Firestone Walker Brewing Sunglider Golden Lager

Sunglider was created with sustainability as a key factor, and is part of the Firestone Walker’s Brewing for Tomorrow initiative; it was brewed with California-grown “Butta-12” barley that is floor malted, and Salmon-Safe hops from Oregon’s Goschie Farms. The company sent me a six-pack to sample.

It’s 5% ABV with 16 IBUs, and the description is outdated—it lists last year’s Atlas malt edition—which says:

Sunglider is a golden Helles-style lager inspired by the classic pale lagers of Munich and brewed with local Atlas barley grown in the Central Valley and floor-malted at Admiral Malt in Alameda. Floral and grassy notes from Willamette hops grown at Goschie Farms in Oregon add a delicate balance to the aromatic profile and a mild bitterness. Crisp, light, and crushable, Sunglider is the perfect beer to keep you refreshed as we welcome the warmer spring weather and head into the heat of summer.

Still, the style notes are accurate.

Appearance: A bright, beautiful golden color, great clarity, white foam that fell pretty quickly.

Smell: Grainy and bready (bread dough), a very light spicy hop aroma, clean fermentation profile. The malt is the star here, a bit scone-like, nicely appealing.

Taste: The hops show up in the flavor with a nice herbal bitterness, with a touch of spice, overlaying a clean, crisp body with notes of well-toasted white bread. It’s well attenuated for a drier finish, and a touch grassy at the back.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light-bodied and crisp, with a bit of a sharp note from the bitterness but not in a bad way. Dry finish, toasty.

Overall: Solid, drinkable lager, with interesting malt and hops which is hard to pull off in a style this bare and unforgiving.

BJ’s Brewhouse & Sapporo Waterfall Japanese-Style Rice Lager

This collaboration beer between BJ’s and the Japanese brewing giant (via its then-ownership of Stone Brewing, which interestingly enough just sold to Firestone Walker and Duvel Moortgat USA) was brewed with jasmine rice and Sorachi Ace hops, which gives an interesting twist to the standard rice lager recipe.

Here’s the description the company provided when they sent me samples:

Developed collaboratively by the BJ’s and Sapporo/Stone brewing teams, the crisp, light-bodied lager is brewed with Japanese-grown Sorachi Ace hops, German Saphir hops, pilsner malt, jasmine rice and Vienna malt, resulting in subtle citrus, floral and herbal notes with a super smooth, dry finish. Available exclusively at BJ’s for a limited time, it’s a refreshing spring pour and a unique addition to the brand’s house beer lineup.

It’s also a milestone year for BJ’s brewing program as the brand celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Waterfall is 4.5% ABV with 18 IBUs.

Appearance: Pale, yellow in color, with a bit of haze to it. Minimal white head that’s a bit fizzy.

Smell: There’s a sweetly floral aroma that makes me thing jasmine or basmati rice, though that could be the power of suggestion. It’s otherwise clean and quite mild, with a hint of pale grain—raw barley, or cooked rice, or perhaps even lentil.

Taste: Light and grassy, with a thin malt character that has some brown rice notes, with a floral angle that’s got some fruitiness to it, a nice mild lemony note. Not the clean and crisp character I was expecting, there’s a rustic quality and a grainy and dried grass or hay aftertaste to it with a touch of citrus.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, a bit thin, kind of that grassy-fruity finish. A bit muddled.

Overall: For a lager, it’s not as clean as I’d expect; it’s not bad, there are no off-flavors or flaws, but it could be tighter.

10 Barrel Brewing Pub Light Lager

You may recall that I already did a blind tasting review of 10 Barrel’s new Pub Light, but since I’d received this around the same time as the other lagers, I figured I’d add it to the mix with a full review. It’s the lightest of the three, with 4% ABV and 8 IBUs, and it has 99 calories for that “light beer” experience.

Delicious enough to attract snobby passionate beerheads, clean enough to pass a yoga retreat sniff test, and bold enough to tell you that your favorite American light lager tastes like s***, Pub Light arrives as the newest, most important addition to the Cheap Fun family of wallet-friendly, good-times-mandatory beverages. It’s here to claim the top spot in the American light lager food chain.

Pub Light is 100% malt—no gimmicks, no additives, no BS fillers like sugar, corn or rice to hide behind. The lighter, baby brother to Pub Beer, Pub Light is an American light lager brewed with an all-new recipe featuring nothing but the finest natural ingredients that sneak in just under the 100-calorie mark. At only 99 calories per 12 ounces and 4% ABV, it’ll keep the party alive without sending anybody home early.

Appearance: Light golden color, mostly clear with a bit of chill haze. Minimal head on this pour.

Smell: Light, malty and bready with a doughy note like brioche bread dough. Maybe a hint of some DMS, otherwise it’s pretty clean without much more than a hint of grassy hops.

Taste: Crisp, clean, with a bit of toasty grain character that gives it some depth, and quite light. There’s a baseline hop bitterness that is even keel with the malt for a nice balance to keep any malt sweetness in check. Clean finish with a slight “mossy stone” character in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, somewhat thin, crisp with a touch of sparkling carbonation to it.

Overall: It’s a nicely-brewed light lager that gets the job done.

That opportunity presented itself when the company sent me samples of both original Yeti and one of its seasonal variants, Blueberry Muffin Yeti.

Great Divide has been releasing variant Yetis for years now, dabbling in a wide array of flavors; the current seasonal lineup for 2026 after Blueberry Muffin is White Russian Yeti, Horchata Yeti, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Yeti. You can find many more that have been released over the years at Untappd. It’s quite a list!

Let’s get into the reviews.

Blueberry Muffin Yeti

Blueberry muffin isn’t the first flavor combination I would think of when considering pastry stouts, but it’s intriguing to be sure. (The only similar beer I can think of is Great Notion Brewing’s Blueberry Muffin, which is a fruited sour.) It takes the base Yeti at 9.5% ABV, and adds blueberry, cinnamon, and natural flavors.

Blueberry Muffin Yeti is a bold imperial stout swirling with jammy blueberry, sweet cakey richness, and that unmistakable fresh-from-the-oven aroma. Bursting with pastry-fueled power and stout intensity, this latest Yeti variant is crafted for muffin fans, flavor hunters, and anyone who believes the best desserts sometimes come with claws.

Appearance: Black and opaque, with some viscosity in the pour, and a rich light brown head that leaves great lacing.

Smell: Cinnamon, blueberry syrup, and yes, a muffin character that has notes of sweet roll, vanilla, some slight caramelization like you’d get on the bottom half (the stump) of the muffin, from the pan.

Taste: There’s the base roasty imperial stout with lightly bitter, lightly chocolatey dark malts, and then there’s a touch of cinnamon followed by a savory blueberry note that has an almost herbal berry quality without any of the sweetness. Kind of a blueberry candy without the sugar? It’s actually more subtle than I would have expected, and the beer itself is silky and slightly creamy with a hint of alcohol, but it’s quite mellow and hidden well. Everything is restrained and balanced, and it’s not a cloying pastry bomb.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body, smooth and attenuated enough to feel lighter than it is. A bit of a rich blueberry cocoa coating on the tongue but it finishes fairly clean.

Overall: It’s quite good, with a terrific aroma and a well-balanced drinker. I don’t taste the strength. Really nice.

Yeti Imperial Stout

As I mentioned above, I’ve never formally reviewed OG Yeti but it’s one I’ve enjoyed numerous times, and I generally consider it a classic of the style. At 9.5% ABV it’s not at the top of the range you see in the category, but that is plenty strong.

YETI IMPERIAL STOUT is an onslaught of the senses. It starts with big, roasty malt flavor that gives way to rich caramel and toffee notes. YETI gets its bold hop character from an enormous quantity of American hops. It weighs in at a hefty 75 IBUs.

Appearance: Opaque black in the glass, inky, with a creamy tan head that’s fine and pillowy with good lacing.

Smell: Rich with notes of dark sugars, molasses, licorice, along with dark malts full of coffee and cocoa, some roasted character with black patent slightly burnt grain flavor. Hints of boozy alcohol that has a light fruity aroma.

Taste: The full dark roast and baking chocolate bitterness and dark grains are front and center with a warming alcohol that heats up the back of the throat. Classic imperial stout flavors with dark roast coffee, burnt caramel, blackstrap molasses, subtle dark fruits (prunes, dates). The stout and alcohol obscures any hop flavors.

Mouthfeel: Full body with rich bitter notes on the tongue and a warming note that lingers nicely. Smooth but with a touch of sharpness from the bitter malts.

Overall: It’s a top-notch imperial stout with big flavors that are in balance and well executed.

Here are details from the marketing email:

Hot off the heels of the non-alcohol Easy Dust IPA launch, Elysian Brewing is dropping a new permanent brew, just in time for enjoying the outdoors this Spring. Introducing Jacktail Hazy IPA – a tropical, fruity hazy IPA with an unforgettably smooth taste designed for the ultimate adventure. Jacktail is brewed with Citra and Idaho 7 hops, revealing juicy notes of bright mango, papaya and citrus zest. At 6.1% ABV, this smooth palate-seducer has a medium-bodied, lightly sweet mouthfeel that results in a soft, balanced finish.

Crafted for fans ready to chase the wild, Jacktail Hazy IPA offers a fog-drenched, neon-lit escape where every sip opens a portal to the unforgettable. The new beer is an homage to Elysian Brewing’s deep west coast roots, tapping into the mystique and nostalgia of the wilds of the Great Pacific Northwest. Its refreshing flavor brings fans closer to the core of this culture, making it the perfect beer to crack open after a weekend hike or by the campfire.

The branding on this is unusual and kind of all over the place, with the label depicting a retro-themed motel sign, with forest and mountains in the background, but when the paragraph above mentions the “wilds” of the Pacific Northwest, a motel isn’t what comes to mind. Plus, that’s a jackalope, which I thought was more associated with Wyoming and the southwest? Unless this is all an obscure Seattle reference I’m unfamiliar with?

I recently received samples of the two current beers, Amber Lager and Lighter Lager. In addition to being 3.5% ABV, both have 120 calories per 12-ounce can with 9.2 grams of carbs. I’ll note that “no added sugar” doesn’t mean there is no sugar at all; there are sugars naturally present of course (maltose, dextrose most likely) from the brewing process. But no additional adjunct sugars are added.

Let’s get into reviews.

Amber Lager

The company doesn’t offer any details on the beers on the website, so we just have the stats to go by: 3.5% ABV, no mention of IBUs.

Appearance: Darker than I’d expect, more brown than amber, with a bit of haziness. Big pile of light tan head of foam that subsided to a skiff and a lacy ring.

Smell: Bready aroma that has a bit of spice and a bit of raisin to my nose, reminds me of a loaf of raisin pumpernickel bread. Grainy, light fruity esters (that’s the raisin), rye flour.

Taste: Spicy, slightly roasty malt character that’s a little rough around the edges with a slightly woody note; the spiciness could be a yeasty phenol but I think it’s malt- or husk-derived. I think there’s some oxidation here too, which would actually account for the raisin note I get in the aroma as well as some of the flavor. No appreciable hop character.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and once you notice the oxidation, that’s the character on the tongue and into the finish, a bit of stale paper and raisin for a dry finish.

Overall: It needs some work, but once you get past the oxidation there’s a decent baseline beer here.

Lighter Lager

Classified as an American light lager, presumably brewed to compete with light macro lagers.

Appearance: Pale yellow and hazy, with a thin white head.

Smell: Pretty light with some graininess and a hint of a yeasty note; perhaps some dried corncob; rustic. Not a lot of aroma overall though.

Taste: It’s a pale, rustic lager, with some grassy character, some corn, a rustic yeasty note, fairly clean profile with no hop character and a touch of minerality. Not much else to report, it drinks pretty easily.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, a touch light, some of that rustic grain and yeast but otherwise clean finish.

Overall: Decent, the better of the two beers here. No oxidation on this one.

I received samples of the beer to review from the tourist agency, and even though it’s no longer Tap Season (it runs from January 15 to March 15) it’s still drinking just fine.

Appearance: Orange color with a bit of coppery overtone, big fluffy off-white head that has good lacing. There’s a bit of haze for an unfiltered appearance.

Smell: Fruity aroma with some spicy dankness; the fruit is in a tropical direction with a bit of tangerine, red berry, perhaps passion fruit, and a touch of chamomile tea (floral and herbal).

Taste: Appetizing savory greens flavors from the hops with a bit of pleasant spice and herbal character; it has a craveable quality to keep you sipping. Moderate bitterness which makes itself known without burning the palate. Any fruity notes that I’m getting remind me of fruit peels and skins: more bitter, slightly tannic, with green and pithy character. Crackery malt. Clean, solid, moreish flavors all around.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, a hint of fruit skin tannin helps with a dry impression, nice savory finish. A touch creamy.

Overall: It’s a nice IPA, super drinkable with excellent flavor balance.

As part of the rollout, BJ’s is hosting a five-course Japanese beer dinner featuring Waterfall on April 13 at what appears to be most or all of its locations.

I’m not close enough to a BJ’s location to check out the dinner, but the company did send me samples of the new beer to review. Here are some additional details from the marketing email I received:

Developed collaboratively by the BJ’s and Sapporo/Stone brewing teams, the crisp, light-bodied lager is brewed with Japanese-grown Sorachi Ace hops, German Saphir hops, pilsner malt, jasmine rice and Vienna malt, resulting in subtle citrus, floral and herbal notes with a super smooth, dry finish. Available exclusively at BJ’s for a limited time, it’s a refreshing spring pour and a unique addition to the brand’s house beer lineup.

It’s also a milestone year for BJ’s brewing program as the brand celebrates its 30th anniversary.

I also find it interesting that the email refers to both Sapporo and Stone Brewing (Stone is of course owned by Sapporo), but all the other marketing material and can labeling that I’ve seen just mention Sapporo.

One of the hallmarks of these sodas is that they are only 30 calories per can, with 7 grams of sugar, and crafted with all-natural ingredients, making these a lifestyle brand that embraces the nostalgia of classic soda flavors. I recently received a selection of all four to sample and review.

Here are details about the new Shirley Cola:

Stiller’s Soda, co-founded by lifelong soda lover Ben Stiller, is expanding its nostalgic lineup with the launch of Shirley Cola! Stiller’s fourth flavor and a bold, reimagining of the beloved classic, cherry cola.

If the Shirley Temple is the wholesome childhood staple, Shirley Cola is her renegade sibling: a little dusty around the edges, confidently nostalgic, and designed for everyday drinking. Inspired by the classic Roy Rogers, Stiller’s Shirley Cola brings a swagger back to the soda aisle with modern sensibility and unmistakable shelf presence.

Shirley Cola is the latest of the Stiller’s Soda Americana-inspired lineup that launched last September with Root Beer, Lemon Lime, and the original Shirley Temple. Now available in Walmart and Whole Foods locations across the Northeast, and Target locations nationwide, Shirley Cola and Stiller’s are sure to remain a hit!

ABOUT STILLER’S SODA

Co-founded by lifelong soda lover Ben Stiller and food and beverage entrepreneur Alex Doman, Stiller’s Soda is on a mission to bring joy and real flavor back to the soda aisle, one ridiculously tasty can at a time. Inspired by Ben’s New York City upbringing, and his childhood obsession with classic sodas—most notably a good Shirley Temple—Stiller’s is a love letter to soda’s golden age—with none of the weird stuff. Stiller’s Soda contains just 30 calories, 7g of sugar, all-natural ingredients, and added vitamins, making it a ‘better-for-you soda’ that actually tastes like soda. No prebiotics or bitter aftertaste, just a classic, craveable refreshment that makes you smile. It’s clean, fun, and absurdly delicious, because it’s been crafted by soda lovers, for soda lovers.

I rarely drink soda these days, though it does occur to me that these could be used for radler and diesel and perhaps other beer and soda mixes.

I recently received samples of the new Pub Light, and along with those came the opportunity to take a blind taste test: “Pub Light vs the #1 Domestic Giant in the PNW.” With the standard 12-ounce cans of Pub Light, I also received Beer X and Beer Y, two 16-ounce cans covered in blue painter’s tape. The challenge: taste them both side by side and pick a winner; after the test, fill out a survey answering which one I picked as the best, and why.

Naturally, I couldn’t resist taking notes and posting those here with the final results. So, let’s see which was better, Beer X or Beer Y.

Beer X

Appearance: Brassy golden color, bright, clear, with a good creamy looking head. There’s a semi-regular stream of bubbles rising.

Smell: Light toasty notes with a bit of graininess and maybe a hint of fruity ester or green apple.

Taste and mouthfeel: Nice malt character with toasted grains and bread crust, some doughy sweetness, very light grassy hops. Light mouthfeel, clean, with a slight bicarbonate note in the finish maybe?

Beer Y

Appearance: Lighter in color, more yellow, also great bright clarity. Head was fizzier and fell more quickly. Less streaming bubbles.

Smell: Sweeter grain character, perhaps a touch corny, otherwise quite clean.

Taste and mouthfeel: Lighter, more neutral flavor that has a hint of bread dough and a subtle ashy character; minerally. No hop flavor to speak of. Very light in mouthfeel, quite clean, with a bit of gassy fizz.

Verdict

I chose Beer X as the winner, which I suspected was Pub Light because it clearly seemed to be an all-malt beer while Beer Y had all the markers of a typical adjunct light lager. Beer X wasn’t perfect, however, the bicarbonate (baking soda-like) character in the finish was a bit odd, and I would have preferred some hop character in the aroma instead of the estery/green apple note. But overall, it was more interesting to drink.

The Reveal

I stayed as faithfully “blind” as possible while I was drinking and making notes on the beers, and didn’t peek until after I had submitted the survey results. As it turns out, I was right about Beer X—Pub Light. Beer Y, on the other hand, was Coors Light, which I would not have necessarily guessed. Is Coors Light the “#1 Domestic Giant” in the region? Honestly I don’t know.

Finally, here are the Pub Light marketing details from the release announcement:

Introducing Pub Light: Lighter. Cheaper. Funner.

Cheap Fun just lobbed a 99-calorie, 4% ABV curveball into the beer aisle, and this new featherweight lager—Pub Light—is liquid proof that cheap beer doesn’t have to suck.

Delicious enough to attract snobby passionate beerheads, clean enough to pass a yoga retreat sniff test, and bold enough to tell you that your favorite American light lager tastes like s***, Pub Light arrives as the newest, most important addition to the Cheap Fun family of wallet-friendly, good-times-mandatory beverages. It’s here to claim the top spot in the American light lager food chain.

Pub Light is 100% malt—no gimmicks, no additives, no BS fillers like sugar, corn or rice to hide behind. The lighter, baby brother to Pub Beer, Pub Light is an American light lager brewed with an all-new recipe featuring nothing but the finest natural ingredients that sneak in just under the 100-calorie mark. At only 99 calories per 12 ounces and 4% ABV, it’ll keep the party alive without sending anybody home early.

Lighter. Cheaper. Funner. Above all? Pub Light is real. And these days, that’s asking a lot.

I’ve not yet tried the Guava Get Down, although ironically I did review the non-alcoholic version recently.

Here’s the press release:

Guava Get Down named Best Cider and Best of Class as 2 Towns and Craftwell continue award-winning momentum

2 Towns Ciderhouse has earned top honors at the 2026 LA Invitational Wine & Spirits Challenge, with its newest release, Guava Get Down, capturing Gold Medal, Best Cider, and Best of Class. The Corvallis-based cidery also saw strong results across its Cosmic Crisp® cider lineup and Craftwell Cocktails ready-to-drink portfolio.

Judged by a panel of winemakers, distillers, sommeliers, beverage trade professionals, and media, the LA Invitational Wine & Spirits Challenge highlights exceptional beverages from producers around the world.

The standout for 2 Towns was Guava Get Down, a tropical fruit-forward cider layered over a crisp apple base. Judges described the cider as “bright” with notes of “pineapple and guava.”

“Guava Get Down was crafted with carefully sourced ingredients to let the vibrant tropical character of guava shine,” said Dave Takush, head cidermaker at 2 Towns Ciderhouse. “Seeing it earn both Best Cider and Best of Class is incredibly rewarding for our team.”

2026 LA Invitational Wine Challenge Results – 2 Towns Ciderhouse

Guava Get Down

• Gold Medal – Fruit or Botanical
• Best Cider
• Best of Class

Apricot Cosmic Crisp® – Silver Medal – Fruit or Botanical
Huckleberry Cosmic Crisp® – Silver Medal – Fruit or Botanical
Spiced Cosmic Crisp® – Silver Medal – Fruit or Botanical

2026 LA Invitational Spirits Challenge Results – Craftwell Cocktails

Craftwell Guava Crush – Silver Medal – Ready-to-Drink Cider-Based
Craftwell Transfusion – Silver Medal – Ready-to-Drink Cider-Based

The results build on a strong track record for both brands at the LA Invitational competitions. In previous years, Raspberry Cosmic Crisp® earned Best Cider and Best of Class, while Craftwell favorites including Chocolate Espresso Martini, Cranberry Mule, and Transfusion have also earned medals across multiple RTD cocktail categories.

“The LA Invitational is judged by some of the most respected palates in the beverage world,” said Lee Larsen, co-founder and CEO of 2 Towns Ciderhouse. “Recognition for both our craft ciders and RTD cocktails reflects the versatility and talent of our cidermaking team. I couldn’t be more proud of what they’ve accomplished.”

StackStock is brewed with candy cap mushrooms, known for their maple syrup aroma and flavor, which pair well with the big beer (8% alcohol by volume). Peach Cream Soda is not the first soda from the brewery, which also crafts root beer and cream soda, but “peaches and cream” sounds like a winning flavor and not one I’ve had in soda form before.

Press release:

Cannon Beach’s favorite brewpub celebrates its 10th anniversary with new releases and the return of live music Mondays

Public Coast Brewing Co. is releasing a series of new seasonal beers and craft sodas as a part of its year-long 10th anniversary celebration.

“We’re thrilled to bring back the fan favorite StackStock Candy Cap Stout and introduce our new zero-proof Peach Cream Soda,” says Will Leroux, Public Coast’s brewer. “This mix of beloved classics and fresh fruit flavors is the perfect way to say goodbye to winter and welcome spring.”

The StackStock Candy Cap Stout pays homage to the Pacific Northwest by using native Candy Cap Mushrooms. This unique stout has an ABV of 8.0% and features notes of chocolate, coffee, maple, caramel, and pralines, creating a warm and nutty flavor perfect for sipping on a cool and windy day on the Oregon Coast. Along with Candy Cap Mushrooms, ingredients include chocolate malt, oat flake, roasted barley, and more.

The new Peach Cream Soda is a non-alcoholic craft soda bursting with bright, juicy peach flavor—perfectly sweet without being overpowering or syrupy. Made with cane sugar, brown cane sugar, and peach fruit concentrate, it’s the ideal companion for a sunny day on the Oregon Coast. Please note that it also contains dairy.

The StackStock Candy Cap Stout and the Peach Cream Soda will be available for purchase at the brewpub in Cannon Beach on tap and in 16-oz cans/four-packs.

In honor of their 10th anniversary, Public Coast will also be bringing back weekly live music, which is now being hosted on Mondays from 5 – 7 p.m, starting January 19. Be sure to follow @publiccoastbrewing on Instagram to stay up to date on upcoming musical guests and food specials.