It’s no secret that light lagers are gaining traction within craft beer trends. The style has even climbed up Untappd’s Year in Beer charts, ranking third in 2023, just behind IPAs and stout. We’ve written about different ways you can make a quality lager—Mexican lager, helles, and Marzen, to name a few. Rice lager is another trending lager variation you can brew to add a low-ABV, drinkable option to your draft list. We spoke with experts in rice lagers from Atlanta, GA-based Halfway Crooks Beer and Warwick, NY-based The Drowned Lands Brewery to learn precisely what a rice lager is, how to create a recipe for it, what to know when brewing it, and how to nail the fermentation process.

In late July 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a surprising recall involving Celsius Astro Vibe Energy Drink, Sparkling Blue Razz Edition. Due to a packaging error involving a shared supplier, some cans labeled as this non-alcoholic energy drink were actually filled with High Noon vodka seltzer, exposing unsuspecting consumers to unintentional alcohol ingestion. While no injuries have been reported, the incident raises important concerns about labeling integrity and product safety. In this article, we’ll break down what exactly happened in the High Noon–Celsius recall, how mislabeled alcohol made its way into energy drink cans, and what it means for the beverage industry. More importantly, we’ll explore why craft breweries need to pay attention. From quality assurance lapses to packaging mix-ups, this incident underscores how vital traceability, labeling accuracy, and supplier oversight are—no matter the size of your operation. Whether you’re producing small-batch lagers or scaling up for regional distribution, the lessons here apply to you.

The U.S. Open Beer Championship is one of America’s most comprehensive and fiercely competitive beer competitions—boasting over 170 judged styles and more than 8,000 entries in 2025 alone. In this article, we’ll explore everything from what the competition is, where to find results, and shine a spotlight on Ollie-powered breweries that earned honors at the 2025 US Beer Open.