Lagunitas Hazicus Maximus
Just in time for the release of Gladiator 2, Lagunitas has launched an aggressive new brand to pair alongside their iconic Maximus Imperial IPA, Hazicus Maximus. The move isn’t replacing their iconic 9% ABV West Coast-style "Colossal IPA"; rather, it’s an extension of the brand, designed to further capture the attention of young, convenience store shoppers on the hunt for high ABV at a low price. And true to its ridiculous name (ok, I love it), Hazicus Maximus is a Hazy IPA—a style choice that, on the surface, might seem like just another hazy aimed at taking a piece of the Voodoo Ranger market. But then, I spotted one seemingly small detail on the can, “WITH TERPENES” that changed my entire perception and curiosity around their strategy.
STRENGTH AND HONOR
Back in the Spring at Revolution, we worked on a new one-off Hazy IPA that was designed to pay tribute to the flavors of a Piña Colada. To achieve the coconut, we hit the dry hop with a sizable blast of Sabro hops, which can be criticized for adding a little too much “Hawaiian Tropics” if restraint isn’t shown. In this cocktail-inspired sense however, a concentrated dose was exactly what we were looking for. Our team didn’t feel that actual Pineapple was going to give us the impact we were looking for, so we turned to hop terpenes to make it pop.
If you’re new to the concept, hop terpenes are compounds derived from hops and other botanicals that come in a liquid form, each constructed to add a concentrated dose of flavor to a beverage. Though newer to the industry over the last few years, at least in any meaningful sense, they’re already getting hyper specific in flavors that range from specific hop varieties to actual fruits. We had a slew of different options like sweet pineapple, juicy pineapple, and pineapple express among others, to try to nail exactly what we had in mind for Colada-Hero.
Simultaneously, we were working on a much bigger 2025 brand launch called X-Hero, which coincidentally has a lot in common with Hazicus Maximus. X-Hero is going to be the first of a family of 10% IPAs if the launch goes well with the X symbolizing the “Roman” numeral 10 as well as alluding to it’s extreme attributes. While big Imperial IPAs are showing no signs of slowing down, the reasons we’ve waited a couple years to push into the category more broadly is not because we didn’t take the market seriously or believe it was a fad, it was more simply due to price.
The distributors and retailers asking us for a 10% Hero for years also wanted it to be line priced with our other Hero IPAs, which are a good 3% less in ABV on average. Having been at the finance helm for many years, I assumed that request was economically impossible, but it turns out I was wrong and terpenes were a pivotal reason for that. Though Rev is a tiny fraction in size of Lagunitas, we punch above our weight class in our home markets, so when I saw the announcement for Hazicus Maximus I could immediately relate to all the conversations that must have happened to get the brand to this point.
LOYAL TO THE BRAND
The use of terpenes is not something that we were trying to hide from, as I am in favor of touting their use, but we definitely questioned whether enough people knew what they are or cared. Aside from the TTB formula and accompanying disclosure of “Malt Beverage with Natural Flavors”, we aren’t expected to go into further detail about the use of terpenes on the can. With the limited space for messaging we chose to communicate the flavor and intensity that the terpenes impart, rather that their broad inclusion.
It is possible though that we underestimated how many people know what terpenes are and consider it a selling point, or will be there by the time X-Hero is a year or two old. They continue to find their way into more and more beverages, including as a creative cocktail ingredient. Regardless, I like our decision to focus on the actual flavor using Juicy Rush and the orange/peach colors, but definitely something I could see changing in the future. All that being said, I respect Lagunitas’ decision to do the opposite and lean into their company culture and history which revolves heavily around cannabis, which is a source of terpenes as well.
Hazicus Maximus’ can features “WITH TERPENES” loud and proud, including the droplet symbolizing how they are added during bench top trials. While experimenting with Haas’ Euphorics during hop harvest back in September, I learned quickly how one single drop could be way too much for a 12oz beer or hop water.
I am curious to see if the flavor of the terpenes chosen by Lagunitas emphasizes fruit like we did with X-Hero, or dankness like the green color choice implies. I’m hoping for the latter and looking forward to trying it.
WIN THE CROWD
Despite being one of the largest acquired craft breweries in the country, Lagunitas still finds ways to do small can releases to test market releases like Hazicus and get some feedback from employees and regulars in the process. As I was searching for product images, I saw that it had actually been released in temporary packaging back in June 2024 at their Petaluma brewery, but only 40 cases worth. A brewery the size of Lagunitas doesn’t release 40 cases of a beer for the revenue, they do it for the sampling and test marketing.
As news continues to come out where large, publicly traded beer companies are laying off innovation teams and shutting down locations, it’s nice to still see a national brand debut a big launch in a taproom setting. Cutting innovation brewing and retail locations with their own unique brewers, identities, and freedom to experiment will cut off an innovation funnel for the brewery’s future prospects and lead to an eventual staleness and lack of imagination.
We did something similar with X-Hero, but instead of selling it, we included a 19.2oz can as a surprise inclusion with all of our Deep Wood Season Ticket Holders, an option we give fans to purchase our entire season of barrel-aged beers each year. While effectively giving them away didn’t bring in any revenue, it got a can into the hands of nearly 1,000 of our most loyal fans who are no strangers to high gravity. This led to a slew of Untappd ratings that gave us an early preview of some of the most critical feedback we’d be likely to hear when it ultimately launches market wide in January.
FOR ALL OF ROME
X-Hero is launching with both our standard 6-pack / 12oz format and a 19.2oz can, marking the first time we’ve led with a single serve. We did poll some of our biggest distributors to inquire if we should launch with a 12-pack as well and the decision to not go that big was unanimous. Hazicus Maximus however will launch with all three, which for a national brewery, taking a home run swing makes more sense given the tough trends they’re up against. Small meticulous moves aren’t going to get the job done at scale, so they’re going for the throne.
As the beer industry continues to evolve, we’re all vying for a position in a market that’s become more competitive than ever. It’s a high-stakes arena where bold innovation and calculated risks are essential for survival. Lagunitas’ introduction of Hazicus Maximus isn’t just another hazy beer; it’s a strategic bet to feature terpenes, designed to capture attention and carve out a piece of a shifting landscape—one that’s still hungry for new ideas and fresh approaches that appeal to “the next wave”.
As Gladiator reminds us, “What we do in life echoes in eternity.” In our world, that translates to the lasting impact our choices make on the industry—whether through product innovation, brand evolution, or the willingness to challenge the status quo. Breweries are embracing this mentality more and more, and while this can be bad news for the beer purists out there, it’s the aggressive moves and the willingness to take risks that will keep us all relevant. So let’s raise a 𝚐̶𝚕̶𝚊̶𝚜̶𝚜̶ 19.2oz can to the next big thing—and keep pushing boundaries ourselves. The battle for market share may be tough, but it’s what keeps us sharp and reminds us why we’re in this fight.
My name is Lagunitas Hazicus Maximus
Commander of the West Coast IPA army
Loyal servant to the true founder, Tony McGee
Acquiree of the Dutch Empire Heineken
Parent of a conquered Chicago base
And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next