So, Wrestlemania was just gone over the weekend & as always., the WWE do what they do best – put smiles on people’s faces. From chants of ‘You Suck’ for the legendary Kurt Angle, to a 70,000 strong raucous crowd yelling ‘Delete! Delete! Delete!’, the showcase of the immortals was worth every penny of the monthly WWE Network subscription. Wrestling & beer go hand in hand, or one in each hand as you shotgun them if you’re Stone Cold Steve Austin. It should come as no surprise that those from the Wrestling industry have become involved with another of the great outsiders, Craft Beer. So here’s five craft beers influenced by wrestling you’ll want to get raw with & smackdown.

#1 Broken Skull IPA by El Segundo Brewing Company

Steve Austin made beer synonymous with wrestling during the 90’s with his double armed shotgun chugging of Steveweisers. And Steve, like many of us may have gotten started with macro beers, he inevitably found his way to craft beer via Sierra Nevada. This eventually led to him designing a 6.7% West-coast style IPA with the El Segundo Brewing Company named after his ranch in Tilden, Texas. As a sidenote, one of Steve’s favorite go-to IPA’s is Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo Extra IPA, which features regularly on his Steve Austin Show Podcast. Awww, Hell Yeah! Swig of beer for the working man & working woman.

#2 Buffalo Bill Cody Beer

Wrestling impresario Eric Bischoff many know as the architect of the ‘Monday Night Wars‘ in WCW, & a long time friend of the Immortal Hulk Hogan a few years back decided to get involved in craft beer with a microbrewery called Buffalo Bill Cody Beer turning out a Rye Ale, brewed at Fort Collins Brewery in Colorado. Plus, that ad trailer with a Sam Rockwell-esque voiceover is just killer.

#3 La Penguina En Fuego by Clown Shoes

I’ve a sneaky suspicion that the guys in Clown Shoes are huge wrestling marks. They’ve quite a few beers past & present that have artwork inspired by Mexican Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling with masks & tons of ‘flippy shit’) such as Chocolate Sombrero, La Pinguina En Fuego & of course, Luchador En Fuego.

#4 Luche Libre Series by Cervecería Sagrada

With beers called Guero Gomez lager, Ray Negro Imperial Stout & Vampiro Red Stout adorned with Luchador’s masks, this Mexican Craft Brewery’s beers were not only obviously inspired by Mexican luchadors Ultimo Guerrero, Ray Mysterio & Vampiro (who actually is a Canadian). They were designed by artist Jose Guizar.

#5 Raucho Man Randy Beverage by Against The Grain

Louisville, Kentucky. Famous in wrestling terms for the ‘Slugger’ baseball bat, sometimes found in hardcore matches in the square circle, & wrestling stars Jim Cornette (he of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express/Midnite Express rivalry, the latter who he managed, & the former who he inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at the weekend). It is also home to craft brewery, Against The Grain whose beers sometimes are found on our shores. ‘Raucho Man Randy Beverage‘ was a 50% smoked malt Rauchbier (smoked with Cherry & Beechwoods no less) was a tribute to WWE Hall of Famer, Macho Man Randy Savage.

 

And here’s a Wrestlemania bonus: