New Beer Alert: Horrifying Halloween Beers And Beloved Brewed Mistakes

American Craft Beer|October 16th, 2025|

A promotional image featuring AleSmith Brewing Company's Evil Dead Red, a hoppy American red ale. The image showcases four cans of Evil Dead Red with bold red and black labeling, arranged in a row. A glass of the dark amber beer with a frothy head sits beside an open can. The background includes eerie, shadowy hands and a dark, textured setting, adding a spooky theme to the presentation.

Courtesy AleSmith Brewing)

The seasons are changing, and American craft brewers are looking to fall with a sometimes frightening roster of beers you’re gonna want to have around as the nights grow longer.

Back From The Dead (San Diego, CA) – AleSmith Brewing has unapologetically returned a horrifying limited release that many have called the ultimate Halloween beer.

Blood red and hopped just enough to balance out its crimson malt backbone, AleSmith Evil Dead Red is a fiendishly smooth 66.6% ABV blood Red Ale that balances a rich, malty sweetness with a generous dose of American hops. The end result is a fiendishly smooth brew that will make your taste buds scream as Halloween approaches.

Brown Nose Original (Petaluma, CA) – Lagunitas has returned a legendary limited release that was the result of a failed attempt to brew a Barleywine back in 1997 and went on to become a beloved classic. Pumped up to dangerously high ABV levels by huge additions of brown cane sugar, Lagunitas Brown Shugga’ Original Recipe is a 9.9% ABV “something” that’s perfect as temperatures cool down.

(Courtesy Lagunitas Brewing)

The original recipe was the result of a “happy brewing accident” in 1997 when the brewery’s attempt at an Olde GnarlyWine Ale went wrong..

In 2011, production issues prevented Lagunitas from brewing the original recipe. In its place, the brewery created Lagunitas Sucks, a strong ale with a slightly lower ABV that served as a substitute. But happily the brewery has returned to the original recipe, and that’s what’s out there now.

Kick Ass & Buzz-Free (Bend, OR) – 10 Barrel Brewing has long been on a mission to brew serious beer made for the “Great Outdoors” and have a kick ass time doing it.And now the brewery which is famous for its IPAs, is entering the non-alcoholic sector in a big way with a buzz-free version of one of their most popular India Pale Ales.

Crafted with all of the intensity but none of the brain fog that can sometimes come with alcohol, 10 Barrel Apocalypse NA sports the same recipe as its headier sibling and only calories. It’s a buzz-free West Coast IPA that won’t leave you wondering where all the flavor went.

“We wanted to create a non-alcoholic beer that doesn’t sacrifice the bold flavors our fans expect from 10 Barrel Brewing,” said Brian Hughes, West Coast Brand Director, at Tilray Beverages. “NA Apocalypse IPA is perfect for those who want the full IPA experience without the alcohol.”

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