Fighting Spirit: How Breweries Are Bridging Beer and Cocktails | Imbibe Magazine

Photos: Eugene Lee

That looks like a mighty fine bottled cocktail, doesn't it? What if I told you that Bottle Logic Brewing aged a high-ABV hard seltzer in rum barrels, then steeped the liquid on citrus peels and blended it with fruit juices to mimic the tropical Jungle Bird cocktail? It's part of the brewery's Lightning in a Bottle series, part of the beer industry's multifaceted approach to embracing cocktail culture.

For my latest Imbibe print feature, I look at how breweries are fighting spirits by aging beer in oak barrels that once held bitters, helping replicate classic cocktails, and making canned Micheladas with custom mixes. Taprooms are doubling as cocktail bars, and breweries are developing RTDs that lean into regional favorites like the tequila-driven Texas staple Ranch Water.

To find new customers, “you don’t need another IPA right now,” says Fred Matt, the president of F.X. Matt Brewing Co., makers of Saranac beer and Right Coast Spirits, a ready-to-drink cocktail brand. “In today’s world, you’d better be exploring beverage opportunities outside of beer.”