Off Color Brewing Unveils Beer for Kicks, a World Cup‑Ready International‑Style Amber Lager

Today I have a fun, timely, and flavor‑driven new release coming from Off Color Brewing in Chicago, Illinois, and it arrives just in time for the global excitement surrounding the upcoming FIFA World Cup. This new beer is called Beer for Kicks, and it’s a playful, soccer‑themed international‑style amber lager built for match‑day drinking, sessionable sipping, and Off Color’s signature off‑beat creativity.

The label sets the tone immediately: a full cast of cartoon mice playing soccer across a crowded pitch, complete with a goalkeeper, defenders, and a striker lining up the perfect shot. It’s whimsical, energetic, and unmistakably Off Color, a brewery known for leaning into personality as much as precision.

Beer for Kicks lands at a highly drinkable 5.5% ABV, making it ideal for long viewing sessions, extra time, penalty shootouts, and everything in between. The brewery builds the beer on a malt bill of Victory and Pils malts, giving it a toasty, lightly sweet, amber‑hued backbone with crisp drinkability. For hops, Off Color uses Helios and Zuper Saazer, a combination that brings herbal, spicy, and subtly floral notes that complement the malt without overwhelming it.

In true Off Color fashion, the label also lists a “Secret Ingredient: Extra Time,” a nod to the drama and unpredictability of international soccer (and the lagering process). It’s a clever thematic touch that ties the beer directly to the global tournament atmosphere.

Beer for Kicks will be packaged in 16‑oz cans, perfect for stocking coolers, sharing with friends, or enjoying during a full slate of matches. The brewery’s Chicago roots are proudly displayed on the label, along with the standard government warning, deposit information, and Off Color’s familiar minimalist branding.

With its approachable ABV, international lager profile, and soccer‑themed personality, Beer for Kicks is poised to be one of the standout sports‑season releases of the year, a beer built for fans, for fun, and for the beautiful game.

Stay tuned for release details, distribution updates, and tasting notes as Off Color Brewing prepares to roll this one out.

About Off Color Brewing:

At some point John and Dave were born. They did other stuff for a while and then they figured out they were better at making beer than at the other stuff. So that’s what they do now. They met while both studied at the oldest and most respected brewing school (of the two…and by the brewers that went to the one) in the US, the Siebel Institute, in 2008 and the brewery was envisioned while they both interned at Metropolitan Brewing afterwards. Most of Off Color’s business plan is based off of Doug and Tracy at Metro knowing what they’re doing, so you should go buy some of their beer too. After cutting their teeth at larger breweries, the two somehow convinced enough otherwise-very-smart-people to invest enough money for them to buy some big shiny things to make their own beer in. So that’s what they do now.

Off Color Brewing is a Chicago-based brewery known for its unique and experimental beers, particularly focusing on forgotten or obscure styles, especially from Germany before the Reinheitsgebot. The brewery was founded in 2013 by John Laffler and Dave Bleitner, both former employees of larger breweries. They are known for their distinctive beers that are driven by yeast and their unique approach to brewing.

• Focus on Forgotten Beer Styles:Off Color Brewing specializes in brewing beers that are not traditionally popular or widely produced, often drawing inspiration from pre-Reinheitsgebot German brewing practices.
• Yeast-Driven Brewing:Laffler emphasizes the role of yeast in beer, considering it the “magic” part of the brewing process.
• Experimental and Unique Beers:The brewery is known for its innovative and unconventional beer recipes, including collaborations with other breweries and unique fermentation techniques.
• Taproom and Distribution:Off Color Brewing has a taproom called “The Mousetrap” in Chicago, where they offer a variety of their beers on tap and in cans. Their beers are also distributed in Chicago and surrounding areas, as well as through other distributors.
• Secret Techniques:Off Color Brewing uses a range of techniques, including various yeast strains, barrel aging, and collaboration with other breweries, to create their unique beers.

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