New year, new month, new beers. We’re approaching 2025 with a lot of drive, and it’s already kicking into overdrive.
We have a slew of new adventures planned over the next twelve months, including exploring our favorite new places to travel for beer.
We’re excited to keep our eyes on all our top breweries to watch and on these top trends we predicted to see if we’re right.
And we have a bunch of beer festivals we’d love to attend.
While we didn’t personally participate in Dry January, we did find ourselves some nights alternating between alcoholic and NA beers (a process all the youths apparently call “zebra striping”).
With the first month of the new year behind us, we can confidently say we’re excited about the days of drinking ahead. Are you?
Hop Culture’s Top 11 Beers We Drank in January 2025
Beer Hug Beer – Hamilton Family Brewery
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Photography courtesy of Hamilton Family Brewery
American IPA – With a team who lives mostly in California, we’ve been hyper aware of the absolute devastation caused by the current Los Angeles wildfires. While we are all fortunate enough to live in Northern California, we have family and friends’ families affected, so when Hamilton Family Brewery Co-Owner and Founder Josh Hamilton reached out to us about a new beer donating to the relief efforts for the wildfire victims, we immediately took note.
A wheat beer brewed with real oranges, vanilla, and marshmallows, Beer Hug Beer is meant to mimic the nostalgic flavors of an Orange Creamsicle ice cream beer.
“As a Southern California business, we’re deeply connected to our community and heartbroken
by the impact these wildfires have had on our neighbors,” said Hamilton in a press release. “The team and I wanted to do something meaningful that would bring people together while making a tangible difference for those in need.”
On the can, a custom design from Hamilton shows the iconic California state bear decked out in an LA County Fire Department helmet while embracing the state flag. The beer is a touching tribute to a month of absolute devastation.
But Hamilton didn’t just make a beer.
During a special event hosted on Feb. 1, 2025, Hamilton Family Brewery donated one hundred percent of all profits from every Beer Hug Beer pour, four-pack sale, and merch directly to organizations aiding wildfire victims in Southern California.
If you live in California and find this beer, buy it and show your support.
Non-Alcoholic Italian Pilsner – Untitled Art
Waunakee, WI
Photography courtesy of Untitled Art
Non-Alcoholic Italian Pilsner – Hop Culture Senior Content Editor Grace Lee-Weitz discovered recently that her dad decided to cut back on drinking. She asked if he had tried NA beer, which received a lukewarm response of, “Yes, and I don’t like any of them.”
It seemed he had given up on finding a delicious non-alcoholic beer, so Lee-Weitz began bringing over different versions, such as Untitled Art, determined to find one he liked.
Last month, he sent Lee-Weitz a text, “Drinking an Untitled Art NA Italian Style Pils which you brought over. Best NA I ever had!”
Followed a couple of days later by, “Now trying the Juicy IPA. Also very good.”
It’s the flavor here that stands out. In that aforementioned Non-Alcoholic Italian Pilsner, Untitled Art includes Hallertau Mittelfrüh and Strata hops for a crisp but pleasantly floral finish.
Other versions, such as the Non-Alcoholic Juicy IPA, burst forward with tropical Citra and Mosaic hops, while the Non-Alcoholic Chocolate Dark Brew is a richly rewarding, almost iced cocoa or chocolate milk delight.
Lagered Hedonism 5 – Moniker Brewery
Providence, RI
Czech Amber Lager (Polotmavý) – One of our “17 Best Breweries to Watch in 2025,” Moniker Brewery impressed us with each and every beer they sent our way. And a package of freshies in the new year did not disappoint. Our favorite was Lagered Hedonism 5, a Czech amber lager with Munich, Vienna malt, and Saaz hops.
The newest beer in the Providence, RI-based brewery’s Lagered Hedonism series, this polotmavý, Czech for “half dark,” is a smooth operator.
The hint of dark malt belies a rich, perfectly balanced maltiness, especially since this lager only hits 4.5% ABV.
As Moniker says, “Perfect for nights by the fire, beer with friends, or paired with your favorite meal.”
Dunkelweizen – East Brother Brewing Company
Richmond, CA
Photography courtesy of East Brother Brewing Company
Dunkelweizen – A resident of Richmond in the East Bay, Lee-Weitz will take any chance to extol the virtues of her local watering hole—East Brother Brewing Company. Last month, Lee-Weitz met up with former Magnolia and Admiral Maltings Co-Founder Dave McLean and East Brother Head Brewer Paul Liszewski for a few beers (Local Brewing Founder Regan Long even showed up).
While the Bo Pils flowed, it was another that caught Lee-Weitz’s eye and a style she doesn’t see very often—Dunkelweizen.
Dark German-style wheat beer, Dunkelweizen (both the style and the beer name in this case), drank with this velvety smooth flow of chocolate and espresso. Almost like an Italian affogato—part coffee, part gelato—Dunkelweizen went down way too easily.
At only 5.2% ABV, Lee-Weitz probably could have enjoyed four or five of those…probably.
Helles Schlenkerla Lagerbier – Schlenkerla (“Heller-Bräu” Trum)
Bamberg, Bayern, Germany
Photography courtesy of Jairo Amaral | Untappd
Helles – Revered San Francisco pub Monk’s Kettle recently opened an outpost in the East Bay, so we had to check it out.
And when we saw Schlenkerla’s Helles Lagerbieron the menu, we had to order it. Last year, we had a chance to speak with sixth-generation Schlenkerla brewmaster Matthias Trum about the brewery’s iconic rauchbier—Aecht Schlenkerla Märzen.
While the helles doesn’t use the same smoked malt as the iconic Bamberg rauchbier, it does get the same yeast, imparting a subtle kiss of smoke. Sort of a unique interpretation of the classic Bavarian Helles, Helles Lagerbier lagers in century-old caves beneath Schlenerkla and includes hops from nearby Nürnberg.
So good. So good, in fact, that we almost ordered the märzen, too, but this next beer tempted us away…
Luna De Miel – Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse
Sacramento, CA
Vienna Lager – We first visited Urban Roots on a press trip to Sacramento in 2023. Urban Roots Owner Rob Archie is something of a legend in California’s capital. But you might not know it. Like Sacramento’s own friendly neighbor, Archie makes friends with everyone, often over a beer.
In 2008, he founded Pangaea Bier Cafe, where professionals and homebrewers could come together to drink incredible beer.
A former pro player in an Italian basketball league, Archie is just as likely to spit game with you as talk about the next European-style beer head brewer and fellow Urban Roots Co-Founder Peter Hoey is brewing.
We’d know because we spent time talking a little b-ball with Archie at Cellarmaker during SF Beer Week last year, where we also enjoyed an Urban Roots German pilsner collab called 10 Forty that we named one of the best beers we drank in February.
So, typically, when we see an Urban Roots beer on tap, we order it.
A Vienna lager with Weyermann pils, Vienna, and Caramunich malts, Luna De Miel just drinks effortlessly.
There’s nothing super fancy about this beer. Nothing shiny or flashy. This beer is more like slipping into your favorite sweatpants and crashing on the couch instead of dressing to the nines and going out to a fine-dining restaurant. If we’re being honest, this is probably how we’re spending our Friday night anyway.
Genesee 12 Horse Ale – Genesee Brewing Company
Rochester, NY
Photography courtesy of Genesee Brewing Company
Blonde/Golden Ale – Dare we call this beer a…dark horse. Genesee opened up its vault to bring back this revered recipe.
First brewed in 1933 with the end of Prohibition, 12 Horse Ale gained a cult-like following for its no-frills yet hardy approach to a lager.
For 12 Horse Ale, Genesee combines a base of six-row barley with Yakima hops and the brewery’s proprietary top-fermenting ale yeast—brought over from England in 1933.
12 Horse Ale will be the first limited-edition beer in a campaign the Rochester, NY-based brewery calls the “Genesee Vault.”
“The Genesee Vault is a long time coming,” said Tiffany Bowman, brand manager for Genesee. “There are so many delicious legacy recipes from Genesee’s past. It only felt right that 12 Horse Ale leads the charge as the first release from the Genesee Vault.”
Genesee’s social media received hundreds of comments and calls for 12 Horse Ale to make a stampeding return.
In preparation, Bowman says Genesee brewed 1,500 barrels of 12 Horse Ale.
“At Genesee, we’re always listening to what our fans have to say,” said Tiffany Bowman, brand manager for Genesee. “Seeing the continuous outpour of love for this beer, we knew we had to bring it back. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to connect today’s Genesee beer drinkers with our older recipes.”
Look, this is a light beer, but it truthfully surprised us.
12 Horse Ale has a body and malty depth of character, often lacking in other, shall we call them, big-name light lagers.
We brought a twelve-pack of 12 Horse Ale over to a low-key hang with friends, crushed a few, and went home feeling pretty good. That’s this beer.
Three Philosophers – Brewery Ommegang
Cooperstown, NY
Photography courtesy of Brewery Ommegang
Belgian Quad – A blend of Belgian-style quadrupel and Belgian kriek from Brewery Ommegang, Three Philosophers has a malty depth and gentle sweetness enhanced by sparkling carbonation and a touch of cherry.
Malts are an essential part of Three Philosophers. “Quads typically require fifty percent more malt per hectoliter than standard beers. We also use a significant amount of roasted malt to create the mouthfeel and flavor profile of the beer,” Brewery Ommegang Director of Operations Rick Debar told us.
Debar says quad drinkers can expect a rich, roasted, malty character with a medium to full body, along with some fruity notes, including spicy darker fruits.
Brewery Ommegang’s Belgian quad is an excellent example of something we’d love to sip on all winter. And at 9.7% ABV, we should probably take time sipping on this one.
Just the Haze – Samuel Adams
Boston, MA
Photography courtesy of The Boston Beer Company
Non-Alcoholic IPA – Sam Adams’ first-ever non-alcoholic beer is a banger. We’ve personally had this beer many times, naming it to our list of “The Top 10 New Non-Alcoholic Beverages We’re Drinking for Dry January,” “The Best Non-Alcoholic Brands to Watch in 2024,” and “The Best Non-Alcoholic Beers Available in Most Stores Right Now,” among others.
We’ve recommended this beer to folks pretty much every year since it first launched—that’s how much we love it.
It’s the juicy flavor that stood out most to us.
“We really wanted a juicy, fruity, big, bold, full-flavored IPA,” says Smith.
Right off the bat, when you crack the can, you’ll notice a huge hop aroma courtesy of what Smith calls a “classic IPA backbone of Cascade, Citra, and Mosaic hops.”
Smith says they also added Sabro to bring in some tropical characteristics.
Everything gives you that look, taste, and feel of a hazy, juicy IPA.
“You get a lot of fruity character—lemony citrus, tangerine, grapefruit, juicy orange—with a little bit of that tropical [note] from the Sabro,” shares Smith. “Sometimes you even get a little peach or stone fruit.”
What is perhaps most impressive about Just the Haze, and why we think it’s won so many awards, is that Sam Adams nailed the body and mouthfeel.
Oftentimes, with non-alcoholic beers we try, we feel that the body just doesn’t live up to the real thing.
Not with Just the Haze. “It’s got a medium body,” says Smith, “so it’s got a little bit more mouthfeel to it than what you might expect from a typical non-alcoholic beer.”
Everything ends with a smooth, clean, easy finish.
Whether you’ve never tried NA beer before or are just looking for your next six-pack to grab, Just the Haze should be at the top of your list.
Cryptcreeper – Widowmaker Brewing
Braintree, MA
Photography courtesy of Widowmaker
Dark Mild – We’d forgive you for not knowing this, but Widowmaker makes some excellent dark beers. Yes, we know they’re wizards with hops, but they don’t sleep on their Czech darks, stouts, or even English milds. And neither should you.
Cryptcreeper (we love the name, too, right??) has a roasty base of caramel and cold-steeped English malts, making it a decadent sip that isn’t overly cloying or sweet.
“This beer is small in stature but not in flavour,” writes Widowmaker in the beer’s Untappd description. Props to Widowmaker for fully embracing this English style, too, not only with the malts but also the spelling of flavour.
We picked up notes of sticky toffee pudding, hot chocolate, Skor, and peanut M&Ms.
Crucially, this beer only clocks in at 4.2% ABV, so it’s like a mild-mannered peck on both cheeks instead of a full-on French kiss.
So Far So Güd – Humble Sea Brewing Company
Santa Rosa, CA
Photography courtesy of Mike Phresh | Untappd
Munich Dunkel – Speaking of a brewery you wouldn’t imagine makes a great dark beer, cue Humble Sea. Yes, the grandfathers of foggy beers have made one of our favorite Munich dunkels of the year so far. Okay, you got us; we haven’t tried that many.
But that doesn’t take away from So Far So Güd. It has become a bit of a tradition for Lee-Weitz to go with her partner to Pacifica on New Year’s weekend. While her partner surfs, she walks among the bluffs, ending at Humble Sea’s Pacifica taproom. While the foggy weather outside descends, she sits warm and cozy inside, drinking and reading.
Last year, this adventure led her to discover a new-to-her beer style called XPA.
This year, she found So Far So Güd tucked into a small corner of Humble Sea’s menu.
Dam, was it…güd.
Pouring a garnet brownish red, this double decocted Munich dunkel filled her nose with chestnuts roasting on an open fire, pumpkin pies baking in an oven, and pancakes cooking on the griddle in a diner.
Balance isn’t a sexy word, but it pinged in her mind like a neon sign as she sipped. Everything worked harmoniously here, melding together for a truly pleasurable New Year’s tradition.
Lee-Weitz can’t wait to see what she drinks at Humble Sea next New Year’s.
