Shock Top rebrands with a fresh look and the return of Wedgehead

A legacy faux-craft brand gets a reboot under Tilray’s growing beer empire

Shock Top is back in the spotlight. The citrus-forward beer brand just unveiled a full-scale rebrand featuring new packaging and the return of its mohawked orange slice mascot — Wedgehead — now electrified with a slight lightning bolt makeover. It’s an interesting attempt to revive a brand with a complicated legacy. Launched in 2006 by Anheuser-Busch to mimic the craft boom, Shock Top was never a true independent. But now, under new ownership and updated visuals, it’s trying to claim new relevance in a changing beer market.

Wedgehead returns — with a bolt

The new packaging puts Wedgehead front and center again. This time, the mascot has a lightning bolt in his (its?) sunglasses, a “symbol to signify Shock Top’s mission to provide an uplifting experience,” said the press release. It’s part of a visual overhaul meant to renew Shock Top to another generation of drinkers with nostalgic weirdness. See all the rebrands on Shock Top’s website. They’re fun and cartoony with good color selections for each brand. In stores, the rebrand will start with the Belgian White and be followed by the reintroduction of seasonals such as Cosmic Berry, Mango Island Wheat and Lemonade Shandy. From the press release:

“Shock Top has always aimed to surprise fans with bold flavors,” said Prinz Pinakatt, Chief Growth Officer of Tilray Beverages. “Each label now invites fans to embrace the unexpected. The transformation includes a variety of packs, digital media investments, college partnerships — such as The University of Florida, The University of Missouri and the University of Colorado — and in-stadium experiences. We’re reimagining how and where fans can enjoy Shock Top with some exciting new partnerships to come later this year.”

Sports marketing and college partnerships

Shock Top’s rebrand also leans heavily into sports marketing. The brand is now the official craft beer sponsor of:

• University of Florida Gators
• University of Missouri Tigers
• University of Colorado Buffaloes

Fans can expect Shock Top cans at stadiums, tailgates, and alumni events. The brand is also launching limited-edition brews tied to school spirit, including a co-branded Gator beer. With these moves, Shock Top aims to plug into the college sports culture — expanding reach beyond traditional retail with visibility around athletics.

From faux craft to real craft ownership

Shock Top was never brewed by a small team of indie brewers. It started as Spring Heat Spiced Wheat, a seasonal witbier brewed by Anheuser-Busch. After it won gold at the North American Beer Awards, AB turned it into a year-round brand and gave it a quirky mascot — Wedgehead. Despite slick marketing and a 2016 Super Bowl ad starring comedian T.J. Miller, the brand never captured the same grassroots following as Blue Moon. Many craft beer fans saw Shock Top as inauthentic — a macro-brewed imposter with a forced personality. That perception didn’t improve with time. A 2017 rebrand focused more heavily on Wedgehead and loud packaging, but failed to reverse declining sales. In 2023, Anheuser-Busch sold Shock Top and several other brands to Tilray Brands amid the fallout from the Bud Light boycott. It was a financial house-cleaning for AB InBev. For Tilray, it was a step toward becoming one of America’s largest craft beer companies.

Tilray’s craft empire grows

Tilray, a Canadian-based cannabis company, now owns a sprawling portfolio of formerly independent breweries, including SweetWater, Montauk, Alpine, Breckenridge, and beyond. This helped Tilray climbed to No. 4 on the Brewers Association’s 2024 list of top 50 craft brewing companies by volume. That’s notable because Tilray meets the Brewers Association definition of a craft brewer — small, independent, and traditional — even if its playbook looks more like a corporate rollup. The company is quickly becoming a major force in U.S. craft beer.

What’s in Shock Top’s lineup today?

Shock Top’s flagship remains its Belgian White — an unfiltered wheat ale brewed with orange, lemon, and lime peels. Today Tilray is keeping the brand fresh with variants like:

• Cosmic Berry
• Mango Island Wheat
• Lemonade Shandy
• Twisted Pretzel Wheat

Last year, the brand also launched Shock Top LiiT, a 9% ABV hard iced tea available in flavors like Original, Peach, and Raspberry. Sold in tallboy cans and variety packs, it’s designed for tailgates and bonfires — a clear push toward flavored alcohol consumers.

Can a legacy brand be reborn?

Shock Top’s journey is anything but ordinary. Born from a macro’s marketing department, rejected by purists, nearly forgotten, and now revived under a cannabis conglomerate with craft credentials — it’s a story few could predict. What’s next? We’ll keep you updated.