You’ve probably heard the news. Lagunitas Brewing Company, originally of Petaluma, California but more recently of Chicago, Illinois as well has been fully acquired by Heineken. It happened earlier in 2017, although Heineken acquired a 50% stake in Lagunitas in 2015. Lagunitas, of course, has been a craft brewing mainstay since 1993. Its acquisition is just one of a steady parade lately by the brewing conglomerates: Elysian, Breckenridge, Blue Point, Terrapin, Wicked Weed, Devil’s Backbone, and most recently Anchor by Sapporo.

This is a sign of maturity in the craft beer world. The American market is demanding more quality brewed beer than ever, and the megabrewers are taking notice. Longtime craft brewery founders are getting long in the tooth and deciding to take a payday. To get while the getting is good. While some craft beer enthusiasts refuse to buy beer from a “small” brewer once purchased by a conglomerate, I’ll keep buying the beer. As long, that is, as the quality remains as high as it is with beers like Lagunitas 12^th of Never Ale.  

From the can label:

As the River Styx froze and the final pig took flight, when the last winged monkey departed the darkly fragrant netherlands, as wishes became horses and all the beggars rode… Under a newly-blued moon at dawn on the very 12th of Never: the second-to-last craft brewery in America pressed the green ‘start’ button on their canning line. We wanted be the Last Small Brewer in the U.S. to can their beer and maybe, finally, by now, we are...The ‘12th of Never Ale’ is everything we’ve learned about making hop-forward beer expressed in a moderate voice. Pale, cold, slightly alcoholic, and bitter. It’s all we know.

Some may debate whether or not Lagunitas is still a small brewer, but there you go. Lagunitas 12^th of Never Ale has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume with 45 IBUs. It is priced to sell at $6.99 for a 4-pack of 19.2 ounce cans and $13.29 for a 12-pack of 12 ounce cans.

Lagunitas 12^th of Never Ale pours to a pale-yellow color with a thick foamy head and a big tropical fruit, grapefruit, and resin nose. Taking a sip, the beer is rather thin malty up front but quite hoppy, and with the kind of hops I like. Zesty grapefruit and piney resin compete for dominance, with a pinch of herbal oregano emerging at the last. Passion fruit pokes its head through, too. Finish is long and bitter.

I would like more malt, but this is very refreshing as first beer of the night, and is a pale ale after all. I’ll be back for more, for sure.

Update 12/28/2017: Lagunitas and Founders are the featured breweries of the month. Tonight I got a 23-ounce draft mug of 12th of Never Ale for $6, and with it a free Founders All Day IPA glass. I'd still like more malt, but this is an enjoyable brew with the citrus and resiny notes I enjoy.

Home