More beery, less bougie
I’m starting to sound like a broken record: running a craft brewery in 2026 is not for the faint of heart. There are a lot of challenges. Declining sales, skyrocketing production costs, and an audience that keeps getting distracted by a growing assortment of products that are not beer. You’ve heard me say it all before.
You can complain about it, or you can adapt. I applaud the breweries that choose to shake things up a bit. Consider the latest offering from Dru Bru, the all-ages, all-species, all-season, all-wheel-drive brewery with taprooms in Cle Elum and Snoqualmie Pass. It just introduced the Twist Series, a limited-release lineup of cocktail-inspired, spirit barrel-aged beers. Not that much of a diversion from business as usual, but it’s a definite nod to the shifting landscape.
The first pour: Espresso Martini Twist
First out of the gate is Espresso Martini Twist, a whiskey barrel-aged stout infused with Café Vita coffee and sweet vanilla. In other words, they took a bougie cocktail-bar favorite and said, “What if this was a beer?” Dru Bru describes it as dark and roasty up front, with a plush, silky finish. It’s meant to be a decadent treat all on its own. Not shaken, not stirred. No fancy glassware. No waiting five minutes while the bartender—excuse me, mixologist—carefully constructs a masterpiece. Just a cocktail-inspired beer.
The details:
- Style: Spirit barrel-aged stout
- ABV: 11.1%
- Availability: NOW. Starting November 7 at Dru Bru taprooms only
That ABV deserves a little respect, by the way. This is a sipper, not a session beer.
Why it makes sense
Dru Bru says it wants to bring its mountain spirit and outdoor ethos to an elevated pour wherever people gather: a cozy lodge, a backyard fire pit, or one of its two taprooms. It’s a good fit for a brewery with its roots deep in the Cascade Mountains. Just imagine a snowy evening, a crackling fire, and a glass of something that tastes like dessert and a cocktail had a baby, and that baby was a beer.
“We had a lot of fun with this one,” said Dru Ernst, co-founder of Dru Bru. “It’s a unique product that we hope will expand the customer base of those who drink barrel-aged beers.”
That last little bit of verbiage speaks to the strategy. Barrel-aged stouts can intimidate newcomers and push craft beer novices away from unfamiliar territory. Those folks know what an espresso martini is, though. If Dru Bru’s Espresso Martini Twist gets cocktail drinkers to try something from a brewery, that’s a win.
More flavors will follow in the coming months as the brewery explores the Twist Series, introducing beers made with real ingredients and landing in what Dru Bru calls the space between a canned cocktail and a craft brew. We’re curious which cocktails will get the barrel treatment next. Old Fashioned? Rusty Nail? White Russian? Please, for the love of all that is holy, not a Long Island iced tea.
For now, head to a Dru Bru taproom and grab an Espresso Martini Twist, a version of the espresso martini that is more beery and less bougie.
To learn about other recent beer releases, visit our New Beer Releases page. To let us know about your brewery’s new releases, here’s how to reach out to us.
