USA, MI: Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar launches Red Rocker Brewing Co. out of Detroit
He’s a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who has sold an obscene number of records and has more than one successful liquor company under his belt, and now American rock singer and songwriter Sammy Hagar is in the beer business by way of a Detroit-based brewery, The Detroit News reported on October 27.
Red Rocker Brewing Co. made its debut with the release of Red Rocker Lager, an easy-drinking Mexican-style beer that was feted at Hagar’s concert in Detroit on October 23. The sold-out Fillmore show for Sammy Hagar and the Circle – which features fellow Hall of Famer and his former Van Halen bandmate Michael Anthony on bass, Grammy Award-winning drummer Jason Bonham and guitarist Vic Johnson – marked the first time that fans could taste the beer, which clocks in at a mild 4.3% alcohol by volume.
They did more than taste it. Fans purchased 400 cases of the 16-ounce cans of Red Rocker Lager, totaling 9,600 cans of beer, according to a press release. That’s quite the statement, given that the Fillmore holds just fewer than 3,000 people. If those numbers are true, that means each fan in attendance ordered three tallboys that night, on average. If you’ve been to a Hagar show, you can believe it. He’s part speed-demon thrill seeker and part beachcomber bohemian, and definitely someone whose fans can appreciate a cocktail or four.
Hagar, who turned 76 this month, didn’t set out to make a beer, per se, and the Cabo Wabo Tequila founder — he also co-founded Santo Spirits with Guy Fieri and has a Puerto Rican rum brand, Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum — has actually said more times than once in the past that he doesn’t drink beer.
“I wasn’t really looking for a beer partner because I have my tequila and my rum and my canned cocktails, but then I got a call … they wanted to license the name Red Rocker and I said, well let’s see what you got here,” Hagar told The Detroit News at a media event Tuesday afternoon at Brew Detroit, adding that they'll likely make a light beer and an IPA to follow the lager.
Hagar said his personal process for developing a signature style of a libation is to take his favorite brand on the market and work on his product until he thinks it tastes better.
“Sip by sip … I sipped my favorite beer and I sipped this Red Rocker Lager and when I say ‘this is better,' let’s go. And that’s the way I do it. That’s the way I do my tequila, that’s the way I do my rum, that’s the way I do my canned cocktails.”
Hagar's relationship with Detroit goes back to the 1970s when he was in California heavy rock band Montrose, which was known for jams like "Bad Motor Scooter" and "Rock Candy." Montrose played the Motor City often, and Hagar even tells a story in his 2011 memoir "Red" about the heavy foursome opening for Aerosmith at Cobo Hall. Montrose went over so well they did an encore featuring a cover of "Helter Skelter," not realizing that Steven Tyler and the boys started their set with the same Beatles song.
"We kind of felt like we were making it here, like we were kind of rock stars. The audience loved it," he said. "We never got real big here, Montrose, I left the band before we ever sold out a big concert, but then when I came back as a solo artist, it was right there waiting for me. I mean, you gotta love a town that loves you."
His solo career included the hits "I Can't Drive 55," "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy" and "Red," which is what helped usher in his moniker as "the Red Rocker" (and was also covered by Bette Midler).
Hagar famously joined Van Halen in 1985 following the departure of David Lee Roth. After a drama-filled and incredibly lucrative decade, Hagar departed from Van Halen in 1996.
While Red Rocker Lager and future Red Rocker Brewing Co. products are made in collaboration with Brew Detroit in Corktown, the beer won’t be sold in their taproom. Michigan fans will be able to find it in stores soon, with distribution extending to other states at a later date.
28 October, 2023
