more than an accessory. It became part of the brand's DNA, a visual cue that transformed a pint into an experience.
Alameda's already vibrant beer scene just got a little merrier with the addition of a new beer garden that recently debuted on Park Street. Called Park Station, the craft beer emporium is housed in the former Big O Tires shop at Park Street and San Jose Avenue and features plentiful outdoor seating, fire pits, heaters and even a stage. There's also a cavernous main indoor tap room and a side room for private events.
Voodoo Ranger, the popular IPA beer brand, has announced a partnership with 2K Games to create a special-edition Borderlands 4 IPA. The beer is called Voodoo Ranger x Borderlands 4 IPA, it comes in six-packs, and they're available across the US right now ( via BleedingCool). Each six-pack includes a QR code that offers up the chance to win a copy of Borderlands 4 and in-game "golden key" rewards.
