The last time the Craft Brewers’ Conference was held in Washington, DC, in 2017, I found myself in line right behind one of the brewers from FiftyFifty Brewing, best known for their Eclipse series of barrel-aged imperial stouts. I jokingly asked them what their shifty was–the beer a brewer might want to drink after brewing before heading home for the evening. Like the brothers Gibb, the joke was on me, because FiftyFifty brews a Czech-style dark lager. Typically these are in the 4 to 5% alcohol by volume range, about half the ABV of Eclipse stouts. We’ll probably never see that dark lager; I’m not sure it leaves California, let alone the FiftyFifty brewery in the town of Truckee.
Last year Cory King, founder of Side Project, brought his usual array of mixed fermentation ales and barrel aged stouts to Snallygaster. He also brought his shifty, a Helles-style lager. That’s what he and the brewing team drink while making 15% ABV beers. Side Project also happened to be the brewery closest to the DC Beer podcast stage last year. You see where I’m going with this?
Here are the Snallygaster 2025 shifty contenders. What I’m looking for is breweries that bring heavy hitters, but are also bringing the beers that fuel their pastry stouts, hazy double IPAs, and 15 Plato saisons. Let’s go!
Alma Mader, Premiant: Green Label, Czech Pilsner w/ Whole Leaf Saaz & Premiant Hops: This Kansas City newcomer is bringing two stouts north of 14% alcohol by volume and a 7% ABV west coast IPA. They’re also bringing a 12 Plato lager with Czech hops, 5% ABV. I’ll have what they’re having!
Bottle Logic, Heliosphere, Helles Lager: You know Bottle Logic for their giant, adjuncted stouts. When they get tired of shoveling Costco-sized amounts of cinnamon sticks and sandwich cookies out of the fermenter, they reach for this 4.6% ABV lager. Maybe you should, too.
Equilibrium, Doppler, Tmavé: Known for their science-y IPAs, big stouts, and the occasional mixed fermentation beer, they’re also bringing their 4.6% ABV Czech-style dark lager. I’m in!
everywhere, robotic humans, Zwickel Pilsner (Human Robot Collab.): Sometimes maybe you’d like a little help making something you can crush in the brewhouse. You could do worse than turning to Philly’s Human Robot. They know a thing or two about lager, especially one that is 5.1% ABV.
Perennial, Coastal Arch, West Coast Pilsner w/ Nelson Sauvin, Simcoe & Vic Secret Hops (Calusa collab): This St. Louis brewery is bringing the 2025 iteration of barrel-aged Abraxas, which probably won’t last longer than 30 minutes into the VIP portion of the festival. Maybe a 4.7% ABV hoppy pilsner can take away some of the FOMO?
The Answer, Ležák, Czech Pilsner, 4%: Area beer nerds regularly sojourn to this Richmond brewery, a straight shot down I-95. Here’s what the staff of The Answer drink while crafting stouts and IPAs with double digit ABVs.
There are a few more potential shifties out there, including a pale ale from Deciduous and a kellerpils from The Seed. See you on Pennsylvania Avenue and don’t forget to drink like a brewer!
