If you're going to watch the total solar eclipse on April 8, you've probably done some rabbit-hole research about solar eclipse glasses. In fact, maybe that research extended to the path of totality itself as you tried finding your ideal vantage point under the sky. If you're anything like me, perhaps you've also been psyching yourself out by considering how this event will be a pretty existential one. A total eclipse of the sun will force us to remember that the sun is indeed a star hanging in our sky, and that the moon and Earth are two accidental orbs stuck in a perpetual waltz around it. What a warm, and unsettling, concept to consider.
Either way, when the big day finally arrives, I personally would not be opposed to settling in with a drink — a bubbly little bevvy to toast the sun, the moon and my extensive solar eclipse research. Thus, I have some good news.
Related: What will it be like to experience the total solar eclipse 2024?
Brilliantly, it would appear that our solar eclipse dreams may not need to pause while we search for some amber-hued elixirs. A bunch of breweries along the path of totality are offering limited-edition, solar-eclipse-inspired beers! A lot of this is thanks to the Simons Foundation, which reached out to a variety of beer companies along the path of totality and asked if they'd be interested in creating some totality brews.
So, I decided to write to some of these breweries. I really wanted to know what it means for a brew to have a solar eclipse "theme." Is it just the name? Are there moon-dust-derived hops? (No.) Is there anything poetic to think about while drinking these brews? As I'm sure you've gathered by now, that last bit was most important to me.
Quite a few of these breweries did respond back, and some even sent me samples to try — you can watch me do that here — but all in all, here's what I found out. And yes, you can also just use this as a database to learn where to get a cool eclipse beer if you're headed to the path of totality on April 8. I hope you are.
I'd also like to point out that this isn't an exhaustive list. If you're going to the path, chances are there's a brewery near you with a solar eclipse beer waiting. Let us begin.
Meanwhile Brewing Company
Time of totality: 1:36 p.m. CDT
Austin, TX
Located in Austin, Texas, Meanwhile Brewing Company is offering an IPA dubbed Icarus's Revenge, named for the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology. Icarus the inventor, legend has it, perished because he flew too close to the sun. I suppose this beer is kind of like his revenge on our planet's host star? Those who drink it on April 8 will be watching the sun without harm, something Icarus was sadly unable to do.
"Just like witnessing this celestial event firsthand, we wanted Icarus's Revenge to evoke a similar sense of wonder and fascination," Meanwhile's founder and brewmaster, Will Jaquiss, told Space.com "Thus, we crafted a beer that demands to be experienced in person and leaves a lasting impression."
The brew, he explained, consists of New World American hops wrapped in a pitch-black and velvety malt blanket. It exhibits tasting notes of citrus and resin with a roasty finish. You can find it on tap on site only, while supplies last.
Zilker Brewing Company
Time of totality: 1:36 p.m. CDT
Austin, TX
That brings us to Zilker Brewing Company, which is actually a collaborator with Meanwhile as well as another brewery called Austin Beerworks. The three worked together to create separate, unique beers for the city to enjoy during the eclipse. Serendipitously, the beers ended up complementing one another.
"We picked beers based on our brewers' wishlists," Rachael Hackathorn, general manager of Zilker Brewing Company, told Space.com "It just so worked out that these three beers covered the full color spectrum of an eclipse."
The brews will be available in the respective taprooms the day of the eclipse, she confirmed. Zilker's in particular is a lager — more specifically, it's called the Sol Searching Amber Mexican Lager.
Sol. Searching.
Mountain Fork Brewery
Time of totality: 1:46 p.m. CDT
Broken Bow, OK
If you find yourself in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, you're in luck, because you'll be able to taste Mountain Fork Brewery's solar-eclipse-themed aged stouts. One, named Moon Shadow, has a slight coconut flavor, and the other, Totally Eclipsed, exudes the essence of chocolate and cherry. The story behind these brews is pretty chill, if you ask me, which is maybe the kind of energy we need to be bringing to April 8.
"We had aged some stout in barrels for over a year and then added some flavors to it," Ian Larsen, Mountain Fork's general manager, told Space.com. "Originally we had planned on releasing it this past holiday season, but I thought we could come up with eclipse-themed names and then release them as beers for the eclipse. We tasted them and then thought up the names. Just kinda came together."
These will be available leading up to the eclipse in 750ml bottles, and Larsen says some distributors in the area will be putting them on shelves around this time as well.
Lost Forty Brewing
Little Rock, AR
Time of totality: 1:52 p.m. CDT
I'm thrilled to announce that we've arrived at the first brew I was able to taste myself! Lost Forty Brewing has a lovely eclipse beer called AR'clipse of the Heart, in reference to Bonnie Tyler's ballad about "someone who wants to love so badly she's lying there in complete darkness," as Tyler once said. It's also maybe about vampires. Regardless, the full name of the song is actually Total Eclipse of the Heart — so, yeah.
"In addition to having the honor of creating the official eclipse beer of Arkansas, all of us at Lost Forty are science enthusiasts as much as we are beer nerds," Cassie Millington, Lost Forty's brand manager, told Space.com.
The brew, she explained, is a crisp, light, easy-drinking and approachable Helles Bock lager that can be enjoyed by both craft beer experts and non-experts alike. As a non-expert myself, I thought this beer was delightful. It was extremely refreshing and balanced with a pleasingly neutral aroma. I did find the aftertaste to be a little spicier than an average lager, but there was a lingering bitterness to balance out that sort of subtle, clove-like note. In a word, I'd say this beer was solid.
"Just as Little Rock, Arkansas, falls midway in the path of totality, the Helles Bock style sits squarely in the middle of the lager style range," Millington said. "From medium amber color, to a moderate ABV [alcohol by volume], to a balanced body, the Helles Bock style brings together Lost Forty’s strong suit of lager creation and Arkansas's place in the path of totality."
The first batch of this beer actually sold out in 45 minutes, but it seems there are more opportunities to purchase it, including closer to the eclipse and on the day of. If you're fortunate, you may also stumble upon a few throughout central Arkansas, as the team sent about 600 cases to be distributed in liquor stores in the area.
Scratch Brewing Company
Ava, IL
Time of Totality: 2:01 p.m. CDT
Scratch Brewing Company's eclipse beers really have my heart because of how scientific the thought process behind these brews is.
The first is an amber lager with a little surprise. "One might expect this beer to be a little heavier, but we wanted to make something light instead, low in alcohol and celebrating the interplay of light and darkness during the event," Marika Josephson, owner of Scratch Brewing, told Space.com.
And the second is a Belgian-style tripel, a much stronger blonde beer which, of course, reiterates that light-dark duality. But here's the cool thing: "We invited people out on two foraging walks to collect ingredients we put into the beer. They can come back and try that beer and have it during the eclipse, tying them to a specific time and place in an even more special way as they understand the land the ingredients came from even more closely and how it changes during the eclipse event," Josephson said.
"The eclipse actually came through southern Illinois twice in the last seven years," she added, referring to the 2017 total solar eclipse that swept across the United States. "We were the only location that experienced it twice, and it makes our part of the world astronomically special for these two events."
This will be available at the taproom while supplies last.
Dry Ground Brewing Company
Paducah, KY
Time of totality: 2:01 p.m. CDT
Dry Ground Brewing Company's solar eclipse beer journey also coincides with another brewery offering a themed beer, Henderson Brewing.
The town of Paducah was on the path of totality for the last two solar eclipses, noted Cory Greene, manager of Dry Ground Brewing.
"When the eclipse of 2017 passed by, we brewed a coffee milk stout called Umbra for the event," he told Space.com. "I suggested we brew our Umbra coffee milk stout together at Dry Ground, and brew a blonde stout version of that beer at Henderson. So what we ended up with were two similarly styled beers, light and dark in colors to tie in with the eclipse. The beers will be named after the time of totality in our respective locations."
It'll be available on site in the taproom only.
Sun King Brewery
Indianapolis, IN
Time of totality: 3:07 p.m. EDT
Sun King Brewery's Golden Ale was another brew I kindly got to try — and, honestly, I was shocked by its flavor. This beer is a coffee-infused one, which I was skeptical of before opening the can. But when I poured it into a glass, I really, truly experienced the scent of coffee beans.
In fact, even after tasting it, the coffee infusion remained without overpowering the ale itself. This is a great day time beer, in my opinion, and I think it'd pair very well with some lightly fried sweets — like, a funnel cake or box of beignets.
"We chose a Golden Ale to represent the brilliance of the sun. We partnered with a local coffee roaster, Sun Bean, to represent the darkness of the eclipse," Dave Colt, Sun King's brew master and co-founder, told Space.com. "Sun Bean is a local, solar-powered coffee roaster and is also female owned."
Like the previous beers on this list, this one's only available in person while supplies last.
"Sun King and eclipse fans can purchase cans to-go at Sun King's central Indiana taprooms [Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers and Kokomo] and at select locations throughout the metro area," Colt said, adding that some events in the area will be offering cans as well.
Upland Breweries
Bloomington, IN
Time of Totality: 3:04 p.m. EDT
Of every brewery on this list, Upland is the only one I got to check out in person. Okay, vicariously.
As it turns out, Space.com's Josh Dinner lives nearby Upland Breweries — yes, that also means he gloriously lives in the 2024 solar eclipse path of totality — and agreed to scope out the area as well as taste this brew for me. Based on what he texted me later, it seems like he really, truly, loved it. It's a Hazy IPA with an edgy name: Stare into the Sun.
"Upland's Stare into the Sun wafts from the glass like a walk through an orange grove on a warm day," he said, "the beer's hazy body won't block out the sun during the eclipse, but it will certainly brighten your day with its undertones of pineapple and subtle peach. This is the kind of IPA that's perfect for an afternoon sitting out on a picnic blanket, staring into the sun."
And it seems like he was very on point with this analysis. In fact, the beer was inspired by a relatively new hop variety from Australia that just so happens to be named "Eclipse," Matt Wisley, head brewer at Upland, told Space.com. "We tasted a beer brewed with this variety at a conference last year and were blown away by the flavor intensity; very strong mandarin orange, pineapple and peach flavors," he said.
"We'd been thinking about it since a group of us traveled to Southern Illinois in 2017 for the last total solar eclipse in our area," Wisely explained. "Our logo is a rendering of the Upland hills of southern Indiana. We simply added a darkening sun in the sky over the hills. The beer name, 'Stare into the Sun,' just popped into our heads as something a little funny and counterintuitive, though staring into the sun is exactly what we'll all be doing."
The batch, Wisely says, is a small one that will be available only at Upland's restaurant locations beginning on April 5th. It's draft-only, so there will be no cans available for distribution. "Much like the eclipse itself, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said.
Great Lakes Brewing Company
Cleveland, OH
Time of totality: 3:15 p.m. EDT
"As the original Ohio and Cleveland craft brewery, we only felt it right to celebrate our hometown’s moment in the cosmic spotlight with a special brew," Marissa DeSantis, brand marketing manager of Great Lakes Brewing Company, told Space.com.
Great Lakes Brewing Company has two brews, one of which I got to test out to give you the details. The first is a draft-only beer that you can find at the brewpub, and the one I received is called Vanilla Blackout Stout. The best description I can give of this latter brew is that it tastes the way you'd expect vanilla extract to taste. When I smell the inside of a vanilla extract bottle while making cookies or something, I often can't resist the urge to just taste a drop. And, of course, that drop is disgusting. This beer tastes like my dream of the drop before it's shattered. Brewed with black malt and roasted barley, this beer is very dark, opaque and offers some coffee and chocolate notes as well.
"We thought it fit the theme of the total solar eclipse perfectly. It's a bigger beer at 10.5% ABV, which seems to align with the gravity of such a rare event," DeSantis said. "It's a complex brew you want to take your time and enjoy, and that feels appropriate for such a rare, special event."
The stout will be available while supplies last, and will also be served on draft at Great Lakes' Total Eclipse Party on April 8.
Market Garden Brewery
Cleveland, OH
Time of Totality: 3:15 p.m. EDT
Market Garden Brewery, also in Cleveland, is offering a Hazy IPA made with Cosmic Punch and Galaxy hops as well as what's known as Star Party yeast. Sam McNulty, co-founder of Market Garden, told Space.com that it's meant to be an "homage" to the exciting celestial event. I quite love the blue eclipse art on the front of the can (my favorite eclipse illustrations are the ones that use cool tones), which McNulty says was developed by his wife, Ciara Ahern.
"Back in 2017, when the last total eclipse took place in the United States, I marked my calendar for this eclipse," McNulty said, "We released 'the totality' last autumn to huge success — it sold out in days!"
Don't worry, though. There are more batches that'll be available in the days leading up to the eclipse at all Market Garden locations in Ohio, and you'll also be able to find some cans at local Heinen's grocery stores.
Lavery Brewing Company
Erie, PA
Time of totality: 3:16 p.m. EDT
Lavery Brewing Company's beer, another I received a sample of, felt very elegant to me. It's a black pilsner known as Tmavé 13°, and I found it has a very rich, deep flavor while remaining crisp and forward on the tongue. There was a lot of complexity, but it was still neat and tidy, if you know what I mean.
"A play on the light and dark aspects of an eclipse," Jason Lavery, president and founder of Lavery Brewing, told Space.com of the brew. "It's a huge event that's once-in-a-lifetime for us. We are brewers, so what we do best is make beers to celebrate big (and small) events!"
This one is also a while-supplies-last situation.
Resurgence Brewing
Buffalo, NY
Time of totality: 3:18 p.m. EDT
After tasting all the beers I received samples of, Resurgence's brew came out on top. This one was my favorite. It is tremendously fresh and citrusy without being sweet at all, which is actually my ideal beer. It didn't feel heavy or sticky but somehow maintained an almost candy-like fruitiness. The aftertaste, oddly enough, reminded me of those fruity sticks of gum shaped like Band-Aids I used to get as a child in little tri-striped tins. But, in a good way?
"We decided to go with a wheat beer, because its main ingredient would not be possible without the sun. We also wanted to go with a fruitier style, something light and easy for anyone to enjoy," Mya Priester, Resurgence's social media and marketing manager and Andrew Zach, the brewery's COO, told Space.com.
This beer, in addition to being sold in the brewery, will be available at Resurgence's "3:18 Eclipse Bash" on April 8.
Rohrbach Brewing Company
Rochester, NY
Time of Totality: 3:20 p.m. EDT
In Rochester, New York, you'll be able to grab Rohrbach's Totality Black Lager, a Czech version of a dark lager.
"Rohrbach's loves its dark beer; seemed like reason enough to make a great eclipse beer," Mitch LaGoy, Rohrbach's business development manager, told Space.com. "Rochester is 'totally' embracing this very special experience."
This beer is also a collaborative one, as Rohrbach's worked with two other breweries in the area named Strangebird Brewing and Three Heads Brewing to make a trio that describes what happens during the celestial celebration. Strangebird's is called "The Lighter Side," and Three Heads' is called "The Darker Side."
"We worked with a very talented artist, Brittany Statt," LaGoy said of the can designs. "Our first goal is always to make a great beer, and this is one."
The lager, he says, exhibits a "complex array of malts for more sweetness, minimal roast and a smooth finish." It will also only be available locally.
Little Lake Brewing
Lakeville, NY
Time of Totality: 3:20 p.m. EDT
Don Carll, owner of Little Lake Brewing, explained the ins and outs of this beer so beautifully I'm going to just tell you exactly what he said: "The black and tan beer, inspired by the eclipse, presents an interplay of colors. Its dark core mirrors the shadowy totality of a solar eclipse, offering rich, roasted flavors. Surrounding this darkness is a tan layer, akin to the penumbral glow, with notes of caramel and toffee. This celestial-inspired beer harmonizes robust dark malts with lighter counterparts, creating a symphony of flavors in each sip."
I sincerely wish I could try this one. Very intrigued by the toffee notes.
Little Lake's Totality Black & Tan beer will be available on April 3 until it's gone, Carll said. It will be for sale at the taproom on draft and in 32 oz crowlers.
Raquette River Brewing
Adirondacks, NY
Time of Totality: 3:25 p.m. EDT
"As soon as we learned of the eclipse, our first thought was to brew a beer for it; it just seemed like the natural thing to do," Mark Jessie, co-owner of Raquette River Brewing, told Space.com.
Raquette River Brewing's Black IPA will be available on tap and in cans at the brewery starting on April 6. Adorably, this beer is also made with come celestial ingredients — Apollo and Galaxy hops!
