Newport Craft and Radiant Pig launch soccer-themed golden ale
Newport Craft and Radiant Pig turned a summer soccer tie-in into a red, white and blue American Golden Ale with nationwide shipping and regional tap placements.
Newport Craft Brewing + Distilling Co. is betting that a soccer pun, a bright summer style and a patriotic six-pack can help a beer stand out in a crowded season. Its new American Golden Ale, It’s CALLED SOCCER, rolled out May 18 as part of the run-up to the Summer of Soccer 2026.
The release comes in red, white and blue six-packs of 12-ounce cans and is also pouring on tap at select bars and restaurants in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York. Newport Craft says the beer is available for nationwide shipping as well, giving the launch a much wider footprint than a typical taproom-only drop. That distribution mix makes the beer feel built as a retail and on-premise campaign at the same time, with packaging designed to catch the eye in stores and on bar backs.
Newport Craft has been leaning on both heritage and reach. The company says it began in 1999 as Newport Storm Brewery and was one of Rhode Island’s first craft breweries. It has since grown from a small local operation into a brewery and distillery with craft beers, small-batch rums and whiskeys moving through a nationwide network.
Radiant Pig Craft Beers adds another layer to the launch. The brand says it started in 2013 in a small Brooklyn apartment, where a former art school student and homebrewing enthusiast blended art and beer into a new label. Newport Craft acquired Radiant Pig in 2020, and the two brands have already shown they can turn soccer into a repeatable marketing angle.
That earlier play came in October 2022, when Newport Craft and Radiant Pig released a limited-run It’s Called Soccer Kölsch for the 2022 World Cup. This new golden ale follows the same sports-linked script, but with broader placement and a style that fits warmer weather and easy game-day drinking. American Golden Ale gives the brewery a refreshing, balanced base for the kind of seasonal launch that needs to work in a can, on draft and across state lines.
For craft brewers watching the market, the move is a useful case study in how to package a moment. Newport Craft and Radiant Pig are not just releasing another beer; they are pairing a major sports theme with recognizable branding and a format built for sharing, which is exactly the sort of play that can travel well beyond one brewery’s taproom.
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