The ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Beers You’ve Been Waiting For

‘Mrs. Maisel’ is back with season 4, and two craft breweries have taken notice with hilarious theme beers. Tits up, beer and TV fans!

I was a little worried about the new season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — the COVID production delays could have really messed things up. But by the time Abe Weissman was continuously telling his grandson’s friends to stop holding his hands at Coney Island, it was clear the show about a ’50s housewife who embarks on a stand-up comedy career had stepped back fully in its groove.

Even more worth celebrating than one of my favorite TV character ensembles in years jumping back on onscreen? The craft brewing world is starting to recognize the show. And that’s an even bigger deal than it sounds.

These days, it seems a TV show’s truly “made it” when the craft beer world takes notice. Pop culture references run rampant on beer labels, but brewers still tend to be pretty choosy about their picks. In most cases, the reference has to be something a least a sizable amount of customers will get, otherwise it’s a waste of can artwork and may not sell as fast. It’s beneficial for the show of course — free marketing that nobody asked for and nobody’s mad about. It’s beer, after all, and usually good beer at that. Brewers tend to put in a little extra muscle for specially named releases.

You’ve probably already noticed that the amount of Game of Thrones-themed beer nods is too many to count alone. Heck, even Tiger King was a cultural phenomenon that became sealed in craft beer homages.

Still, the magnitude of Tiger King and GOT (yes, even though it ended on a weak note) make them easy references. It’s more exciting to spot brew names like The Handmaid’s Ale — a reference to a show that’s become quite big, but not the behemoth that GOT was. Beer drinkers instead get to feel like they’ve uncovered something cool rather than like they’re drowning in it.

The real test, of course, will be years in the future, long after Mrs. Maisel wraps up its final season 5 episodes. Will craft brewers continue to honor its legacy? With beer names like Philip J. Rye, The Nightman Cometh BBA Stout, and Michael Scotch Ale across Untappd, it’s clear brewers love honoring great shows of all genres, both past and present. For the record, The Nightman Cometh may be a nod to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but the referenced episode is almost 15 years old. That’s the definition of success right there.

Mrs. Maisel Theme Beers

It may be kind of surprising that there aren’t more Mrs. Maisel beers out there by now, seeing as the show has been a massive hit for Amazon Prime both in accolades and viewership. But give it time. The show’s popularity only grew over the past few seasons, and as long as it keeps up the quality, more beer nods are likely to come.

Tits Up! India Pale Lager — DuClaw Brewing Co.

DuClaw is a gem in the Baltimore brewing scene, and they’ve long excelled in putting fun twists on classic beer styles. But as an India Pale Lager, Tits Up! is somewhat new territory for them. The emerging style has been taking the craft brewing world as a whole by storm by providing a happy medium between intense IPAs and light, crisp Lagers.

Officially a “New England Style India Pale Lager,” DuClaw’s renditions leans on the tropical side. Bright bursts of guava come in upfront, backed with some hints of juicy grapefruit. There’s some slight wafts of coconut and stone fruit, but before you start thinking this is a total juice bomb, just wait for the finish. It’s crisp and light rather than coating, and honestly the 7% ABV on the label feels a little too steep. Flavorful and refreshing, this is a sipper you could probably sip for a few episodes of Mrs. Maisel and still catch all the jokes.

Making this beer even cooler is the fact that it’s a Pink Boots Society release, which means it’s both a limited recipe and a collaboration effort. For the unfamiliar, the Pink Boots Society is a non-profit dedicated to helping women advance in the beer world, a place normally dominated (pretty overwhelmingly) by men. As a woman seeking a career in comedy in the mid-20th Century, Miriam Maisel could definitely relate.

Mrs. Maisel’s Hazelnut Porter — Cueni Brewing Co.

This one’s draft only, sad to say, but if you’re in the Dunedin, FL area, Cueni (pronounced “q-knee”) is an awesome nanobrewery worth checking out. They specialize in English styles, so a Porter like Mrs. Maisel’s is right up their alley. It’s worth noting that the beer is a variant of Cueni’s American Porter Story, a popular beer known for it’s dessert-like complexity mingled with interesting notes of pine resin. The pine doesn’t seem present in the Mrs. Maisel rendition, but it’s definitely the more satisfying option for the sweet-tooths out there.

Full-bodied baker’s chocolate and and notes of toffee wash in upfront, followed by roasty mocha coffee. The hazelnut is what truly sets this variant apart, and while present on the nose it doesn’t really come in on the palate until the finish. But the finish is lasting and memorable, a sweet end that never gets into cloying territory.

Somewhat surprisingly, this one’s even more sessionable than the previous beer at 5.6% ABV. While you might not be able to get it at home for TV bingeing, it’s a worthwhile sipper out at the taproom while you and a friend are talking about your favorite characters. Personally, I’m constantly torn between the parents.

*Bonus Beer Pairing*

Season 4 drops us right back into 1960, where the previous season left off. While I wasn’t born for another 30 years, I hear the beer choices for Americans were rather limited at this time. As we’ve seen through both real products and real-looking fake labels on the show (notably with Susie’s beverages of choice), big-name domestics were king. That’s why the bonus beer pairing for Mrs. Maisel is none other than good old fashioned Budweiser. Hey, if it’s good enough for Susie and Midge, it’s good enough for me.

Of course, you could also just pivot in an entirely different direction and opt for an early ’60s-style mixed drink. Midge is noticeably fond of martinis, for example. Of course, she’d probably be completely blown away by the craft beer options today. Lucky you, you get to choose!