craftbeer

NORMAL, Ill. (Aug. 26, 2026) — DESTIHL Holdings is rolling out Normal Beer, a standalone American light lager meant to be simple on purpose.

The first cans hit Illinois in September. After that, DESTIHL plans to move the brand through its roughly 40-state network. The beer is 4.0% ABV and 99 calories per 12-ounce can. It is brewed with 100% barley malt and no rice or corn. Suggested retail on a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans is $15.99 to $16.99. Draft kegs are also available.

Normal Beer is a separate brand from DESTIHL Brewery’s core craft lineup, including the DeadHead IPA Series and Wild Sour Series. Packaging, pricing, and positioning are built for cookouts, tailgates, golf, yard work, and a cooler — not for tasting notes and limited drops.

“A perfectly normal beer”

“Somewhere along the way, beer and other beverages got complicated — tasting notes, stars and everybody telling you what you should be drinking. We don’t think it has to be that way,” said Matt Potts, founder and CEO of DESTIHL Holdings. “Normal Beer is a crisp, clean lager brewed with all malt and no shortcuts, made for the normal things people actually do — cookouts, fishing, hiking & ski trips, fire pits, tailgates, golfing, concerts, yard work and every cooler worth opening. It’s a perfectly normal beer, and we think that’s exactly what a lot of drinkers are looking for right now.”

About DESTIHL

DESTIHL started as a homebrew habit. In December 1995, Lyn Potts gave her husband, attorney Matt Potts, a five-gallon kit. He later opened Elmwood Brewing Company in 2001, then left law to build a larger concept. On November 23, 2007, Matt and Lyn Potts opened DESTIHL Restaurant & Brew Works in Normal, Illinois, with partners Troy Nelson, Laurie Nelson, and Jason Bratcher — a week before the Great Recession. The brewpub poured seven beers, including Normal Lager and Baldock IPA. A Champaign restaurant followed in 2011. Production left the 8-barrel pub system in 2013, and in May 2017 DESTIHL opened a $14 million, 47,000-square-foot brewery and beer hall in Normal. That plant made the company a regional player and helped put the Wild Sour Series into cans early, when canned sours were still unusual.

From there DESTIHL Holdings became more than a brewpub group. DeadHead IPAs, Dosvidanya barrel-aged stout, and the Saint Dekkera / Wild Sour lines won medals at GABF and FoBAB and pushed distribution toward 40 states. In 2023 the company launched Canopolis, a contract brewing and canning shop inside the Normal plant. DESTIHL Spirits followed in 2024. In 2026 it added Normal Beer, a separate all-malt American light lager at 4.0% ABV, as a lower-price brand beside the craft portfolio. The holding company still sits in Normal and still uses the same line: flavor over bland.

For more information, please visit https://destihl.com/

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DENVER — Bruz Beers will close Bruz Off Fax in September after six years on Colfax Avenue. The original 10-year-old production brewery and taproom in Denver’s Midtown neighborhood stays open.

The last day at Bruz Off Fax is September 24, 2026. The same Belgian-style beers will remain on tap at 1675 West 67th Avenue, Suite 100. Owners Ryan and Rachel Evans say a going-away party is coming; details will be posted on Bruz social channels.

“We accomplished what we wanted at Bruz Off Fax,” the Evanses said. “We built a special place where people could hang out and feel welcome while sipping some great beer. Colfax will always have a special place in our hearts. Thank you to our loyal fans for all of the memories!”

Next stop: Golden in 2028

Bruz is planning a taproom in the former Golden Animal Hospital. Local firm Ewers Architecture is on the design. The previous building owners chose Bruz to keep the property as a community space. The concept includes a two-story outdoor patio looking toward the foothills and sunset. Opening is slated for 2028.

Ryan and Rachel Evans live in Golden and say that is part of the move.

“Being Golden residents, we are looking forward to building something special for our community. Joining the ranks of one of the nation’s premier beer towns is truly thrilling, especially given Golden’s stellar reputation. We look forward to bringing not only our Bruz Beers brand, but also one of the best selections of Belgian import beers in the region.”

About Bruz Beers

Bruz Beers began with two Denver-area beer travelers who wanted a true Belgian-style brewery in Colorado. Charlie Gottenkieny, a longtime homebrewer and two-time AHA Homebrewer of the Year, fell for Belgian ales on a 1980s trip to Belgium and spent decades brewing those styles at home. Ryan Evans, a Colorado native with an MBA from the University of Denver, had his own conversion moment on a late-1990s layover in Brussels, when a bartender poured him Tripel Karmeliet. The two met around 2014 at a Belgian tasting Gottenkieny was teaching. After being priced out of RiNo, they opened Bruz in July 2016 as the anchor of the new Midtown neighborhood at 1675 West 67th Avenue, brewing only Belgian and Belgian-inspired beers — wit, dubbel, tripels, quads, and later sours and barrel-aged ales.

The original taproom stayed the production home. In February 2020 they opened Bruz Off Fax at Colfax and York, then added a canning line when the pandemic hit. Awards followed, including gold at the European Beer Star in Germany for Oak Marionette on Peaches. Ryan and his wife, Rachel Evans, also built a side business leading beer tours to Belgium. In 2026 they scheduled Bruz Off Fax to close on September 24 so they could keep Midtown running and plan a 2028 taproom in Golden, in the former Golden Animal Hospital, with a two-story patio facing the foothills.

For more information, please visit https://bruzbeers.com/

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dad Strength Brewing, which calls itself America’s first dedicated low-alcohol craft brewery, is now selling beer in New York.

All three year-round beers — IPA, Juicy IPA, and Hazy IPA, the brand’s fastest seller — are on shelves at 44 Wegmans stores statewide. New York is the company’s eighth state.

The launch is through T.J. Sheehan and The Sheehan Family Companies. Dad Strength says the goal is a stronger low-alcohol footprint across the Northeast.

Wegmans is the first retailer in the brand’s network to give Low & No beers their own dedicated shelf space, rather than mixing them into the regular craft set.

Why New York matters

“New York is a major milestone for Dad Strength, and partnering with The Sheehan Family Companies gives us an incredible opportunity to build on that momentum throughout the Northeast,” said co-founder Craig Carey.

Co-founder Ryan Kutscher pointed to the Wegmans set as a category signal.

“Seeing Wegmans’ decision to dedicate shelf space to Low & No products is a powerful signal that this emerging category has real staying power. It also shows there’s a growing demand for great-tasting craft options for consumers who want to drink less alcohol without giving up the experience of having a beer.”

Dad Strength beers are 2.9% ABV and 94 calories. The company already distributes in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Michigan.

About Dad Strength Brewing

Dad Strength Brewing started in Washington, D.C., in 2023, when longtime friends Ryan Kutscher and Craig Carey hit a familiar middle-age problem: they still wanted hop-forward craft beer, but 7–10% IPAs no longer fit early mornings, kids, or the next workday. Both were already entrepreneurs — Kutscher in public relations, Carey in restaurants — and they spent years mixing regular beer with non-alcoholic beer in the same glass to land around 3% ABV. When they could not find a commercial beer that tasted like a real IPA under 3%, they asked Atlas Brew Works, the World Beer Cup–winning D.C. brewery, to help them brew one. After about a year and eight or nine pilot batches, they released a 2.9% ABV, 94-calorie West Coast IPA in summer 2024 and billed Dad Strength as America’s first dedicated low-alcohol craft brewery.

The brand grew from D.C. bars and a pickup-truck hustle into a three-beer lineup — IPA, Juicy IPA, and Hazy IPA — all kept at 2.9% ABV. In September 2025, Kutscher and Carey pitched the company on the Season 17 premiere of Shark Tank, asking $250,000 for 5%. They closed a $300,000 deal for 12% with Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, and Rashaun L. Williams. That attention, plus coverage in Food & Wine, Men’s Health, The Wall Street Journal, and TODAY, helped push distribution beyond the Mid-Atlantic into the Carolinas, Tennessee, Michigan, and, in 2026, New York, including a dedicated Low & No set at Wegmans.

For more information, please visit dadstrengthbrewing.com.

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MIAMI — Tacos Atarantados has launched Cerveza Atarantados, the restaurant’s first proprietary beer in the United States.

The 4.5% ABV Mexican-style light lager was developed exclusively with Miami’s Magic 13 Brewing Co. It is now on tap at the brand’s Wynwood and Brickell locations for $8.

The beer is meant to sit next to the restaurant’s trompo meats, tacos, and house-made salsas. Instead of buying an existing label, Tacos Atarantados worked with Magic 13 to build a house beer for its U.S. dining rooms.

Built for the taquería, brewed in Miami

“Everything we do starts with the traditions of Monterrey,” said Jorge Guadiana, corporate chef and co-owner of Tacos Atarantados. “As we continue growing in the United States, our goal is to preserve that identity while working with local partners who share our standards for craftsmanship. Cerveza Atarantados was created as a natural extension of our food, our hospitality and the experience we want every guest to have.”

Jean Taboada, head brewer at Magic 13 Brewing Co., said the restaurant came in with a clear brief.

“It is an honor to have been chosen by Tacos Atarantados to develop their flagship beer. Their team had a clear vision for what they wanted the beer to represent, and we were proud to help bring that vision to life. We hope this marks the beginning of a long and successful partnership between Tacos Atarantados and Magic 13.”

The launch is the first signature beverage created specifically for the brand’s U.S. restaurants. Tacos Atarantados says the same model — keep the Monterrey identity, partner with local producers — will guide other U.S. openings.

Where to drink it

Cerveza Atarantados is available only at Tacos Atarantados Wynwood and Brickell. Price: $8.

About Tacos Atarantados

Founded in Monterrey, Mexico, Tacos Atarantados is a chef-driven taquería known for Northern Mexican street flavors, a high-energy room, and a signature trompo. The brand now has more than 16 locations in Mexico and the United States. Chef Jorge Guadiana leads a menu of tacos, shareables, and late-night service built around everyday Mexican street dining.

About Magic 13 Brewing Co.

Magic 13 Brewing Co. is a community-focused craft brewery in Miami’s Magic City Innovation District. The taproom and outdoor beer garden host locally brewed beer, food, live entertainment, and community events. The brewery regularly partners with local organizations on fundraisers and collaborations.

For more information, please visit https://magic13brewing.com/

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Portland’s Von Ebert Brewing is rolling out its first fresh hop beers of harvest season, starting with Fresh Hop Volatile Substance NW IPA. The beer uses Simcoe hops from Coleman Agriculture and leans into smashed berry, sticky pine resin, and sweet citrus.

In mid-September the brewery will follow with Fresh Hop Sector 7 Hazy IPA, made with Krush hops from Perrault Farms. That one is built around ripe pineapple, ruby red grapefruit, and sweet green melon.

Both beers will be available at Von Ebert’s three Portland-area locations and at Northwest bars, bottle shops, and grocery stores in 16-ounce cans and on draft until they run out.

“We’re lucky to be in the Northwest making beer where nearly all of America’s hops are grown,” said brewmaster Sam Pecoraro. “This geographic advantage allows us to celebrate fresh hops in a way other breweries can’t. We’re also able to partner with local hop growers right in our backyard.”

Taproom deals and a bigger can lineup

At all three Von Ebert locations, 20-ounce mugs of Clubhaus Lager — a World Beer Cup gold-medal American light lager — are $3 all day. At the North Mississippi taproom at 825 N. Cook Street, regular Volatile Substance NW IPA is $5 from noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The brewery also sells non-alcoholic hop sparkling waters, hard seltzers, hard punches, and hard teas.

The North Mississippi production brewery has lifted capacity from about 4,000 barrels a year toward 20,000. Von Ebert is more than halfway there, with more beer going into 12-ounce and 16-ounce cans and distribution now reaching Oregon, Washington, Colorado, California, and Japan.

About Von Ebert Brewing

Tom M. Cook and Tom S. Cook founded Von Ebert Brewing in Portland in 2018. The name honors family matriarch “Grandma Ebert,” who emigrated from Germany through Ellis Island. Von Ebert loosely means “House of Ebert,” or “House of the Boar.”

The brewery has stacked World Beer Cup medals in recent years: gold in 2025 and silver in 2026 for Clubhaus American Light Lager, gold in 2023 for its German-style pilsner, and bronze in 2024 for Vienna lager. Fresh hop season is when that Northwest setting shows up most clearly — hops from nearby farms, packed into cans while they still smell like the field.

For more information, please visit https://www.vonebertbrewing.com/

West Asheville’s Cellarest Beer Project has released Bimble, a 4.8% coffee blonde lager brewed with North Carolina malt from Riverbend Malt House and a custom coffee blend from Coffee Library. The beer is on draft now at Cellarest. Sixteen-ounce four-packs are expected at the brewery in the coming weeks.

Bimble is the third chapter of Riverbend’s pallet coffee program. In 2025, the Asheville maltster started thanking full-pallet malt customers with a Coffee Library blend, because brewery mornings usually start with coffee. Brewers liked the first two blends enough that Riverbend invited Cellarest — a brewery that has used local ingredients since it opened — into the third one.

How the coffee blend was chosen

Riverbend and Cellarest cupped coffees at Coffee Library and landed on two lots: a naturally processed Brazilian Catuai from Cerrado Mineiro in Minas Gerais, grown at about 1,100 meters, and a washed Mexican coffee from Zangolica, Veracruz, grown between 1,250 and 1,700 meters. The Brazil side brings almond, brown sugar, and milk chocolate. The Mexico side brings cinnamon, cocoa, and baking spice.

“I wanted to encourage more cocoa and depth to the Mexican coffee’s brown sugar and cinnamon notes, and the Brazilian seemed to provide that,” said Cellarest co-founder and director of fermentation Mark R. Goodwin.

“The Mexico coffee provides that nice warm, subtle spice and the Brazil enhances the creaminess and cocoa, chocolate notes,” said Noah Marines, head roaster and certified Q Arabica grader at Coffee Library.

What’s in the beer

Bimble is built on Riverbend Southern Select, Great Chit, Vienna, and Double Kilned Munich malts, hopped with Willamette, and fermented cold with Cellarest’s German lager yeast in an acacia wood foudre. The glass shows fresh coffee, cocoa, cinnamon, and brown sugar up front, then light toffee and honey-biscuit notes from the malt.

The name fits. To bimble is to wander without hurry. That is how three Asheville businesses — maltster, roaster, and brewery — arrived at this beer.

About the partners

Cellarest Beer Project was co-founded in 2020 by North Carolinians Harrison Fahrer and Mark Goodwin. The carbon-neutral West Asheville brewery is known for wood-fermented lagers and mixed-culture beers and uses North Carolina malted grain in every beer.

Coffee Library is an Asheville specialty coffee company focused on blend architecture, private-label roasting, and hospitality programs.

Riverbend Malt House, founded in Asheville in 2010 by Brent Manning and Brian Simpson, was the first craft malthouse east of the Mississippi. It connects Southeastern family farms with breweries and distilleries that want local malt instead of commodity grain.

Follow Cellarest Beer Project on Instagram and Facebook for can-release dates. Media questions about Bimble or Riverbend’s pallet coffee program can go to Emily Hutto at Rad Craft Beer.

For more information please visit https://cellarestbeer.com/

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Cingari Family Markets is ringing in fall with a store-exclusive pumpkin ale brewed by Stamford neighbor Half Full Brewery. The 6.0% ABV Cin

Cingari Family Markets Pumpkin Ale went on sale Monday, September 7, 2026, and will stay on shelves for a limited time while supplies last.

The medium-amber seasonal ale is made with real pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It is meant to drink easy with Friday night football, yard work, or the first fire of the season — a Connecticut fall beer from two local companies that have collaborated before.

“We love finding new ways to bring the flavors and traditions of the season to our customers, and this collaboration with our Stamford neighbors at Half Full Brewery does exactly that,” said Thomas Cingari Sr., president and CEO of Cingari Family Markets. “This is a beer made for fall in Connecticut.”

Half Full founder Conor Horrigan said the same: “There’s something special about brewing a beer that feels like fall in our own backyard.”

Where to find it

The beer is exclusive to Cingari Family ShopRite stores:

• Brookfield
• Commerce Street, Stamford
• Derby
• Fairfield
• Farmington Avenue, Bristol
• Norwalk
• Shelton
• Shippan Avenue, Stamford
• Southbury

At a glance

• Brewery: Half Full Brewery, Stamford, CT
• Style: Pumpkin ale
• ABV: 6.0%
• Color: Medium amber
• Flavor: Pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg
• Availability: Limited release starting September 7, 2026

About Cingari Family Markets

Cingari Family Markets began in 1929, when Italian immigrant Salvatore Cingari bought a school bus, loaded it with produce and pasta, and started delivering groceries door to door in Stamford, Connecticut. In 1943 he opened the first Grade A Market in Stamford, promising that “Grade A” was the only quality he would sell. His sons Dominick, Rocky, and Sam joined the business, and in 1960 they turned an old ice cream factory into a 4,400-square-foot supermarket. For decades the family grew under the Grade A name before joining the ShopRite cooperative in 1991, pairing neighborhood roots with the buying power of Wakefern, the country’s largest retailer-owned grocery co-op.

Four generations later, the company still runs as a family business. Cingari Family Markets now operates about a dozen Connecticut stores — ShopRite locations across Fairfield and neighboring counties plus two Grade A Markets in Stamford — with Thomas Cingari Sr. as president and CEO. The family is known for fresh and prepared foods, private-label products, store remodels, and local giving through the Cingari Family Foundation. A new Danbury ShopRite is also in the works. From a produce-filled school bus to a regional supermarket group, the story has stayed local: Connecticut stores, still owned by the family that started them.

For more information, please visit https://cingarifamilymarkets.com/

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GARLAND, TX (May 2026) — Lakewood Brewing Company has launched two exciting new beers at its North Texas family-owned brewery, taproom, and beer garden. Fruition Pineapple Ginger Blonde and Raspberry Temptress are now on tap at 2302 Executive Drive in Garland and available in stores across Texas.

“If you don’t walk through our doors a beer lover, we hope you’ll find your perfect match by the time you leave,” said Wim Bens, founder and president of Lakewood Brewing Company. “We keep two dozen options rotating on tap that range from IPAs and lagers to popular seasonal releases and new varieties like Fruition Pineapple Ginger Blonde and Raspberry Temptress.”

Fruition Pineapple Ginger Blonde (4.2% ABV)

This light and refreshing blonde ale is built for easy summer drinking. It delivers juicy pineapple notes upfront with a subtle ginger spice on the finish. Golden, bright, smooth, and seriously crushable — it’s the perfect session beer for hot North Texas days.

Raspberry Temptress (9.1% ABV)

A delicious twist on Lakewood’s flagship Temptress, the top-selling milk stout in Texas. This rich imperial milk stout is infused with fresh raspberries, creating a bold, raspberry-forward profile with hints of coffee and chocolate. Originally released as the first beer in Lakewood’s limited Seduction Series, it’s back for summer and already becoming a fan favorite.

Taproom & Food Service

Lakewood Brewing expanded its hours earlier this year and now opens at 11 a.m. seven days a week. Visitors can enjoy the new beers alongside “not your typical pub fare,” including shareables, salads, sandwiches, flatbread pizzas, and desserts — some made with Lakewood’s own beers.

The spacious taproom and beer garden continue to draw beer lovers from across DFW and beyond with a rotating lineup of 24 taps featuring IPAs, lagers, seasonals, and limited releases.

Find Lakewood Brewing Beers

Use the Lakewood Beer Finder online or follow @lakewoodbrewing on social media to locate their beers in stores and on tap throughout Texas.

About Lakewood Brewing Company

Lakewood Brewing Company is a family-owned, independent craft brewery in Garland, Texas, known for making Seriously Fun Beer. Since opening in 2012, Lakewood has become a DFW staple, especially famous for its Temptress Imperial Milk Stout — now the best-selling craft stout in Texas. The brewery offers a diverse portfolio including IPAs, lagers, seasonal releases, and special limited editions.

Whether you’re searching for the best new craft beers in Dallas-Fort Worth, a great taproom with food, or a refreshing summer blonde ale, Lakewood Brewing Company delivers an excellent experience in Garland, TX. Stop by soon to try the latest releases!

For more information, please visit https://lakewoodbrewing.com/

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SOUTHINGTON, CT — Tucked inside a corrugated steel warehouse at 36 Triano Drive, Vue Brewing Company is making waves in central Connecticut’s craft beer scene. Since opening in June 2025, this husband-and-wife-owned nano brewery has quickly become one of the best new breweries in Connecticut, earning a perfect 5.0-star rating and glowing reviews from beer lovers across popular rating platforms.

Founders with Deep Industry Roots

Vue Brewing was founded by Justin and Jessica Dawley. Justin, an experienced commercial brewer with over eight years in the industry, serves as head brewer. Jessica manages operations and customer experience. Together, they identified a clear need in the market: more traditional, true-to-style craft beers in an era dominated by high-ABV hazy IPAs and trendy releases.

“Among the hype of the high ABV NEIPA craze, I wanted to open the minds of newer craft beer drinkers and remind the beer community of decades-old traditional styles like English ales. We are definitely seeing a resurgence of clear, crisp traditional styles, which is great!” — Justin Dawley

Gluten-Reduced Beer for Everyone

One of Vue Brewing’s standout features is that 100% of their beers are processed to be gluten-reduced. Using a specialized enzyme during brewing, they break down gluten proteins to very small levels, significantly reducing the risk of reactions for gluten-sensitive drinkers — all while maintaining full flavor and quality.

Although the brewery uses traditional barley and wheat (so they cannot legally label the beer “gluten-free” per FDA rules), the result is a safer option for health-conscious customers and those with gluten sensitivity. This inclusive approach lets friends and family enjoy the same taproom experience without compromise.

Award-Winning Taproom Lineup

Vue Brewing has already earned two GIBCC awards and continues to impress with its balanced selection. Their core lineup includes:

• NoCap — A crisp, light, and hoppy 4.6% ABV American Pilsner (flagship)
• NiteVue — A smooth, velvety 5.2% ABV Nitro American Stout (flagship)

They rotate in popular styles such as:

• West Coast and New England IPAs
• Classic English ales
• Seasonal fruited ales
• Creamy milk stouts
• High-ABV winter warmers

This mix of timeless classics and modern interpretations ensures there’s something for every type of craft beer enthusiast.

Taproom Experience & Future Plans

Vue Brewing operates a cozy, plant-filled warehouse taproom open Fridays through Sundays (21+ only, no pets allowed). The space features six draft lines and a welcoming outdoor beer garden.

“We want our customers to feel at home in our brewery. Our mission is not only to provide the best, quality beer, but the best customer experience.” — Jessica Dawley

In just one year, Vue has grown from to-go sales only to a full taproom experience. They were recently approved as a craft café, so Connecticut wines and spirits will soon join the menu. The brewery also maintains a strong community presence at the weekly Bristol Farmers Market and participates in major events including the Real Ale Cask Fest, Bristol’s German Fest, and their own Oktoberfest celebration.

Why Beer Fans Love Vue Brewing Southington

Located in Southington, CT, Vue Brewing Company proves that great craft beer can be both traditional and inclusive. Whether you’re seeking crisp lagers, rich stouts, or gluten-reduced options that don’t sacrifice taste, this rising nano brewery delivers quality and community in equal measure.

If you’re searching for the best new breweries in Connecticut or a welcoming spot for craft beer near Southington, add Vue Brewing to your list.

For more information, please visit

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