A match made in tailgate heaven: Labatt unveils Zubaz-themed packaging

Both Blue and Blue Light will feature the Zubaz print packaging.

There’s not a lot of depth and detail needed for this. (Really, it’s just an excuse for me to share this beautiful packaging and get myself amped up for football season. I still think the Bills aren’t getting enough respect.)

Labatt USA announced Monday it is bringing back its ever-popular Zubaz-themed packaging for Blue and Blue Light just in time for tailgate season. The blue, white, and red zebra print will be available on 12-ounce cans (in 30 racks) and 24-ounce tall boy cans.

The brewery, headquartered in Buffalo and produced in Rochester at the Genesee Brewery, said the cans will start showing up on shelves later this week. Genesee and Labatt USA share a parent company, FIFCO USA. Only a portion of Labatt is produced in Rochester. The rest, as it always has been, is still brewed in Canada and imported into America.

Along with the new look Blue and Blue Light, Labatt USA announced it is bringing back its Throwback Tea (available in 12 packs of 12-ounce cans). It’s uncarbonated red raspberry hard iced tea.

Labatt introduced the Zubaz packaging in 2016 and is returning for the first time since then. Unbeknownst to me, this all started as an April Fool’s joke on Labatt social media channels. (Remember Genesee’s recent April Fool’s post about a Watermelon Cucumber Kolsch? Yeah, that still needs to happen.) But ultimately, it’s just a fun partnership that makes so, so much sense.

My previous story about the $50 million Genesee packaging line modernization project is below. In it, we also touch on how Labatt USA shifted some of its Blue and Blue Light production to the U.S. for the first time.

Steal This Beer podcast update

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my experiences with John Holl and Augie Carton, the co-hosts of the Steal This Beer podcast. I recorded an interview with the New Jersey duo and it’s now live.

A final note: It’s pretty wild to think I’ve been working on this independent publication for over two years now. In that time, I’ve published 200 newsletters, highlighted some of my favorite people in the industry, curated two beers festivals (that featured 150 participants and 4,600 attendees), and continued to break all the biggest news in the region (closures, consolidations, openings, etc.).

The Cleveland Prost remains the preeminent source for regional beer news. If you own a brewery, bar, or beer-adjacent business, this is the best place to reach the nerds you wanna be in front of. So I remain open to sponsorships, advertisements, and sponsored content. Feel free to reach out to me at clevelandprost@gmail.com for more. And more than anything, thanks for all the support. None of this would be possible without the devoted (and thirsty) audience.