Full Sail Brewing Co. Elevates Session Lager with New Beers and a Striking Retro Refresh

HOOD RIVER, OR – March 3, 2026 – Full Sail Brewing Company, Hood River’s award-winning brewery since 1987, is proud to celebrate iconic Session Lager’s 21st birthday by debuting two new lager styles to accompany it on shelves this spring.

Built on twenty-one years of consistency and balance, this 30-time gold medal-winning American craft lager will be complemented by the launch of two brand-new styles:

• Session Japanese Rice Lager: Brewed with rice for a lighter body and ultra-clean finish and hopped with Sorachi Ace for defined lemon zest and delicate herbal spice character. Crisp, dry, and sessionable.
• Session West Coast Lager: All-malt and hop-forward, featuring Anchovy and Mosaic hops layered for bright citrus and tropical aromatics with firm, clean bitterness and a snappy finish. Classic West Coast character—dialed in for maximum drinkability.

Alongside the new beers, Session Classic reintroduces its original bold, retro-inspired packaging—a tribute to the design that first hit shelves in 2005. The refreshed look honors the beer’s 21-year legacy while reconnecting with the spirit that made it the ultimate “anywhere” beer.

“Session is 21 years strong, and we’re not standing still,” says Pat Tiernan, CEO of Full Sail Brewing Company. “The new lagers show exactly where we’re headed—bold flavor, easy drinking, lower ABV, and built for real-life occasions from the backyard BBQ to the weekend outdoors—all within a new look that honors our history and reminds people why they fell in love with it in the first place. Whether you’re in a lawn chair or on a mountain peak, it’s the perfect beer for the experience.”

“Lager brewing is a technical discipline—fermentation control, raw material selection, and balance are everything,” says Garrett Meier, VP of Operations at Full Sail Brewing Company. “For the Japanese Rice Lager, we used the Japanese hop Sorachi Ace to bring defined lemon zest and fresh herbal character over a lean, rice-driven body and dry finish. The West Coast Lager takes a different approach: all-malt structure layered with loads of Anchovy and Mosaic hops to deliver bright citrus and tropical aromatics, all supported by a balanced bitterness. The right way to mark Session’s 21st anniversary was to lean into what we do best: clean, flavorful, highly drinkable beer.”

Starting this spring, the redesigned Session Classic Lager, Japanese Rice Lager, and West Coast Lager will be available in draft and 12 oz. cans (6-packs and 15-packs) throughout the Pacific Northwest and Colorado. Follow us @fullsailbrewing