The lions roar again: 4 Hands’ Voltron beer collabs charge into 2025

What happens when you mix a beloved 1980s cartoon, craft beer, and one of St. Louis’ brightest stars? You get the Voltron beer series from 4 Hands Brewing Company—a collaboration so successful it’s powering forward into 2025.

With hometown hero Sterling K. Brown, an Emmy and Oscar nominee who attended Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School (MICDS), starring in the upcoming Voltron feature film, the series has become more than just a collection of beers. It’s a creative celebration of an animated classic and St. Louis pride.

“Voltron’s been amazing, not only because we’re collaborating with some of our favorite breweries around the country, but also because we’re making beer with VOLTRON!” said Kevin Lemp, owner of 4 Hands Brewing Company. “A project we could previously only dream about has been wildly successful, so much so that we’re going to continue making new collaborations for another year!”

Animated lions inspire bold beer innovations

Inspired by the iconic 1980s series Voltron: Defender of the Universe, the beer series channels the show’s core themes of teamwork and unity. Each of the six beers represents one of Voltron’s robotic lions, culminating in a barrel-aged blend that symbolizes the lions combining to form the legendary defender.

The beers are as diverse as the lions themselves, showcasing styles like tropical hazy IPAs and bold barrel-aged stouts. Breweries across the U.S. have elevated the series through collaborations, with notable highlights including:

  • Narrow Gauge Brewing (Florissant, Mo.): Yellow Lion Double Hazy IPA
  • Tripping Animals Brewing (Doral, Fla.): Tropical IPA
  • Hop Butcher for the World (Chicago): Experimental hop-driven ale

Craft beer creativity meets St. Louis pride

Voltron fans can also look forward to co-branded merchandise, including exclusive glassware, courtesy of partnerships with Universal Products & Experiences and locally based WEP, LLC.

For Lemp and his team, the Voltron series is about more than just beer. “Being able to pull this off felt so unattainable that we’re inspired to see what else we can dream up,” Lemp said. The collaboration combines nostalgia, community, and creativity—unifying Voltron fans, craft beer enthusiasts, and St. Louis locals in a shared celebration.

With Brown lending his star power and 4 Hands’ innovative brewing pushing boundaries, the Voltron series is poised to captivate fans well into 2025. As the lions roar on, St. Louis continues to shine as a cornerstone of this craft beer phenomenon.

Voltron Volume Seven: A roaring debut

The latest addition to the series, Voltron Volume Seven, continues the tradition of bold collaborations. Brewed with Kansas City’s BKS Artisan Ales, this 6.5% ABV hazy IPA bursts with flavors of passion fruit, melon, peach, tangy citrus, and lychee.

Its malt base—featuring pale malt, white wheat, CaraPils, and flaked oats—provides a lush foundation for the intense aromatics, enhanced by Nelson Sauvin, Galaxy, and Citra hops, plus DynaBoost Citra, a hop oil extract that amplifies aroma.

Released in late December 2024, Voltron Volume Seven is available now at the 4 Hands Brewery and Tasting Room near downtown, as well as the brewery’s taproom in Chesterfield and bottleshops and stores around St. Louis. 

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