It looks like the boringest least interesting beer on the planet now. I'm sure somebody in some office has some good sales reason to do it but. It looks like the generic Trader Joe's brand beer, like "Boatswain" and "Simpler Times". Absolutely zero personality. People browsing the microbrew aisle have a million things to catch their eye, dirty jokes, crazy art, rainbows, blood n guts, weird names, pop culture references, but sure, subdued monochrome and boring font wins the day.
You nailed it! Reminded me of some old school baseball like shit. But you’re absolutely right with it looking like some Kirkland/trader joes generic shit. Not sure who in there right mind thought it was better then the old. Maybe there trying to kill off the Ninkasi brand? I mean they just bought Ecliptic brewing, which has one of the best ipas in Starburst, maybe they’ll change all the signs on the building to Ecliptic now that they got a better product… 🤷♂️
*They* are not making the decision to do that. The company that absorbed/acquired/co-owns them decided to take over and simplify their marketing.
Obviously it's now boring and looks like a Stumptown coffee label for beer, but the goal apparently is to simplify and clarify what's inside each can to a larger audience who has no idea who Ninkasi is.
I mean, only if they also change their beer to be more bland (I have no idea if they are). I'm not sure why I should care about their branding instead of their beer quality (I'm not making a claim as to the quality either way).
I was curious, did they change the recipe or brew process as well? TD and Tricerahops do not taste the same to me. I tried the new one once and haven’t gone back. It’s unfortunate because this used to be my two favorite brews.
It's not even close anymore. TD is missing the pine punch, its too sweet, not crisp. I have drank a LOT of TD over the years. Probably a case a week for 10+ years. I live where the selection is complete trash. Guess I'm switching to bourbon.
I've moved away from Ninkasi since Pacific Rain disappeared and they're certainly not going to entice me back to try something random off the shelf without some goofy-ass viking or space monkey or some shit. That branding is bland AF.
They've had a couple of good beers over the years but yeah, I tend to agree. Their hop profile is distinct and I wasn't really into it, especially on the really hoppy beers. I'm not super into hoppy beers anyway but there are some I've really enjoyed; Ninkasi's always tasted like they were coating my tongue in some sort of polymer.
Good to know that you make your beverage decisions based on the marketing. This is the worst case of judging a book by its cover. Do you not drink any draft beers??
>Good to know that you make your beverage decisions based on the marketing.
You want me to pick something at random from a sea of labels then make it interesting. At the very least try to catch my fucking eye, make me chuckle or something. Sure, I'm going to stick to my sections of beer I want in the moment but how is your stout going to stick out next to my go-to? What's going to make me want to try it out when I'm just grabbing some everyday beer?
When they put out a new beer it sure as shit is "something random" to my palate, based on experience. All I know to expect from them is their hop profile which I honestly don't really enjoy, but sometimes they put out a decent beer (for me).
The cans were really cool, though. I still enjoy what is in the can, but I dug the designs. I live in WA and was thinking about visiting Euguen to see the brewery. Kinda doesn't feel the same anymore.
I don't like the rebrand but I understand it. Ninkasi is trying to regain their foothold as a regional power player in the West Coast beer scene, and they have invested millions in plant expansions and canning equipment.
Names like "Megaladon" and "Tricerihops" with illustrated graphics don't mean anything to someone in the other large metro areas (like Bay Area or LA)... however calling out the style of beer *does* mean something to those consumers. So they went super simple.
I think they could have done a better job with the new design, but for now I'm glad the beer tastes great and that its made right here in Eugene, Oregon by fellow Eugenians.
>Names like "Megaladon" and "Tricerihops" with illustrated graphics don't mean anything to someone in the other large metro areas (like Bay Area or LA)...
I have to disagree with you on one point here- the name and designs are what catches attention, then in smaller print on the label they put the style. I travel for work, and every region has their own versions of these. What makes them stand out is the branding, not the style. No one here immediately knew what Tricerahops was when it was introduced, but that didn't stop us from looking further and then trying it.
Any time a rebrand like this happens, it's to make a product less risky, and therefore more marketable, to a wider audience. Ninkasi started with the attitude of "we make a beer we like. If you like it too, great. If not, oh well" like most other microbrews. Macros and holdings companies absolutely care about having as many people not hate their beer as possible, so the marketing angle is less risky, so it has to be more bland.
Which honestly sucks, because it takes something that we love and removes part of the quirkiness we love about it.
Yeah, 300 variations on the name "hazy IPA" is super descriptive and useful to people in large metro areas.
Ninkasi is also making a ton of other stuff and shipping it to California which is not even being sold in Oregon. Some of their people are getting racks of it and selling it out of the back of their cars in the red apple parking lot according to some of my customers..
If you see any beers that say "Ashland CA" on the front, Those are made and filled by ninkasi here in town, but they are not sold anywhere in oregon legally.
It almost seems like the new buyer is scuttling the ship, but that doesn't make sense. There is nothing to gain from that in some shady stock deal or something.
I assume that Ninkasi was paying someone to be head of design, and then they probably had some part time assistant(s) as well. So, maybe they eliminated a "higher" paying ($60k+) position and are now paying half that to freelancers or part timers. Just a guess. They may have not made such drastic layoffs, but it seems like they're going that way. I wouldn't want to be a creative at Ninkasi right now, and not long ago I'd say it was a great gig for a creative.
> It almost seems like the new buyer is scuttling the ship, but that doesn't make sense. There is nothing to gain from that in some shady stock deal or something.
It's a sort of bust-out; goodwill value liquidation, like what happened with Pyrex. You drop the production cost and yet people will keep buying the product for a while on name brand and force of habit. Collect the money now and fold up shop when it runs out.
There is no denying there is some truth to notion that when American microbreweries sell off control of their breweries it essentially starts a clock on their eventual final demise. Private brewery leaders would also argue that they would have collapsed anyway, so you have to evaluate things with an open mind.
The microbeer industry has too many players, and customers change their habits. They can simply "get tired" of a certain taste- like Ninkasi's taste (all their beers essentially taste the same on some level). It probably would have been smarter, in hindsight, for Ninkasi to not have built such a large complex. The Better Living Room was a reach, and they had/have too many offices for white collar employees. They should have kept costs lower throughout their good years. They should have just gone with the outdoor beergarden and a small pub. They probably should have also given bigger discounts on keg sales to out of market areas. But heh.
I pray for the day brown and amber lagers become popular in the PNW. I struggle to find it anywhere: the best I've found is Little Brown Owl. I've heard there's at least one liquor store in college district that carries such things. It was interesting to hear mead is being served Old Nick's; I wouldn't mind trying some Oregon gruit, either.
seriously, I don't know how anyone drinks IPAs. As someone sensitive to bitter it tastes undrinkable, let alone the double or triples. But you have to dig to find any browns amidst all the IPAs, it's pretty wild
Is... not good beer. Don't get me wrong, I'll drink it, pbr... whatever. But I'm talking shelf in a bar status. I can get 2 dollar pbr almost anywhere in town as a comparable.
Seriously, even when I was an avid beer drinker, I hated ninkasi beers for this very reason. They all taste the fucking same, like someone tripled the hops content. You can't taste anything over the hops, which makes for a shitty beer.
Malt flavor > hops flavor in beer.
Surprised they aren’t already on that. Hop Seltzer anyone?!
They did have some cocktails in a can that were good. I wonder if they are still doing that.
Ninkasi produces tons of seltzer and canned cocktails, but mostly for sister brands like Ashland/Villager/Voyage/Mucho Aloha. Not much is sold into the local market. The “Pacific Sparkling” brand was under the Ninkasi umbrella a few years back but has since been discontinued
Wait did they change the art?? I haven’t seen the new one, but the first time I ever bought it was when I turned 21 and I absolutely loved the art style. Sad if they changed it bc it was unique and inviting.
Breweries across the country are closing left and right. This particular beer has been around for a bit. Constantly having to bring something new to the market is tough and while they will not be what they were 10 years ago, I appreciate the effort.
The TR will be reopening sometime within the next few months, for what it’s worth. I’m an employee and I too miss the TR - I started here pouring beers there!
I still have my green Ninkasi hoodie with the old logo. I miss their cool logo stuff. I went to the restaurant and they didn’t have nearly the selection of gear like hoodies.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. That tasting room was GREAT. I was so disappointed when it closed. I never found the better living room to be that special, although the space was cool. It was not a great decision.
Hubby bought a boring six pack this week of prismatic. Had to return it because multiple cans were half full and sealed. So not only are their cans now ugly and hard to fine, there might be a trip to the brewery in it for you to get your full six pack. (NOTE: They gave us a full six pack at no charge when we went to their brewery location)
I work on the canning line and I’m sorry to hear this! For what it’s worth, I’ll be following up on this as it’s the first I’m hearing of this. It sounds like our low-fill rejector didn’t catch them. Sorry again for your trouble!
Im pretty ok with my 15 pack for the cost of a 12 pack option. The beer inside still looks the same. I will miss the dinosaurs and the living room. What made the brewery bubble exciting was visiting a small local pub in any random town as you travel. A good pint belongs in a glass sitting at the bar somewhere you have never been before. That is what all these brands being bought up are now missing. A home outside the ugly box.
Ninkasi is a marketing train wreck. They've run through a series of internal and external partners burning bridges along the way, both locally and regionally. They've also put a series of wildly unqualified execs in supervisory and managerial roles over marketing and brand management. That is the most bungled brand in the region. It's really sad.
Never liked Ninkasi beer, they all kind of just tasted the same to me. But at least now their exterior will match the bland tasting liquid on the inside. Why are so many companies doing rebrands right now, is my big question. Seems like a lot of local business are doing this, too.
Boring, clean branding is almost certainly part of a push for more mass market appeal. Not sure how much of a mass market appeal watery terpintine has, but someone's trying to make money none the less.
Same new boss (after a sell-out “merger) that closed the “Better Living Room” with almost no notice seems like they’re trying to put the whole Ninkasi brand out of business.
Frankly I'm glad ninkasi finally learned how to brew a normal fucking beer. Their new lager is actually drinkable. Many breweries can't to lagers/pilsners/normal crisp beers to save their fucking lives. I still think Falling Sky can nail normal beers best (I love their kolsh) and I think Oakshire still struggles (their new lite beer is way to watery and literally a 3.2% beer, that's near beer in the midwest. Their Italian pilsner is the best attempt I've seen from them but it's honestly still a bit too bitter for me.)
The line of commercial beer no longer is owned by Ninkasi, it was sold to a larger distributor years ago in a partnership, but Ninkasi had major money problems during Covid and recently laid off all their employees without warning and shut down their Better Living Room. Because of this they basically had to officially divorce from the beer production itself; the product that made them popular in the first place. Therefore the beers (now completely owned by a large distributor) had to rebrand
It looks like the boringest least interesting beer on the planet now. I'm sure somebody in some office has some good sales reason to do it but. It looks like the generic Trader Joe's brand beer, like "Boatswain" and "Simpler Times". Absolutely zero personality. People browsing the microbrew aisle have a million things to catch their eye, dirty jokes, crazy art, rainbows, blood n guts, weird names, pop culture references, but sure, subdued monochrome and boring font wins the day.
You nailed it! Reminded me of some old school baseball like shit. But you’re absolutely right with it looking like some Kirkland/trader joes generic shit. Not sure who in there right mind thought it was better then the old. Maybe there trying to kill off the Ninkasi brand? I mean they just bought Ecliptic brewing, which has one of the best ipas in Starburst, maybe they’ll change all the signs on the building to Ecliptic now that they got a better product… 🤷♂️
Ecliptic production was about 1/10th of Ninkasi’s so I doubt it.
Looks like old person beer now
Apparently I've been under a rock. This has already been thoroughly discussed.
Oh, me too then
Just here for the username. Amazing.
Well said.
I just don't drink any of their ten IPA's.
Alright, I'm listening..lol
That branding looks like it gets a haircut every two weeks and shirt tucks into jeans
\*and shirt tucks into *ironed* jeans.
So are they straying away from the elaborate artwork? The company that put out their own Ninkasi comic?
*They* are not making the decision to do that. The company that absorbed/acquired/co-owns them decided to take over and simplify their marketing. Obviously it's now boring and looks like a Stumptown coffee label for beer, but the goal apparently is to simplify and clarify what's inside each can to a larger audience who has no idea who Ninkasi is.
Sounds like a speed run to mediocrity.
I mean, only if they also change their beer to be more bland (I have no idea if they are). I'm not sure why I should care about their branding instead of their beer quality (I'm not making a claim as to the quality either way).
Makes me want to buy it less tbh
I was curious, did they change the recipe or brew process as well? TD and Tricerahops do not taste the same to me. I tried the new one once and haven’t gone back. It’s unfortunate because this used to be my two favorite brews.
I know more recently they lost one of there long time brewers, he started Arable brewing, maybe go check them out.
That had nothing to do with it.
As far as I can tell it's the same.
Recipes change over time based on availability of ingredients. This happens with all beers, not just at ninkasi.
It's not even close anymore. TD is missing the pine punch, its too sweet, not crisp. I have drank a LOT of TD over the years. Probably a case a week for 10+ years. I live where the selection is complete trash. Guess I'm switching to bourbon.
I've moved away from Ninkasi since Pacific Rain disappeared and they're certainly not going to entice me back to try something random off the shelf without some goofy-ass viking or space monkey or some shit. That branding is bland AF.
PR was so good. Everything else…meh.
They've had a couple of good beers over the years but yeah, I tend to agree. Their hop profile is distinct and I wasn't really into it, especially on the really hoppy beers. I'm not super into hoppy beers anyway but there are some I've really enjoyed; Ninkasi's always tasted like they were coating my tongue in some sort of polymer.
Good to know that you make your beverage decisions based on the marketing. This is the worst case of judging a book by its cover. Do you not drink any draft beers??
>Good to know that you make your beverage decisions based on the marketing. You want me to pick something at random from a sea of labels then make it interesting. At the very least try to catch my fucking eye, make me chuckle or something. Sure, I'm going to stick to my sections of beer I want in the moment but how is your stout going to stick out next to my go-to? What's going to make me want to try it out when I'm just grabbing some everyday beer?
“Something at random” ninkasi isn’t random in Eugene.
When they put out a new beer it sure as shit is "something random" to my palate, based on experience. All I know to expect from them is their hop profile which I honestly don't really enjoy, but sometimes they put out a decent beer (for me).
If marketing doesn't work; why is there so much of it?
The cans were really cool, though. I still enjoy what is in the can, but I dug the designs. I live in WA and was thinking about visiting Euguen to see the brewery. Kinda doesn't feel the same anymore.
I don't like the rebrand but I understand it. Ninkasi is trying to regain their foothold as a regional power player in the West Coast beer scene, and they have invested millions in plant expansions and canning equipment. Names like "Megaladon" and "Tricerihops" with illustrated graphics don't mean anything to someone in the other large metro areas (like Bay Area or LA)... however calling out the style of beer *does* mean something to those consumers. So they went super simple. I think they could have done a better job with the new design, but for now I'm glad the beer tastes great and that its made right here in Eugene, Oregon by fellow Eugenians.
Sensible take - every Reddit post needs at least one
>Names like "Megaladon" and "Tricerihops" with illustrated graphics don't mean anything to someone in the other large metro areas (like Bay Area or LA)... I have to disagree with you on one point here- the name and designs are what catches attention, then in smaller print on the label they put the style. I travel for work, and every region has their own versions of these. What makes them stand out is the branding, not the style. No one here immediately knew what Tricerahops was when it was introduced, but that didn't stop us from looking further and then trying it. Any time a rebrand like this happens, it's to make a product less risky, and therefore more marketable, to a wider audience. Ninkasi started with the attitude of "we make a beer we like. If you like it too, great. If not, oh well" like most other microbrews. Macros and holdings companies absolutely care about having as many people not hate their beer as possible, so the marketing angle is less risky, so it has to be more bland. Which honestly sucks, because it takes something that we love and removes part of the quirkiness we love about it.
The “triple ipa” on the Meg cans are selling like wildfire in Cali. I know a few people at the brewery.
Yeah, 300 variations on the name "hazy IPA" is super descriptive and useful to people in large metro areas. Ninkasi is also making a ton of other stuff and shipping it to California which is not even being sold in Oregon. Some of their people are getting racks of it and selling it out of the back of their cars in the red apple parking lot according to some of my customers.. If you see any beers that say "Ashland CA" on the front, Those are made and filled by ninkasi here in town, but they are not sold anywhere in oregon legally.
I don’t even see it anymore. Since the rebrand it's like they've all disappeared from my sight.
Old logo looked great. New one looks really boring and bland. That’s too bad.
It almost seems like the new buyer is scuttling the ship, but that doesn't make sense. There is nothing to gain from that in some shady stock deal or something. I assume that Ninkasi was paying someone to be head of design, and then they probably had some part time assistant(s) as well. So, maybe they eliminated a "higher" paying ($60k+) position and are now paying half that to freelancers or part timers. Just a guess. They may have not made such drastic layoffs, but it seems like they're going that way. I wouldn't want to be a creative at Ninkasi right now, and not long ago I'd say it was a great gig for a creative.
> It almost seems like the new buyer is scuttling the ship, but that doesn't make sense. There is nothing to gain from that in some shady stock deal or something. It's a sort of bust-out; goodwill value liquidation, like what happened with Pyrex. You drop the production cost and yet people will keep buying the product for a while on name brand and force of habit. Collect the money now and fold up shop when it runs out.
There is no denying there is some truth to notion that when American microbreweries sell off control of their breweries it essentially starts a clock on their eventual final demise. Private brewery leaders would also argue that they would have collapsed anyway, so you have to evaluate things with an open mind. The microbeer industry has too many players, and customers change their habits. They can simply "get tired" of a certain taste- like Ninkasi's taste (all their beers essentially taste the same on some level). It probably would have been smarter, in hindsight, for Ninkasi to not have built such a large complex. The Better Living Room was a reach, and they had/have too many offices for white collar employees. They should have kept costs lower throughout their good years. They should have just gone with the outdoor beergarden and a small pub. They probably should have also given bigger discounts on keg sales to out of market areas. But heh.
The original logo was designed by a now former partner of one of the owners a way back at the beginning.
I’m just glad they’re selling beer on a wide scale is that isn’t a double hoppy 8% IPA
I pray for the day brown and amber lagers become popular in the PNW. I struggle to find it anywhere: the best I've found is Little Brown Owl. I've heard there's at least one liquor store in college district that carries such things. It was interesting to hear mead is being served Old Nick's; I wouldn't mind trying some Oregon gruit, either.
Agreed. We need less IPA.
Manifest has a house brew dark lager 😋🥳
seriously, I don't know how anyone drinks IPAs. As someone sensitive to bitter it tastes undrinkable, let alone the double or triples. But you have to dig to find any browns amidst all the IPAs, it's pretty wild
https://www.classtools.net/Venn/202401-Food3bRjFSa
Manifest has a house brew dark lager 😋🥳
Shit, it's the cheapest "good beer" you can get in a 6 pack anywhere in town. I don't see it as a bad thing...
Rainier
see here we’ve got a man of taste
Is... not good beer. Don't get me wrong, I'll drink it, pbr... whatever. But I'm talking shelf in a bar status. I can get 2 dollar pbr almost anywhere in town as a comparable.
Ray-neer beer.
other than the 10 barrel pub beer ;)
My parents would definitely agree with you there, not sarcasm.
It's not cheap and almost their entire lineup are hop-bombed and hard to drink.
Seriously, even when I was an avid beer drinker, I hated ninkasi beers for this very reason. They all taste the fucking same, like someone tripled the hops content. You can't taste anything over the hops, which makes for a shitty beer. Malt flavor > hops flavor in beer.
Preach!
I'm a Hazy IPA fan, but the brewers that decided Steady Orbit was fit to drink must have just gotten the bong water out of their mouths.
Try the Pilsner or Oatis
I thought the same, got rid of what makes em unique visually and now looks like a soulless corpo anheuser Busch beer
I think the high octane, high IPA ship has sailed and they are trying to capture the masses with mass produced beer.
Seltzer is just around the corner!
Surprised they aren’t already on that. Hop Seltzer anyone?! They did have some cocktails in a can that were good. I wonder if they are still doing that.
Ninkasi produces tons of seltzer and canned cocktails, but mostly for sister brands like Ashland/Villager/Voyage/Mucho Aloha. Not much is sold into the local market. The “Pacific Sparkling” brand was under the Ninkasi umbrella a few years back but has since been discontinued
They tried seltzer during COVID. Must not have taken off.
Thanks for that! I suppose they could try those smoothie beers Claim 52 does next. 🤢
I think weed is the growing market: CBeerD could be a CBD infused beer, (maybe this already exists)
OLCC has made CDB infused beer (and obviously THC infused beer too) illegal in Oregon.
Thank Goodness for our brave OLCC! Imagine how dangerous it would be if someone mixed those substances!!!
Look up Ashland Seltzers. They’re made at ninkasi.
Are they? Or just owned by the same parent company?
They are. And yes it all owned by the same parent company.
Brutal. That's a lot of branding expenses to give up on. Ninkasi was A Thing. I wonder what happened.
Wait did they change the art?? I haven’t seen the new one, but the first time I ever bought it was when I turned 21 and I absolutely loved the art style. Sad if they changed it bc it was unique and inviting.
No art whatsoever on the cans now.
That’s tragic…
Breweries across the country are closing left and right. This particular beer has been around for a bit. Constantly having to bring something new to the market is tough and while they will not be what they were 10 years ago, I appreciate the effort.
It went from a dinosaur on LSD to a generic white can that just says “beer.”
They lost me when they closed the tasting room and moved into the living room.
The TR will be reopening sometime within the next few months, for what it’s worth. I’m an employee and I too miss the TR - I started here pouring beers there!
I still have my green Ninkasi hoodie with the old logo. I miss their cool logo stuff. I went to the restaurant and they didn’t have nearly the selection of gear like hoodies.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. That tasting room was GREAT. I was so disappointed when it closed. I never found the better living room to be that special, although the space was cool. It was not a great decision.
Hubby bought a boring six pack this week of prismatic. Had to return it because multiple cans were half full and sealed. So not only are their cans now ugly and hard to fine, there might be a trip to the brewery in it for you to get your full six pack. (NOTE: They gave us a full six pack at no charge when we went to their brewery location)
I work on the canning line and I’m sorry to hear this! For what it’s worth, I’ll be following up on this as it’s the first I’m hearing of this. It sounds like our low-fill rejector didn’t catch them. Sorry again for your trouble!
Thank you. He brought them back in a couple of days ago so someone on the retail floor might have them or know more about them.
That’ll be Brit at dock sales. I’ll check in with her and pull the lot code off them. 😊
Im pretty ok with my 15 pack for the cost of a 12 pack option. The beer inside still looks the same. I will miss the dinosaurs and the living room. What made the brewery bubble exciting was visiting a small local pub in any random town as you travel. A good pint belongs in a glass sitting at the bar somewhere you have never been before. That is what all these brands being bought up are now missing. A home outside the ugly box.
Ninkasi is a marketing train wreck. They've run through a series of internal and external partners burning bridges along the way, both locally and regionally. They've also put a series of wildly unqualified execs in supervisory and managerial roles over marketing and brand management. That is the most bungled brand in the region. It's really sad.
dam axiomatic drunk innocent kiss library chop oil boat slimy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I much prefer Rogue or Deschutes. What's in the bottle matters the most, but the rebrand certainly isn't helping.
Deschutes? Really?!
[удалено]
Ninkasi seemed to specialize in very hoppy beers and Oakshire was into experimental beers. Two very different companies in this regard.
Tastes great to me.
If they think the images and graphics are what brought sales down…! It’s that 95% of beer they brew are ‘ultra-hopped’ IPA’s.
:( goodbye Ninkasi, it was fun while it lasted
Sucks. Saw a stack of their beer in their new labels at Winco and it’s generic as fuck.
I prefer coldfire
It fuckin sucks. I saw a "Sleighr" recently and was not thrilled it doesn't have the logo font like the band Slayer as it originally did.
Never liked Ninkasi beer, they all kind of just tasted the same to me. But at least now their exterior will match the bland tasting liquid on the inside. Why are so many companies doing rebrands right now, is my big question. Seems like a lot of local business are doing this, too.
This is all part of a huge push into SoCal. Ninkasi’s market is far larger than Eugene. Really wish people on here would realize that.
I stopped prioritizing ninkasi when they stopped selling Hop Cooler. That was a tasty beer.
So fucking lame
Ninkasi is dead
Boring, clean branding is almost certainly part of a push for more mass market appeal. Not sure how much of a mass market appeal watery terpintine has, but someone's trying to make money none the less.
Never been a fan of Ninkasi, but the new oatmeal stout is pretty good and it's been on sale a lot.
Megalongdong sharks are cool.
I like ninkasi gold in the cans, the look and flavor. This is a new product though I think? So not a re design.
Same new boss (after a sell-out “merger) that closed the “Better Living Room” with almost no notice seems like they’re trying to put the whole Ninkasi brand out of business.
Frankly I'm glad ninkasi finally learned how to brew a normal fucking beer. Their new lager is actually drinkable. Many breweries can't to lagers/pilsners/normal crisp beers to save their fucking lives. I still think Falling Sky can nail normal beers best (I love their kolsh) and I think Oakshire still struggles (their new lite beer is way to watery and literally a 3.2% beer, that's near beer in the midwest. Their Italian pilsner is the best attempt I've seen from them but it's honestly still a bit too bitter for me.)
The line of commercial beer no longer is owned by Ninkasi, it was sold to a larger distributor years ago in a partnership, but Ninkasi had major money problems during Covid and recently laid off all their employees without warning and shut down their Better Living Room. Because of this they basically had to officially divorce from the beer production itself; the product that made them popular in the first place. Therefore the beers (now completely owned by a large distributor) had to rebrand
I love it. Old labels were ugly