Skip to main content
CraftJacks

What is Puppers Beer? Can You Buy Letterkenny's Golden Lager in the United States?

Boy, Howdy! You can buy Puppers Beer, Letterkenny's Official Beer, in Canada, but can you buy it in the United States? Let's find out!

Puppers Beer is the official beer of Letterkenny. It is brewed by Mill Street Brewery in Toronto, Ontario
Photo Credit to Stack Brewing

Wayne, Katy Kat, Dary, and Squirrely Dan drink Puppers Beer, and now you can too, thanks to Mill Street Brewery (previously Labatt Brewing and Stack Brewing of Ontario, CA).

Puppers is a premium light lager that is perfect for lawn mowing, hand sawing, super-soft birthday party throwing, trash-talking (think Shoresy chirps), glove-tossing, knuckle-dusting and rabble-rousing. Speaking of soft birthday parties, if you want to make that party super-duper soft, get your good buddy some super-duper high quality, non-alcoholic beer.

You don't need to be the toughest guy in Letterkenny to enjoy a few Puppers. To be fair, you don't even need to be a guy to enjoy this easy drinking golden lager. But should you have a few Puppers, be warned, you may find yourself in a donnybrook, like Ol' Wayne.

Buy Puppers Gear on Amazon

Wayne and Squirrely Dan drinking bottles of cold Puppers Golden Lager at the Produce Stand
Letterkenny Season 10. Get us guys a Puppers! | Photo Credit to @LetterkenyProb

For all you Letterkenny Pheasants, the lager itself is good for all-day drinking, whether that's after some early morning yardwork, or it's dowsing your liver during a NHL playoff best of 7. Actually, better to toss a few Puppers down the gullet than to rip too many pulls off the ol' Gus N' Bru bottle. If not, you might miss Period 3 of Game 7.

If you're just looking for a brew your Pupper can consume, check out Busch Dog Brew

Is Puppers a Real Beer?

Yes, Puppers Beer is a real Canadian beer made by Mill Street Brewery currently and previously by Labatt Brewing and Stack Brewing out of Sudbury, ON. It started as a fictional beer from CraveTV's Letterkenny (now on Hulu in U.S.), where Puppers Beer first appeared (and remained) in brown bottle format in Season 2 of the series. It was then named in Season 3 when the words, "Get this guy a %@$&*! Puppers!" were said in the cold opening.

As far as dog-related beer names go, Puppers Beer is pert-near the top of the list. Speaking of naming it Puppers, the gang argues over craft beer names at the Ukranian Hall, during Bock et Biche, the final episode of Season 5. Though hilarious, Puppers Beer is a better beer name than what they spit out there. It's also the same episode that they unveil Guy & Bruce Whisky.

Puppers Golden Lager is the offical beer of Letterkenny. Available for purchase in Canada, not in the United States.
photo credit to labatt breweries & @officialpuppers

Letterkenny Craft Beer Names (Bock et Biche Episode)

  • So Hoppy Together
  • Mountain Mittens Alpine Ale
  • Stout and About
  • Happy Hamster Honey
  • Partridge Berry Pilsner

Stack Brewing made it real in 2017, as Puppers Beer did not exist before Letterkenny. They are a small brewery in Sudbury, Ontario. We imagine how Puppers came to be brewed by Stack is that the cast was in the brewery often after shoots since Letterkenny is filmed in the town.

Listen to the The Product Stand Podcast as they interview K. Trevor Wilson (aka Squirrely Dan) from Letterkenny

The Produce Stand Pod w/ K. Trevor Wilson

A weekly podcast reviewing and recapping episodes of the great Canadian show Letterkenny! Check out our latest interview with K. Trevor Wilson (Squirrely Dan).

Listen Now

What kind of beer is Puppers?

Puppers Beer is a golden lager.

Where is Puppers Beer for sale?

Puppers Beer is now served at Mill Street Brewery in Toronto, Ontario. The LCBO stores also sell it. LCBO stands for Liquor Control Board of Ontario. It is also available at the Beer Store and Sobey's in and around Ontario starting on Canada Day (July 1st), thanks to Labatt Brewing.

Prior to, when Puppers was brewed by Stack Brewing, you could find 473ml cans of the beer at the LCBO stores and at the Stack Brewing retail shop. There were also rumors that Puppers Beer was available where Stack shipped, including North Bay, Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Toronto, White River and more.

Somehow, someway, Puppers was even available in the province of Alberta for a time. And, if memory serves us correct, Puppers was available in Michigan back in the Stack days.

Where can I buy Puppers Beer in the USA?

Unfortunately, you can't buy Puppers Beer in the United States. This was true when Stack Brewing was making the beer, which was to be expected since they are a small brewery with limited beer distribution, and it is true in 2021, as Labatt Brewing, despite their size and current distribution model to the United States, will not ship Puppers Beer to the USA. It's also true in 2023, as Mill Street does not ship to the USA.

It would be convenient if somehow you could order Puppers online through Labatt and just have them drop it over the border in Michigan, Ohio or Wisconsin, the way it was during the Stack Brewing days. Labatt is big enough and Letterkenny has grown popular enough to support US distribution of the premium golden lager, even to places as far as Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Even people in Niagara Falls and Ottawa struggle to get their hands on a can and they're Canadian. In cities such as Buffalo, NY, consumers want this beverage. So please, Labatt, deliver Puppers to us. Make it happen. Get this guy a Puppers!

How to get Puppers Beer in the USA

According to the Government of Canada, you are allowed to bring 8.5 litres / 287 ounces of beer across the border into the United States. This roughly equates to a case of beer. So, if you travel to Cananda, which is possible now that the border is open, you could effectively return to the USA with a case of Puppers Beer.

Just remember, you are responsible for paying duty on the imported Puppers Golden Lager.

Night Shift Brewing's Letterkenny Tribute, How 'R Ya Now
Not so bad! The Product Stand is right on the can of Night Shift's How 'R Ya Now

Our biggest question is whether or not the Letterkenny team, as well as representatives at Labatt, will be working with venues around the country during the Letterkenny Live Tour to bring Puppers Beer to the U.S.A. with them.

Alternatives to Puppers Beer you can buy in the USA?

Here are a few beers to sip whilst chorin' on the farm or tossin' right hooks at degens, should you not be able to get ahold of Puppers in the United States.

  1. How 'R Ya Now (Night Shift Brewing)
  2. To Be Fair (Night Shift Brewing)
  3. Good N' You (Springdale)
  4. Backcheck IPA (Smuttynose)
  5. Who's a Good Beer
  6. To quote Bill Belichick, "Whatever is cold"

What Does the Puppers Beer Label Say?

Despite the CraveTV series characters only drinking Puppers Beer from brown bottles, Stack Brewing, and subsequently, Labatt Brewing, ships Puppers by can. As such, here is what each brewery had to say about the beer.

Stack Brewing Puppers Beer Can Label

  • Front: Puppers Premium Lager, the Official Beer of Letterkenny
  • Back: "People, persons, peasants, pheasants. We proudly present a palate pleasing potion for pals parched proper. Pertnear the whole population'll be pilin'up to partake promptly... so pitter-patter, partner. Who’s a good beer? Puppers. Perfect."

Labatt Brewing Puppers Beer Can Label

  • Front: Pure. Golden. Loyal. Puppers Golden Lager, the Official Beer of Letterkenny.
  • Back: This deep golden coloured lager features a grainy and bready-like aroma with slightly spicy hop notes. The grainy malty sweetness is perfectly balanced with drying hop bitterness. The body is low-medium and the beer has a slightly dry, sulphur toned finish. (allegedly)

What Does Puppers Beer Taste Like?

The Labatt Breweries release said this about their golden lager, "Made with pale and caramel malts and German Perle hops, Puppers is perfectly in balance between malt and hops and sweetness and bitterness. Slightly grainy and yeasty, this dark golden lager is perfectly balanced with a slightly drying, sulfur-toned finish."

We found Puppers Premium Lager to be a bit bready too, so we doubt they changed the brew recipe too much with the change in brewer. Anything is possible though.

And to be fair (to be fairrrrr), drinking Puppers is way better than drinking Donkey Juice, as that will make you spit. It's also a great beer for Waterfall-style drinking games.

Independent Puppers Beer Reviews

Here are a few takes on Puppers Beer. We think it's a good beer.

This next review of Puppers Beer is from two Riley & Jonesy lookin' fellas who we bet also hate leg day. They probably crushed a few sandos before relaxing in their plastic adirondacks and slamming back a few cans of Puppers. Ferda!

Here's one from the MapleRuski. The MapleRuski gives his Puppers Beer review on the Stack Brewing version of the golden lager.

The History of Puppers Beer

The history of Puppers Beer is purely Canadian at this point, with two Canadian breweries taking turns at brewing the lager. Hopefully it will grow to be a bit more North American in the future though. Hopefully Labatt will produce Puppers Golden Lager and ship it to the United States in 2022 and beyond.

Stack Brewing & Puppers Beer

Stack Brewing, which opened in 2013, is a craft beer brewery that is one of Sudbury's half dozen or so. Puppers was a limited release for the brewery, selling it out of their retail store and at LCBO stores for awhile. It was too bad Stack didn't sell kegs of Puppers, we'd have driven to Sudbury, Ontario for that. Then again, not sure customs would let us haul a half barrel across the border.

When they released Puppers Premium Lager, they had this to say, "Puppers is a 4% premium lager, it’s everything you could want in a beer. This golden lager has a satisfying taste that will get along with anyone. It’s a faithful friend that will always be by your side. Pure. Loyal. Golden."

Puppers isn't the highest alcohol content beer we've tried, not by any stretch. In fact, it comes in less than a Coronita beer, at least, the Stack Brewing version did.

Puppers Premium Lager (Stack Brewing)

  • 4% ABV
  • 11 IBU

Stack Brewing Award-Winning Craft Beers

  • Black Rock
  • Expansion
  • Impact

Labatt Brewing & Puppers Beer

Labatt Brewing is a member of Anheuser-Busch InBev, has been since 1995, we thinks. Labatt Breweries took over brewing Puppers Beer from Stack Brewing in 2021, selling the beer at the LCBO, Beer Store and Sobey's in and around Ontario in the summer. Letterkenny fans, at least those in Canada, rejoiced at this news - news shared by Mark Montefiore, President, New Metric Media.

We wish we could have gotten our hands on those pale-lager transformed and liquified caramel malts and Perle hops. Maybe once the border opens up, we'll go find ourselves celebrating St. Perfect's Day, listening to some Agricultural music at an Ag Hall, and, tossin' knuckles with some upcountry degens. Or, you know, attending a rave that the skids put on while handing out stickers to the partygoers. Either way, we need this award-winning pale lager to consume.

Puppers Golden Lager (Labatt Breweries)

  • 5% ABV
  • ? IBU
Letterkenny Beer Koozies to put your Puppers Beer in Buy the Koozies

Labatt Brewing Beers

  • Labatt Blue
  • Labatt Bleue Dry
  • Labatt Light

Mill Street Brewery & Puppers Beer

It seems that Toronto's Mill Street Brewery took over the production of the lager either in 2022 or 2023. Updates to follow.

Puppers Golden Lager (Mill Street Brewery)

  • 5% ABV
  • ? IBU

What Do Letterkenny Characters Drink?

Letterkenny, the first original series by CraveTV, is loosely about Jared Keeso's (Wayne) small rural hometown in pastoral Ontario (Listowel). Beyond Keeso, the other main character actors are K. Trevor Wilson, who plays Squirrely Dan, Nathan Dales, who plays good buddy, Daryl, and Michele Mylett, who plays sister, Katy. All of these character are ideal compliments to straight man Wayne.

What's more, all of these characters drink heavily on the TV show. It seems like just about every other scene Wayne & crew are polishing off a few Puppers or some Gus N' Bru Whisky. The big question we have is how many Puppers beers do you think the town (hicks, skids, hockey players, et. al) consumes?

Gotta be hundreds, and that's just MoDean's I. If we count MoDean's II and III, that number might just scare off an ostrich. Forecheck, Backcheck, Paycheck, Bro!

What beer does Letterkenny drink?

Puppers Premium Lager. Whether that's Wayne, Katy, Daryl and Squirrely Dan tossing back bottle after bottle of at the Produce Stand, MoDean's I, II or III, or on their adventures around Letterkenny, Puppers Beer seems to take center stage on the show.

And, they aren't the only characters drinking the beer. Joint Boy is offered a drink after the scrap in Super Soft Birthday, which is Episode #2.

What is Gus N' Bru whiskey?

Akin to Letterkenny Puppers, Gus N' Bru is the official Letterkenny liquor. Hicks, Pheasants, and generally anyone looking for a fight takes a swig of Gus N' Bru Irish Whiskey before getting in a scrap.

Gus N Bru is the perfect complement to Wayne's Favourite Beer, Puppers Premium Lager. It's ideal for drinking at the produce stand, before a fracas, tossin' in your morning coffee, or, when hosting a super soft birthday party for one's good buddy.

Like Letterkenny Puppers Beer, you can't buy Gus N' Bru in the United States. For that matter, you can't buy Gus N' Bru in Canada either. Unlike Puppers Beer, Gus N' Bru Whisky isn't real. Yet.

What is real, however, is that Banger Brewing out of Las Vegas brewed Gus N' Bru, a 10% abv Scotch Ale. Vegas is the last place anyone should be swilling imperial-class craft beers. You know how they say, "Ain't no laws when you're drinking White Claws" ... well that doesn't apply here.

If you get a Gus N' Bru from Banger Brewing, take it home and enjoy it safely. Also, no playing the Letterkenny Drinking game when hitting the imperial sauce.

Gus N' Bru label

The label on the bottle seems to claim that it's an old style whiskey - a traditional irish rye.

Letterkenny Merch (Shirts and Gifts)

Plenty of it to shop. Get yourself Puppers Beer gear on Amazon. Or, a "Who's a good boy?" pupper poster. Sure, Gus N' Bru tank tops, t-shirts, iPhone cases, wall art canvas prints, and other home decor is real. But sadly, the pre-beatdown bourbon is not.

Pitter Patter!

We have no relationship with Stack Brewing, Labatts, Letterkenny, or the ownership of Letterkenny Puppers. This is just a review of puppers beer.

FAQs

Where can I buy Puppers Beer in BC?

If the LCBOs, Beer Stores and Sobeys carry Puppers Beer in British Columbia, then that is where you could and should buy them.

Where can I buy Puppers Beer in Alberta?

Liquor Depots. Also, the Sherbrooke Liquor Store in Edmonton.

Can you buy Puppers Beer at Total Wine?

No. Unfortunately Puppers Beer is not sold at Total Wine. Further Total Wine does not have a store in Canada.

How much does Puppers Beer cost?

It costs $3.15 for a 473ml can of Puppers Beer through the LCBO. The price of Puppers Beer at MoDean's in Letterkenny (the show) is $4.00.

Do they drink real alcohol on Letterkenny?

Unsure. It sure seemed like they were all a bit hammered on the last episode of Season 10. As for Gus N' Bru and Puppers Beer, the latter is drinkable, where the former is not.

What do they actually drink in Letterkenny?

We've covered this a bunch, but Gus N' Bru and Puppers Beer, the official irish whiskey and beer of Letterkenny. They also drink Caesars.