Sierra Nevada’s 2026 strategy revolves around a “core four” philosophy involving its top brands, while supplementing its flagships with strategic additions, leaders of the Chico, California-headquartered craft brewery shared last week during a virtual distributor presentation.
The pillars of that strategy include:
- Hazy Little Thing, which is chasing an eighth consecutive year of growth;
- Pale Ale, a 45-year-old legacy brand the company is committed to returning to growth;
- A fast-growing non-alcoholic (NA) portfolio of Trail Pass NA beer and Hop Splash sparkling hop water;
- And Pils, which started earlier this year as a draft-only release and is now rolling out package to off-premise retailers in 22 states.
Sierra Nevada leaders shared plans for those brands and the company’s trends through the halfway point of 2025. They also revealed a handful of new offerings aimed at engaging new drinkers.
Those new offerings lean into engaging modern drinkers, from a new West Coast IPA to a NA Juicy IPA to a fresh spring seasonal. Here’s a look at what’s on the horizon from Sierra Nevada …
Sierra Haunts Untapped Package Format with West Ghost IPA
Sierra Nevada senior director of innovation and insights Kyle Ingram revealed plans for West Ghost Modern West Coast IPA, which places the company in the 16 oz. can 4-pack space for the first time.
West Ghost (7.2% ABV) is a top-seller in Sierra Nevada’s taprooms and gift shops, and will be introduced into the local liquor store and natural grocery store fray. The beer features a lower malt profile compared to other West Coast IPAs but an amped up hop character, with notes of citrus, tropical fruit and pine flavors and a bitter finish, Ingram said.
West Ghost will begin shipping in February to select markets where the 16 oz. can 4-pack over indexes, Ingram said. Sixteen oz. 4-packs account for 8.5% share of total craft dollars, he noted.
New Hazy Rotator Highlight Citra Hops, VP Refresh Incoming
Sierra Nevada will highlight citra hops in its next Hazy Little Thing rotator. Citra Little Thing (7.5% ABV) will launch in November in 12 oz. can 6-packs and hang around nationwide through April, VP of brand Lesley Albright shared.
The Hazy IPA pack – which Albright described as the fastest growing variety pack in the country – is also receiving a refresh with two previously released Little Thing rotators – Peachy Little Thing and Rad Little Thing – joining original Hazy Little Thing and Cosmic Little Thing. The new pack begins shipping nationwide in February.
Sierra Salutes Farmers with Spring Seasonal
Sierra Nevada has bucked craft’s seasonal trends, with the brand’s portfolio growing 1.8% over the last 52-week period, Albright shared. In 2026, the company is adding a spring seasonal, Springfest IPA, to its existing seasonal portfolio of Summerfest Lager (March-July), Oktoberfest Festbier (July-October) and Celebration Fresh Hop IPA (October-December). The goal is to own every season, Albright said.
Springfest (6% ABV) aims to celebrate farmers and features winter barley. The IPA will begin shipping nationwide December 15 and remain in market through March.
Sierra to Fire New Torpedos
Sierra Nevada is aiming to strengthen its other IPA franchise, Torpedo Extra IPA, with three new offerings. Albright noted that Torpedo is the twelfth best-selling IPA brand.
The “new energy” coming into the brand includes two Torpedo’s IPA mix pack (12 oz. bottle and can 12-packs) exclusives: Dual Torpedo double IPA (8.2% ABV) and Rye Torpedo (6.2% ABV). The pack begins shipping in February.
The company is also adding Pacific Torpedo West Coast IPA (6.5% ABV) in 12 oz. can 6-packs in select markets in March, she added.
Trail Pass Expanded with Juicy IPA, Brewveza 6-Packs
Sierra Nevada is expanding its Trail Pass NA beer family with the addition of Juicy IPA, available exclusively in a mix pack. The refreshed Trail Pass 12-pack, which also features Hazy IPA, Golden and Breweza, will begin shipping nationwide in March.
Juicy IPA provides Trail Pass with “fresh news at shelf,” Albright said
Brewveza, a blonde with a hint of lime introduced in late 2024, available exclusively in the mix pack, has been a “standout” with fan demand for individual packs, she added.
“When a beer breaks through, it deserves the spotlight,” she added.
As such, Sierra Nevada will release a standalone Brewveza 6-pack in select markets and through direct-to-consumer channels in March, Albright shared.
A refreshed variety pack for Sierra Nevada’s Hop Splash sparkling water with updated packaging has already hit the market. The goal is to grow from being the No. 3 hop water to the top seller, Albright said.
Those releases will come on the heels of Sierra Nevada’s NA portfolio rising to the No. 2 NA craft brand family within the last week, achieving the company’s goal coming into the year, VP of sales Jon Wilks said. He added that Sierra Nevada’s NA offerings collectively hold a 6.6% share of NA craft.
The NA portfolio has also outpaced NA craft trends in the last 52 weeks (Sierra Nevada NA +79% versus total NA craft +28%) and year-to-date [YTD] (Sierra Nevada NA +40% versus total NA craft +18%), Wilks said, citing NIQ XAOC + liquor + convenience data YTD through July 19.
Distribution of Trail Pass increased 88% YTD through mid-July, Albright noted. The goal is to strengthen Sierra Nevada’s NA portfolio and become the top-selling NA brand. That remains a big hill to climb with No. 1 Athletic holding around half of craft NA share.
Pils as a Premium, Culinary Play
After launching this spring on draft, 4.7% pilsner brand Pils has cemented a place among Sierra Nevada’s core lineup.
Pils is now in the third phase of its rollout, with a national draft launch August 18 and a package launch on August 25. Now, the company is going nationwide with Pils 8.4 oz. can 8-packs starting January 12, Wilks shared.
Major retailers are on board with Pils’ off-premise roll out, including Safeway, Albertsons, Raley’s, Whole Food, Wegmans, Total Wine, Giant Eagle, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s and Meijer, among others.
Sierra Nevada will be leaning into culinary experiences to promote Pils, including a partnership with the James Beard Foundation to get Pils paired with dishes from top chefs at the organization’s events in major cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and New York City. Fine dining will be a key to Pils’ growth going forward.