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Best Brewery Merch of 2024
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Photography courtesy of Magic Muncie | Hop Culture
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We have a secret to admit. If you open up our closet at home or pull out one of our dresser drawers, you’ll find a collection of brewery sweatshirts, hats, and tees that rival any sneakerhead’s selection. Only difference? Luckily, we don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to outfit ourselves with our favorite brewery gear. And we feel pretty good about supporting the breweries we know, love, and drink from regularly.
Phew, we feel so much better sharing that probably over eighty percent of our clothes come from our trips to breweries (or online drops). We’ve kept our eyes glued to Instagram this year and peeled out in the field to see what incredible picks deserve a hanger in our closest (and now yours).
Considering that, we rounded up the best brewery merch we’ve seen (and often bought) this year.
Did we miss something? We’re confident we did. Shoot us a DM @hopculturemag and let us know!
Hop Culture’s Picks for the Best Beer Merch of the Year
First, let’s split these into a few categories, so you know exactly what we mean when we say merch.
Feel free to flip to the section you want:
Tees
Because you can never have enough of these! It’s our most extensive section, and deservedly so.
Hop Culture Keg Stand Tee
Photography courtesy of Hop Culture
It’s back, baby! Seven years ago, Hop Culture ordered a T-shirt for its first NYC festival with its classic magazine hop logo on the front pocket. Lo and behold, the shirts showed up with the logo…upside down. So what did we do? We called it the Keg Stand Shirt and turned that frown upside down! The tee sold out within 24 hours, and a legend was born. We’re reviving the legacy here with this ultra-limited run of the 2024 Hop Culture Keg Stand Shirt!
Relive your “Beer Olympic” drinking days without the rush of blood to your head and cheap beer to your belly. Or maybe just do a “keg stand in your mid-thirties” and wear this shirt instead…that’s what we’re doing.
No chugging necessary!
Hop Culture Live, Laugh, Lager Tee
Photography courtesy of Magic Muncie | Hop Culture
Hey, we love lager, and we’re not afraid to show it. Do you love lager as much as life itself, too? Does a crisp, clean, cold-fermented beer run through your veins? Do you get giddy when we say words like pilsner, helles, Baltic porter, amber, dark, dunkel, pre-Pro, Dortmunder, and Vienna? Hey, life is short! So you might as well…Live, Laugh, Lager.
If we had to pick, this would probably be our favorite tee we made this year.
Pilsnerish x Cerebral Side-Pull Skull T and Pilsnerish SLOW POUR Acid-Wash Tee
Photography courtesy of Pilsnerish
We love both the LUKR faucet and all the incredible Czech pours you can get from it.
But we’re also willing to wait seven minutes for one of Bierstadt Lagerhaus’ famous slow pours.
Those things aren’t mutually exclusive!
So, while in Denver for the Great American Beer Festival, we ventured out to Cerebral’s OG taproom for the first time, picking up one of these sweet, sweet odes to the side-pull taps. The collab between Pilsnerish and Cerebral sold out within hours, but the boss beer brand still has some of their newly dropped acid-wash slow-pour tees available.
And you best believe we reached into our wallets for one of both because that’s how much we love how breweries use the LUKR in all its glorious forms.
Track Sonoma Text T-Shirt
Photography courtesy of Track Brewing
In April, Hop Culture Senior Content Editor Grace Lee-Weitz had the privilege to travel all across the U.K., including a stop in Manchester, courtesy of Visit Manchester. Highlights of the trip included getting some of the best sandwiches in England out of a literal window in the wall, finding new favorites such as Balance Brewing, and drinking at breweries that have made waves globally, such as Cloudwater and Track.
When Track Brewing Founder Sam Dyson decided to visit his uncle in California, he didn’t fly there. Oh no. Instead, the kid who used to spend hours cycling around little lanes in the countryside decided to bike across the entire country. Starting in Virginia, Dyson cycled all the way to Washington, making his way down into California to where his uncle lived in Novato, a town just on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The six-month cycling trip changed Dyson’s life. “I just kept on going and going,” he shared with Lee-Weitz as they sat in his office at the brewery about a twenty-minute walk outside downtown Manchester. Dyson cycled around the entire world from Mexico down through Central America, Colombia down to the bottom of Argentina, around Australia, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, through the ‘Stans,’ as he called them—Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan—through Georgia, Turkey, and back to Europe.
The journey quickly developed a common theme.
“Beer effectively became the thing that drove the whole trip,” explains Dyson, who wanted to bring back to England the American-style hoppy pales and IPAs he drank on the trip.
Despite cycling 35,000 miles through a number of countries Dyson can’t even recall off the top of his head (we checked later: it was at least twenty-five), the brewery owner fell in love with an area called Sonoma in Northern California, full of mountains, forests, and vineyards. “It was just quite magical,” he reminisced. “I could cycle for an entire day and not come across anybody at all, and you’d be above the cloud line, look back down, and you were looking at the beach and everything covered in fog. It felt like being in a totally different world.”
When Dyson finally returned to the U.K., he went into beer full-time, working at breweries around London. In 2014, he opened his own 2,000-sq-ft brewery in a tiny arch underneath the Manchester Piccadilly station.
“We were just a tiny 2,000-liter brewery … at the end of an arch,” says Stefan Melbourne, events and creative manager for Track, who started working at the brewery about four months after it opened. “We felt like a new wave of brewery, which was really exciting to be a part of because, at that time, Sam was just producing hoppy cask ale.”
Like Sonoma, the second beer Dyson ever made.
An homage to his magical time cycling in Northern California, Sonoma has become a signature for Track. Dyson reflects proudly on the 3.8% ABV Mosaic dry-hopped pale ale with Citra and Centennial; this one always sticks in his mind.
Actually, in most people’s minds at Track (there’s a joke about a one-track mind, isn’t there?).
And for a person like Lee-Weitz from NorCal, over 5,000 miles from home, the story and beer resonated with them.
“The whole point of that beer was supposed to be really easy drinking, really citrusy, light, but have depths of flavor. I don’t know,” Dyson looked off into the distance. “But then Sonoma County is just the light there and the colors of the can, I like this red and this orange and yellow. To me, it just had that. That’s what that place reminded me of.”
Ironic since most people have no idea where Sonoma is, much less what it’s like. Dyson jokes that people mispronounce and misspell the name all the time.
But it doesn’t matter.
And that’s the theme at Track: beers born from adventure off the beaten track. Originally, Dyson said he named every beer Track brewed after a place he cycled through or a feature that meant something to him, such as a mountain range or lake.
Although originally only brewing beers on cask, Track eventually expanded. Today, you’ll find some of their highest-rated beers are massive imperial, barrel-aged stouts. “Which are fantastic beers,” Dyson notes. “They’re the ones that you would think that the brewery is really closely associated with. But actually, it’s this 3.8% pale ale.”
Sonoma on cask is the beer brewers like Jeff Bagby from the former Bagby Beer Co., Sam Richardson, co-founder of Other Half, and all the guys from Fonta Flora would stand around drinking when they visited. “All these amazing world-class brewers were standing around this dingy little thing drinking this beer we made,” Dyson recalls.
Melbourne says that, to this day, whenever American brewers visit, “we give them a can of Sonoma, and they say, ‘Oh my god, this is great. I wish we could do this!’”
With its Run DMC vibes, this shirt makes a statement. We’re not saying Track is as influential to beer in the U.K. as Run DMC was to hip-hop culture in the U.S., but we’re not not saying it.
All we’re saying is that Sonoma is not only an incredible beer but also a fantastic place.
Balter Deconstructed XPA Can T-Shirt and Hats
Photography courtesy of Balter Brewing
When we attribute one beer style to one person, that usually holds weight. So why haven’t we heard more about Scotty Hargrave and XPA, extra pale ale, a style that has absolutely exploded in Australia?
That’s the question we tried to answer earlier this year.
Perhaps it’s because, for so long, another three-letter acronym has dominated: IPA.
Whatever the exact reason, XPA has finally made it to the States with brewers up and down the West Coast trying their hand at this lower-ABV, yet still hop-forward, style that’s absolutely crushable and crushing it.
We met up with Hargrave at this year’s Firestone Walker Invitational and, after dropping our story on XPA, he was kind enough to gift us a couple of XPA shirts that we immediately fell in love with. Kind of like his Balter XPA.
If we had also known there was a hat, we would have bought that. Don’t make the same mistake we did!
And for gosh sake, find yourselves some XPAs to drink (check out the story for our recs).
Halfway Crooks Klein Beer Tee
Photography courtesy of Halfway Crooks Beer
Our friends at Halfway Crooks in Atlanta, GA, make some of the dopest merch we’ve ever seen.
We wish more than anything that we had clicked b”Buy” on this Lager Lager Lager Ležák Hat when it dropped on IG. But alas, we put it in our cart to think about and buy later, and by the time we went back, it was all sold out.
Instead, we settled for this Klein Beer Tee, which Halfway Crooks describes as, “Hurry … Rush… Run!!1 Dat is Klein bier. Best enjoyed fresh.”
OMF Kellerbier Is Pouring Shirt – Natural
Photography courtesy of Our Mutual Friend
Ask us this: What is your favorite color of the year? We might answer natural… cream… sand…or whatever you call it. You know, that kind of off-white like latte or cappuccino foam. Seriously, maybe half of the new shirts we’ve acquired from breweries this year fall into that color category.
So when we saw OMF’s natural Kellerbier shirt with a two-color pocket graphic, we were intrigued. When we looked closer and saw that it was an homage to pouring kellerbier off the lager tank, cha-ching.
As OMF says, “If the neon sign in the taproom is lit, the beer is pouring! IYKYK.”
Burial Rope Moth Crop
Photography courtesy of Burial Beer Co.
Crop tops are in right now. We even made our own this year (see below). But we especially love Burial’s version for its ethereal graphics and use of that natural color again.
Notch LUKR Tap T-Shirt
Photography courtesy of Notch Brewing
Noticing a theme here? Sorry, not sorry. We called 2023 the “Year of the Czech Lager” and 2024 “Year of the Dark Lager,” so we’re wearing that loudly and proudly.
We also had a chance to visit the Czech Republic this year, including LUKR headquarters, where we met LUKR Head Tapster Ondřej Rozsypal, so this feels like a bit of an homage.
And we know we’re not the only ones that love LUKRs and lagers!
Long Sleeves / Hoodies / Outerwear
Because we realistically know it’s getting cold for most people in the Northern part of the world. And even if you live somewhere where it’s still warm, these are stylish and cool…sorry, hot.
Spooky Brews Crop Hoodie
Photography courtesy of Hop Culture
Un-boo-lievable! When we dropped our Spooky Brews Crop Hoodie—an autumn homage to one of Hop Culture’s most epic events and our favorite fall holiday—it sold out within twenty-four hours.
With freaky Frankensteins and daunting Draculas, our limited-edition top was bound to keep you looking effortlessly stylish during the spooky season. Whether you’re hitting a Halloween party, hanging by the campfire, or getting festive for fall, that crop hoodie became our go-to for all things spooky.
Did our Spooky Brews Crop Hoodie disappear into the night before you could grab it?
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Holy Mountain Anything
Photography courtesy of Holy Mountain
We were lucky enough to finally visit the sacred site of Holy Mountain earlier this year. We’ve admired Holy Mountain’s beers and merch from afar, so you know we loaded up during our time in the taproom.
Now, the brewery releases new merch as frequently as Addison Rae drops a TikTok video, so we can’t guarantee what we got is still around. We nabbed a Brujos collab long-sleeve.
But just peek around and find a favorite. Preach!
Drekker Super Mega Blanket Hoodie
Photography courtesy of Drekker Brewing Company
This is just pure silliness. We saw this drop on Instagram and immediately put a pin in it. Full of Drekker’s iconic eye-popping and brain-bursting graphics, this hoodie stretches far enough to double as a blanket. With crazy cozy vibes all around thanks to a sherpa lining and what Drekker calls “squishy blankety outsides,” this might be at the top of our winter must-have list. Not that we live in a cold place like North Dakota or Minnesota, but hey, once it gets below fifty in California…we get cold.
Side Project Fleece Pullover
Photography courtesy of Side Project Brewing
We’re not sure L.L. Bean or Eddie Bauer could have made a better pullover. But since Side Project makes some of our favorite (read: highest-rated) imperial stouts, barleywines, and wild ales in the country, we seriously considered buying this.
Just think about it: Wouldn’t it feel great to take a long nap in this? We imagine that’s how many of Side Project’s beers—Beer : Barrel : Time, Continuance, etc.—feel when they’re chilling in a barrel—like they’re wrapped in this warm, soft goodness.
Firestone Walker West Coast Flannel
Photography courtesy of Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Want to wear it like a brewer does? And not just any brewer, but Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matt Brynildson? If you’re a fan of the brewery’s Beer Talk series on Instagram, where Brynildson dives deep into one of Firestone’s beers, you’ve probably seen Brynildson casually wrapped in this Firestone Walker West Coast Flannel. Classic yet ultra-comfy, this button-up just screams something we want to wear all winter. Plus, look good, brew good, drink good, are we right?
Métier Crewneck
Photography courtesy of Magic Muncie | Hop Culture
Another score from our trip to the Pacific Northwest, Métier’s tan crewneck made it home in both Hop Culture Social Media Manager Magic Muncie’s and Lee-Weitz’s suitcase.
When we visited the Cherry Street taproom, Métier Co-Founder Rodney Hines sported this ultra-lux camel crewneck. He looked so cool in it that the whole team had to grab one for themselves. No joke.
Get yourselves one, too.
Hats
We recently counted…and have somewhere close to one hundred hats across the Hop Culture crew. Is that a problem? Of course not. Let’s buy more!
Hop Culture 5-Panel
Photography courtesy of Magic Muncie | Hop Culture
This is our go-to. We cannot state this enough. This classic black five-panel hat is the one we wear on almost every trip we take, every conference we attend, and every brewery we visit.
It just fits right, goes with everything, and keeps it clean and classic. We love it so much that we got another one to keep in our back pocket. You know, in case something happens to the first. Like we said, we wear it A LOT!
Oh, and if black isn’t your color, we also made one in mint green.
Cellarmaker Goldenrod Corduroy Pale Ale Hat and Cranberry Unfiltered West Coast Hats
Photography courtesy of Cellarmaker Brewing
We know we’ve shown much love to lagers here, so just to prove that we’re journalistically balanced, Cellarmaker’s Goldenrod Pale Ale and Cranberry Unfiltered West Coast Hats hit the hops.
Corduroy and strings across the brim of a hat are so in right now, so Cellarmaker nailed it with both of these.
Hats off to you.
Dokkaebier We Make Mischief Dad Hat
Photography courtesy of Dokkaebier
We named Dokkaebier one of our “Best New Breweries of 2023.” Why?
Because the Korean-owned and -themed brewery includes beers with Korean ingredients, a nod to founder Youngwon Lee’s heritage.
Born in Korea, Lee has lived all over, moving to Guam, New Jersey, and then California for school before taking time off to return to Korea to care for his grandmother. Back in Korea, he discovered a love for wine and eventually beer, working at the Korean-owned brewery The Booth when they opened an outpost in California.
But when The Booth folded in the U.S., Lee wanted to continue to find ways to bring his culture to drinkers.
Named after dokkaebi (도깨비), shape-shifting creatures from Korean folklore, Lee’s brewery mimics the dokkaebi’s love of eating and drinking.
Each beer comes with a playful whimsy and spirit for experimentation. Just like this hat.
When the dokkaebi come out to play, mischief away.
Allagash Parks Patch Hat
Photography courtesy of Allagash Brewing Co.
Allagash sent us this hat earlier in the year, and it has been a staple on our hikes and outdoor adventures ever since. This makes sense, considering Allagash always encourages you to get outside, enjoy nature, and drink a beer.
We’re always amazed by the stunning photos of Maine that Allagash displays across its Instagram, and it feels like with this hat, they’ve brought a small piece of Maine to sit on top of our craniums.
Half Acre Benthic Dad Hat
Photography courtesy of Half Acre Beer Co.
Earlier this year, Half Acre’s iconic pale ale, Daisy Cutter, celebrated its fifteenth anniversary. We dove deep with Half Acre Co-Founder Gabriel Magliaro to learn nine things we never knew about this beer.
But more recently, Half Acre’s equally influential bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout brewed with coffee and toasted coconut, Benthic, caught our eye. As did the dad hats they made alongside this year’s release.
Simple but a little eerie, these hats just hit.
Accessories
By far, this is the category whose creativity has grown the most. We’re saving many of these for our upcoming “The Best Beer Gifts” article (look out for that dropping next Wed., Nov. 20th), but we’ll give you a sneak peek of what we mean below.
Highland Park Brewery Timbo Pils Rolling Papers and Lighter
Photography courtesy of Highland Park Brewery
Hey, we live in California, and one of us was born in Minnesota, which partially legalized cannabis, including the sale of low-potency, hemp-derived beverages. Plus…it’s 2024. Oh, and we love Timbo Pils, the OG West Coast pilsner. Seriously, Highland Park Co-Founder Bob Kunz and former co-founder Tim McDonnell literally invented the style (read here).
The lighter features exclusive artwork from Scrap Labs, and the rolling papers include the “Puff Puff Shred” design. Highland Park said the latter was the first web store restock in three years.
Spark conversation. As far as we’re concerned (and we know Highland Park would agree), it’s always Timbo time!
Humble Sea x Revelry The Explorer Backpack
Photography courtesy of Humble Sea Brewing Co.
You gotta carry your beers to the beach in style, right? With a marine canvas exterior, tan straps, tan trim, brown leather, and brass hardware, this Humble Sea backpack is perfect. Smell proof, water resistant, and lockable with a rubber-backed exterior and secret inner stash pocket, this humble pack with refined features is just great for, like we said, taking your beers to the sea.
Cohesion Pours Sticker Pack
Photography courtesy of Cohesion Brewing
If you read our guide to the “21 Best Breweries in Denver,” you know that the all-Czech beer brewery Cohesion has been at the top of our must-visit list for a while. We couldn’t stop by this place without a) drinking a few Cohesion 12° pale lagers (one of our “Top Beers We Drank in October”); b) doing a Foamie for the Homie…IYKYK—basically a mlíko pour (all foam); and c) picking up some merch.
These die-cut stickers of the three types of Czech pours that Cohesion honors caught our eye and now proudly adorned one of our water bottles…just to remind us to keep hydrating.
Hudson Valley Mirrorshield Tote
Photography courtesy of Hudson Valley Brewery
Featuring Hudson Valley’s iconic artwork from Evan M. Cohen, this Mirrorshield Tote was just too tempting to pass up. It’s like the perfect laptop, grocery, or even tiny weekend bag.
