Pelican Brewing Wades Into Light Beer With Pelican Lite IPA
The terms light beer and IPA rarely, if ever, find their way into the same sentence. At least not without raising some eyebrows. But Pelican Brewing is giving it a go with the release of Pelican Lite IPA, the brewery’s first low-calorie, low-carb beer. Here are the happy totals: 3 grams of carbs and 122 calories per 12-ounce serving. Pelican points out that’s a fraction of the carbs and roughly half the calories of a traditional IPA.
The ABV is where it gets interesting. At 5.4%, Pelican Lite IPA sits a bit above other beers in the light beer category. (Is there now a “light craft beer” category? Seems so.) The brewery says that’s what gives the beer its body and helps it stand on its own as an IPA and not some stereotypical lite beer. As for flavor, Pelican says you can expect crisp citrusy, piney, vibrant hop character and a clean, dry finish.
Pelican is also celebrating 30 years in business this year; it’s good to know that the brewery is still trying new things. IPA is a style Northwest beer drinkers know well, and they’re not shy about letting you know when a beer misses the mark, so it’s a good thing Pelican experimented with several variations before landing on the final recipe.
“We set out to craft a light beer that would hit all the marks of a traditional IPA, from the first sip to the last,” said Darron Welch, Pelican’s Founding Brewmaster. “Cutting carbs and calories didn’t mean we had to scale back on the flavor experience, and as a result, beer lovers now have a wider choice in how to cap off their latest Pacific Northwest adventure.”
Pelican Lite IPA is brewed and packaged at Pelican’s Tillamook production brewery. It’s available in six-packs of 12-ounce cans, 50-liter kegs and 1/6 barrels. You can find it at all Pelican Brewing locations and select retailers in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Northern California. It’s already hitting shelves. Find it at a retailer near you with Pelican’s beer finder.
If this one catches on, there’s more to come. Pelican says light versions of other brewery favorites will join the lineup in 2027. The light craft beer category is growing. Watch this space.
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