Voltron and beer fans, unite! 4 Hands Brewing Company will launch a series of new beers inspired by the ’80s animated series Voltron, brewed in collaboration with NBC Universal, St. Louis–based World Events Productions, and five breweries from across the country. Each brewery is creating its own recipe, all of which will be brewed at 4 Hands.
The Beer
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The Voltron beers will be released in six volumes over the next two years. Each “volume” will represent one of the Voltron lions. The breweries include:
- Narrow Gauge (Florissant): The first beer represents the Yellow Lion and is a Double Hazy IPA (7.5% ABV). The beer uses a thiolozed yeast from St. Louis–based Omega yeast called “Helio Gazer.” With the addition of citra, mosaic, and galaxy hops, the beer has bursts of passionfruit, guava, and grapefruit. It pours with a slightly hazy body and a huge aroma on the nose.
- Southern Grist Brewing (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Hop Butcher for the World (Chicago, Illinois)
- Tripping Animals Brewing (Doral, Florida)
- WeldWerks Brewing (Greeley, Colorado)
While each brewery knows in advance which “Voltron Lion” that its beer will represent and there is a tentative release schedule, 4 Hands owner Kevin Lemp says they plan to remain flexible on recipes and release dates to accommodate market changes. “We want to be spontaneous, and each brewery will have 90 days before finalizing the recipes,” says Lemp. “So as far as styles, everything and anything is possible.”
As for the sixth beer? In the cartoon, the five lions combine to create Voltron. In the same spirit, Volume Six will be a Barrel-Aged Blend created with all participating breweries, says Lemp. “In essence a collab with everyone.”
The label art also promises to be something special. “We are working with Josh Rowan, the St. Louis–based artist behind most of our labels,” says Lemp. “Josh is bringing the anime series to life by featuring the five lions from which Voltron is composed on each successive label. The assets were all approved by NBC. They had strict guidelines, and they are sensitive to that, but it worked well and ended up being a fun process. The label, as soon as you see it, is all Voltron.”
The Background
If you’re of a certain age, then you likely have fond memories of waking up early, throwing your Star Wars covers off your bed, rushing to the kitchen to fix yourself a bowl of your favorite sugary cereal, and plopping down in front of the TV for your morning ritual of watching Saturday morning cartoons.
For Lemp, his childhood Saturday morning cartoon experience took place in the mid-1980s, and his show of choice was Voltron. “When I was a kid, I would wake up and put a blank VCR and record the Voltron show,” he recalls. “In my generation, you were either into Voltron or Transformers. I was all in on Voltron, and it was a huge part of my childhood.”
For those either too old or too young to remember the original Voltron, here’s a quick primer:
- The show’s actual name is Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
- The ran for 124 episodes, from 1984–1985.
- The show was produced by Peter Keefe and Ted Koplar through his St. Louis–based production company, World Events Productions (WEP).
- The show features five robot lions that combine to form Voltron. Each lion has a different elemental power. The Yellow Lion corresponds with the Earth. The Black Lion corresponds with lightning. The Red Lion corresponds with fire. The Green Lion corresponds with the forest. The Blue Lion corresponds with Water and Ice. Together they form the body of Voltron.
Ted Koplar, who passed away in April 2021, was known as a pioneer and innovator in the television industry and beyond. A native St. Louisan, he grew hometown favorite KPLR-TV into one of the most successful independent television stations in the country. In a career filled with accomplishments, Koplar’s launch of Voltron was a huge risk, but one that he took pride in producing.
“He was most proud of the message of Voltron that transcended the show—that by working together we can overcome even the most impossible odds,” says Ted’s son, Bob Koplar. “He was a very humble person, and to see the lasting impression the show made on so many people was deeply touching to him.”
The Voltron legend remains alive and well online and around St. Louis. “We operate a restaurant in the Central West End called Edera Italian Eatery,” says Bob Koplar. “Throughout the space, there are certain homages to Voltron, subtle and not so subtle.” Rachel Stuber, a manager at Edera, thought it would be a good idea to have Voltron beer on tap, but that did not exist—yet.
“With Rachel’s idea in mind, we approached the creative minds at 4 Hands Brewing to remedy that,” says Bob Koplar. “Kevin Lemp immediately jumped on the idea.” After a few meetings, both parties began to get creative.
Now, for the first time ever, Voltron fans (of a certain age) can come together and toast over a delicious IPA. The 45-year-old Bob Koplar, who recalls first watching the show when he was 6 years old, adds, “I would say it’s about time.”
