'Stone Cold' Steve Austin crafts his ideal beer

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin made a living chugging beers as a professional wrestler. He even drove a beer truck into a packed arena on an episode of Monday Night Raw.

And now the sports entertainer is getting his own craft beer.

Austin collaborated with El Segundo Brewing Co. of Southern California to make Broken Skull IPA, which hits the market on Nov. 13.

“I’ve always loved beer,” Austin said. “Back in my WWE days they were throwing me all kinds of light beer. And those were the beers I drank for my entire life.

“Then I started hearing about all this craft beer. So I started experimenting with different flavors.”

Austin, who also is fond of wines, said he started with pale ales.

“I remember trying my first IPA and it was a little too much on the hops for me,” Austin said. “I went back to the pale ale but I was like, ‘Man, this ain’t quite enough (anymore).’

“I slowly graduated to that IPA. Now, that’s pretty much all I drink. But it took me about 6-8 months to get my palate there.”

Austin, who is retired from in-ring performing, started including craft beer interviews on his popular weekly podcast.

He also started making regular visits at the El Segundo Brewing taproom where he became particularly fond of the brewery’s Citra Pale Ale and Mayberry IPA.

“We got to talking one time for a couple hours,” said Rob Croxall, El Segundo Brewing’s owner and head brewer. “He was asking some pretty good questions. So when the idea came up of doing a collaborative beer, I didn’t think twice.”

Austin came in and sampled different IPA styles.

“Steve has a pretty decent beer palate,” Croxall said. “He had a good idea of what he wanted. He wasn’t interested in a gimmicky beer.”

What exactly is Austin’s beer preference?

“I like a mid-palate thing,” Austin said. “I don’t like beers that are too hop forward and then there’s a lot of beers that are just too bitter at the end for me. You start to lose me at double IPAs.”

Croxall, who grew up a pro wrestling fan, came up with a recipe that uses Cascade, Chinook and Citra hops.

Austin, who previously dabbled in home brewing, came out to the brewery to make the pilot batch. He helped mill the grain, stir the mash and pitch the yeast during an eight-hour process.

“It was a blast,” Austin said. “I was just following along their instructions and they are perfectionists. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.

“It’s a passion project more than anything.”

Austin later came back to sample the beer during fermentation and later when it was completed. It received rave reviews in the taproom under the code name 2-3-1 — meaning two malts and three hops in one beer.

While Austin isn't the first pro wrestling icon to get into craft beer, the announcement of the beer has received plenty of attention. The three release party sessions featuring Austin appearances sold out within hours.

The first batch of Broken Skull IPA will receive El Segundo Brewing’s normal limited distribution exclusive to Southern California. But Croxall said plans are in the works for wider distribution, as there’s been high demand from around the country and internationally. They're also exploring mail-order distribution options.

And after years of chugging beers in front of large crowds, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has found a beer he just wants to sip.

“As much beer as I’ve drank in my life, I’d now rather just sip on 3-4 IPAs and truly enjoy them than guzzle down 6-8 light beers,” Austin said. “I think that’s what this beer does — It does for me anyways.”

About this series

The #Beer Insider is a series that looks at brewery trends and news around the country.

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