Beer Briefs: Guinness and Joe Montana Serve Up a New Lager and a Helping Hand
Beer Briefs: Guinness and Joe Montana Serve Up a New Lager and a Helping Hand
(Courtesy Guinness)
As football’s biggest weekend approaches, two legends came together in San Francisco, not for the spotlight, but to give back.
Here’s the deal…
On February 5 , Guinness, home to the world’s bestselling stout, teamed up with Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana for a hands-on volunteer day with the SF-Marin Food Bank, helping repack hundreds of meals for families across the Bay Area.
The effort was part of the San Francisco chapter of “Guinness Gives Back”, the brand’s national community initiative that’s about showing up, pitching in, and supporting local partners in meaningful ways.
(Courtesy Guinness)
“Guinness Gives Back isn’t just about financial support,” said Karissa Downer, Director of Guinness in the United States. “It’s about being present, rolling up our sleeves, and working alongside the communities that have supported us for so long. Joe represents everything this platform stands for — authenticity, generosity, and a real commitment to giving back. Bringing this to the Bay Area, where his legacy was made, made the day even more special.”
The volunteer event also marked the release of Guinness Legends Lager, a limited-edition pale wheat lager brewed in collaboration with Montana.
The beer is inspired by a memory from early in his playing career, when a team trip to Germany introduced him to wheat beer for the first time. Sharing pints with teammates, he realized some of life’s best moments happen when good people come together over a great beer. That sense of connection and camaraderie became the inspiration behind Legends Lager.
“I’ve worked with Guinness for a few years now, and we’ve done some great things together,” Montana said. “But this one feels different. This beer started with a memory — my first wheat beer in Germany on a team trip, and realizing how often the best moments happen when you’re together over a pint. Working with the brewers to bring that moment back to life meant a lot to me. Legends Lager is about sharing that feeling, and pairing it with giving back to the Bay Area community makes it even more meaningful.”
Montana and the Guinness brewing team translated that memory into an easygoing, shareable beer — light, balanced, and easy to drink at 4.3% ABV. It’s designed for the same kind of relaxed moments that inspired it decades ago. Guinness Legends Lager is available in limited quantities in the San Francisco area for a suggested retail price of $19.99 per four-pack. Fans can also find it at Guinness Open Gate Brewery locations in Chicago and Baltimore, while supplies last.
And the release comes with a built-in giveback: for every four-pack produced, Guinness will donate $5 to the SF-Marin Food Bank, up to $35,000. The contribution, made through the Guinness Gives Back initiative, will support ongoing food security efforts across Northern California.
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