Notch Brewing is marking its 15th anniversary by reviving a beer that stirred the pot when it first launched and remains just as provocative now.
The Mule, a dry-hopped Pale Lager brewed with corn, has returned for the Salem, Massachusetts brewery this summer, not just to celebrate a milestone, but to reengage with the conversation around traditional ingredients and the overall industry’s evolving narrative.
Originally released in 2012, The Mule was born out of protest. At the time, the Brewers Association had taken a hard stance against adjuncts like corn and rice — calling into question the “craft” status of those who used them. That didn’t sit well with Notch founder and brewer Chris Lohring.
“There was a strategy by the largest craft brewers (and the Brewers Association) to protect their position, and it was not always for the benefit of small brewers,” Lohring said. “The adjunct provision in their definition was a pretty clear example of this, and every time Boston Beer was in danger of losing their craft beer status, the definition changed.”
The original Mule came packaged in 22-ounce bombers and doubled as a tongue-in-cheek rebuke of those industry norms. Today’s re-release brings back that same spirit, albeit with some small updates to the process — and a renewed sense of purpose.
“Nostalgia drove its return, as well as an opportunity to make fun of the Brewers Association,” Lohring said. “How does it speak to the brand? I guess we never followed trends, but somehow a few have come around to us. The trend would have happened anyway, we just happened to be stupid enough to go it alone.”
While The Mule may seem like a curiosity in Notch’s otherwise heritage Lager-focused lineup — which includes rigorously traditional Czech and German styles made with decoction mashing, open fermentation, and extended horizontal lagering — it underscores a broader point about flavor and perception. For Lohring, the industry’s past messaging around corn did real damage, and not just to ingredient reputation.
“Craft beer is in the state that it is in, partly due to this narrative dogma,” he said. “It’s hard to tell your consumers that Pale Lager is ‘yellow fizzy beer is for wussies’ and then make a Pale Lager a few years later without losing credibility.
“New brewers came in and gave a middle finger to the old guard and brewed with corn because it is a fantastic ingredient to work with.”
The Mule’s modern recipe uses malted corn from Valley Malt, based in Massachusetts, and is dry-hopped with Sterling and Crystal. Lohring noted that earlier batches included corn grits and a full cereal mash, a labor-intensive process that many brewers eschew today.
“The original used corn grits and cereal mash (brewers, please don’t use flaked corn and call it a cereal mash),” Loring wrote in an email to Brewer. “Then we used malted corn for a bit. We stuck with malted corn because it’s less terrifying than a cereal mash. The flavor is about the same. Otherwise, it’s the same beer.”
Despite the flavor impact — a perceived sweetness and lightness that fits cleanly into the hop-forward Lager profile, Lohring notes — the beer still causes hesitation for some drinkers.
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“We make Czech and German Lager as classically as they do there… and when customers see a Corn Lager they have a puzzled look,” Lohring said.
Technically, The Mule is one of only two Lagers in Notch’s production that sees dry hopping. While it doesn’t get the full open fermentation treatment, it otherwise follows Notch’s Lager protocols in terms of tank time and conditioning.
“That was by design, to show people that bland beer is not ingredient derived, but recipe driven,” Lohring said. “Mass-marketed light lager is bland by design, not because of corn.”
For brewers curious about using adjuncts like corn but still wary of industry stigmas, Lohring offers a challenge.
“What are you in business for?” he asked. “To be a cover band or to write originals?”
With The Mule back on tap for its anniversary celebration, Notch Brewing is revisiting a classic from its portfolio while continuing to push the industry to think more critically about its definitions, assumptions, and taste preferences. If that means getting a few sideways glances along the way, Lohring is more than okay with it.
“It’s an oddball,” he said. “But we’re proud of it. We always have been.”
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