Have you been binging Letterkenny on Hulu and suddenly find yourself with a hankering to grab a Puppers beer when the guys drink up? Maybe you can’t really get Leslie’s favorite waffles from JJ’s Diner in Pawnee, and you’re probably not as tempted by Flash’s Big Belly Burger, but is Puppers a real beer?
Puppers Premium Lager began as a recurring fictional beer in the show Letterkenny, but a small Canadian brewery started producing it in 2017. Puppers is now brewed by Labatt Brewing and is available only in Ontario. Unfortunately, American fans of the show will have to pick it up personally (and pay import duties) to drink it in the United States.
To learn more about this Letterkenny beer, continue reading. Find out what Puppers tastes like, similar beers to Puppers, and if it’s really any good. Pitter patter, let’s get at ‘er.
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Is Puppers beer a real beer?
Did the producers of Letterkenny just slap a dog on a beer bottle label and give it to the cast to drink on the show? Does someone actually make Puppers beer?
Puppers beer started as a recurring prop, likely to avoid any trademark issues with existing breweries. However, it is now a real beer that is brewed by Labatt Brewing and is available at a couple of locations in and around Ontario. This beer is now the one that appears in the show.
Even though we can’t get Puppers in the U.S., you can keep reading to find out more about it!
Letterkenny and the Puppers beer
Puppers is a staple of the Letterkenny series on Hulu.
Puppers first appeared in a brown bottle in Season 2 of Letterkenny. It’s often brought up in dialogue when one character insists that another character needs to calm down or relax by indulging in a Puppers.
What kind of beer is Puppers?
Puppers is the kind of beer that you could drink all day. It’s a refreshing one that anyone can enjoy and play with. As they say in Letterkenny, “Get this guy a f****ng Puppers.”
Puppers is an American light lager with a 5% ABV. It has a sweet malt taste with very subtle hop notes.
Other beers like Puppers
Since you can’t get a Puppers in the U.S., you might want to try a comparable beer that’s more easily available.
Comparable beers include:
- Miller Lite
- Coors Light
- Lucky Streak
- Straub Light
- Busch Light
- Pabst Blue Ribbon
- Yuengling Light Lager
What does Puppers beer taste like?
Puppers is a traditional American-style light lager. It’s soft and easy drinking – a “beer-y” beer, if you will. The taste is familiar if you drink other beers in this style, but it has some formidable traits of its own.
Puppers beer has notes of sweet, doughy bread. It has a citrus finish that lingers on the palate. Subtle spicy hops notes accompany the citrus flavors at the end for a sweet and mild blend. A clear gold body with minimal lacing brings everything together in this beer.
Puppers is a barn-burner of a beer in the right hands.
Who brews Puppers beer?
Puppers beer actually started out as a limited beer from Stack Brewing in Sudbury, Ontario, where Letterkenny is filmed. Stack Brewing no longer produces Puppers and has left that civil duty to Canadian powerhouse Labatt Brewing Company.
It wasn’t until the summer of 2021 that Labatt Brewing Company started Puppers beers. Now, Labatt is the only producer of Puppers. The recipe has remained the same, but the can has been altered to include a mildly different description and a slight logo change.
Stack Brewing
Stack Brewing was the first to brew Puppers beer.
Stack Brewing first started brewing Puppers beer in 2017. The beer was an American-style light lager and was only available at Stack Brewing and other beer retailers in Ontario.
Label and Puppers description
The label and description from Stack Brewing’s rendition of Puppers is now a memory for those who drank the old version from Stack.
The old label read, “Puppers is everything you could want in a beer. It’s the start of a good time with your close pals. A satisfying taste that will get along with anyone – that faithful friend that will always be by your side.” The label featured a white banner that read, “Puppers,” below a white lab wearing a crown.
Labatt Brewing
Labatt is the current producer of Puppers.
Labatt has Puppers available in a couple of LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) locations, including Sobey’s and Beer Store.
Label and Puppers description
The label changed slightly under Labatt.
The new label includes the Puppers name. The dog is enlarged and wears a crown, and there is a maple leaf in the background. The can reads, “People, persons, peasants, pheasants. We proudly present the perfect palate pleaser for pals parched proper. Puppers people’ll be pilin’ up to partake… so pitter patter, partner. Puppers. Perfect.”
Can you buy Puppers beer in the USA?
Where can you get this beer? Does it exist inside the United States? How can you get it there?
You cannot buy Puppers beer in the USA. Puppers beer is only available in Canada. If you want to get Puppers beer into the US, you must purchase it in Canada and drive it back across the border.
Although you can’t buy Puppers beer in the US, you can buy Puppers merch on Amazon to be shipped to your US residence.
How to get Puppers beer into the U.S.
You can get Puppers into the US – if you’re willing to travel into Canada and back.
To get Puppers into the US, you will have to buy it in Ontario, Canada, and bring it back across the border with you.
If you choose this route, keep in mind that you’re limited to a case of the beer and you’ll have to pay duties on your purchase at the border.
Fun Puppers merch you CAN buy in the USA
Although the beer is only available in Ontario, you can still buy some cool Puppers merch in the US.
A lot of Puppers and Letterkenny merch can be found on Amazon, available for delivery in the US. Puppers merch items include:
- A short sleeve shirt with the Puppers beer logo
- A pint glass with the Puppers logo
- An insulated coffee mug with the Puppers logo
- Some Puppers stickers
- A Puppers hoodie
Is Puppers beer good (reviews)
The beer has garnered some mixed reviews. Some dislike it and others enjoy it.
The general consensus is that the beer is a notable take on the style, and stays true to the overall characteristics.
I’ve compiled a few reviews from different sites if you’re up to find out more about Puppers from real people!
YouTube reviews
This review of the former Stack Brewing Puppers from Drunk Polkaroo advises the audience that the beer has a “cereal grain” smell to it. After an initial taste, Polkaroo discerns that the beer has “grassy noble hops in there” flavor and “biscuity, toasted malt” flavors.
This review from The Alconauts is of the Labatt Brewing version of Puppers (they say Stack Brewing in the video, but you can tell from the video release date and the beer can that it is indeed a Labatt Brewing Puppers). Admittingly an indecisive review, the beer is noted to be “bright, crisp and clean.”
Untappd
The Untappd ratings for this beer include ratings for the old and newer versions of the beer.
The Labatt Puppers has a Untappd rating of 3.29 out of 5 and 1,091 ratings.
For comparison, the Stack Brewing version received a final rating of 3.18 with 4,393 ratings.
Beeradvocate
BeerAdvocate ranks the old Stack Brewing version of this beer. The Labatt Brewing version is unranked.
Stack Brewing’s Puppers has 11 ratings on BeerAdvocate and ranks “Good,” with a score of 80 out of 100.
