Three Floyds Turns To Lager For It's Next Source of Growth

“It’s Not Normal” is the motto capturing the spirit of Munster, Indiana’s Three Floyds Brewing, which have played a pivotal role in shaping the Midwest’s craft beer scene over the last three decades. They earned a mystique with the iconic release of Dark Lord Imperial Stout and variants, with the annual festival helping drive hype and national awareness for the brand. But it wasn’t the stouts that set them apart. Their iconic American Wheat Pale Ale, Gumball Head, and citra-hopped Zombie Dust Pale Ale are what turned them into a household name among craft beer enthusiasts, setting them up with a 1-2 punch to expand into over half of the U.S. market and become the 20th largest craft brewery. As Three Floyds looks to 2025 though, they will be focusing on one of the industry's most popular trends that’s become quite normal lately.

In the last few years, Three Floyds focused their innovations around expanding into variety packs, line extending Gumball Head into adjacent styles, canned cocktails, and more. In 2025, they’ll focus on what I called The New, Old Look American Lager to kick off the year by launching Floyds Deluxe Brand Lager. Let’s dissect the key branding decisions that Floyds either opted in (✅) or out (❌) of, an interesting compromise, and a massive point of differentiation to take on its stiff competition.