WNBA great and Connecticut Sun legend Tina Charles is continuing the story of 78 Brewing Co. with the release of SUNSET Hazy IPA, a craft beer created to honor the players, fans and coaches who helped build the Connecticut Sun legacy.
SUNSET is the second release from Charles’ Connecticut-based company, which she founded as a home for craft beer brands built around stories of discipline, excellence, community and achievement. The release follows the July debut of 78-0 Hazy IPA, a beer inspired by the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team’s historic 78-game winning streak and the back-to-back undefeated national championship seasons Charles helped lead.
Charles, the WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder, three-time Olympic gold medalist and former WNBA MVP, launched 78 Brewing Co. with the belief that some of life’s most meaningful stories are shared over a great beer. Each release is designed to connect a beer with the people and moments behind its story.
With SUNSET, that story shifts from Charles’ UConn roots to the professional franchise that helped shape her career and her connection to Connecticut.
SUNSET uses the same hazy IPA recipe established for 78-0, delivering a bright, citrus-forward profile with tropical fruit character. Brewed with Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops, the beer is 6.5% ABV.
The visual identity of SUNSET draws directly from the Connecticut Sun, featuring bold Sun Orange and Sun Yellow colors along with a patterned ribbon around the rim of the can. The design is intended to evoke the team’s identity while giving the beer its own place within the 78 Brewing Co. portfolio.
The release also represents a continuation of Charles’ approach to building 78 Brewing Co. around authentic stories rather than simply attaching a celebrity name to a beer. The company was founded after Charles recognized both an opportunity to bring her own experiences into the craft beer category and the need for greater representation in an industry where Black-owned breweries remain a small fraction of the U.S. market.
78-0 established that approach by turning a defining chapter of Charles’ collegiate career into a beer and brand platform. SUNSET expands the concept by celebrating a professional basketball community and the people connected to a franchise that has played a significant role in Charles’ career.
SUNSET Hazy IPA is now available at Mohegan Sun Arena and will roll out across Connecticut through the fall.
For more information about 78 Brewing Co. and its beers, visit 78 Brewing Co.
