Athletic Brewing Company Announces Country Music Star Walker Hayes As New CFO, Chief Fancy Officer

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Apr 10, 2024, 09:00 ET

GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter teams up with America's largest non-alcoholic brewery to launch new 'Fancy Like' collaboration brew

MILFORD, Conn. and SAN DIEGO, April 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Athletic Brewing Company, America's largest non-alcoholic brewery, has named GRAMMY-nominated country music star Walker Hayes its first-ever Chief Fancy Officer.

As CFO (Chief Fancy Officer), the Nashville-based singer-songwriter's first order of business was to help craft a new classic American Pale called Fancy Like. Named after Hayes' breakout hit and inspired by the first brews he ever drank, Fancy Like is a no-frills non-alcoholic beer made for easy drinkin' and simple livin'.

"Joining Athletic Brewing as Chief Fancy Officer and helping craft my very own non-alcoholic beer has been a dream come true," said Hayes. "Fancy Like is an all-American brew made for pilsner lovers. It's crisp, clean, and as traditional as they come."

To get the good times going, Athletic Brewing has launched a presale of Fancy Like on www.athleticbrewing.com before the brew officially goes on sale on April 25. The first 1,000 online orders of Fancy Like include the ultimate backcountry chalice: a reusable red stemmed party cup perfect for tailgates and trick shots.

The partnership between Hayes and Athletic Brewing is two years in the making. Hayes, who gave up alcohol eight years ago, discovered Athletic brews in 2022 and began posting about the brand on social media. Hayes also took Athletic brews on tour with him for his headlining arena tour, The Duck Buck Tour, in the summer of 2023.

"Before Walker was Athletic Brewing's Chief Fancy Officer, he was a fan," said Andrew Katz, Chief Marketing Officer of Athletic Brewing Company. "After seeing his passion and enthusiasm for the brand, we knew we needed to bring him in to work with our team. Now, not only are we the number one non-alcoholic beer brand in America over the last 26 weeks, but our fancy levels are accelerating faster than ever before."

In addition to being sold on www.athleticbrewing.com, 6-packs of Fancy Like will be available for purchase at select retailers in 25 states. Each 12 oz. can of Fancy Like is less than 0.5% ABV and contains 60 calories, 12g of carbs, <1g of protein, and 0g of fat.

The launch of Walker Hayes' Fancy Like non-alcoholic beer coincides with the debut of his latest music project, Sober Thoughts, a collection of songs about Hayes' journey to sobriety.

In his new single "Same Drunk," Hayes sings about how everyone is dealing with something and we're all in it together. A music video for Same Drunk features the Fancy Like collaboration brew. Hayes also just announced his next headlining tour, "The Same Drunk Tour," which will kick off on May 30, 2024, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Launched in 2018, Athletic Brewing is the number one non-alcoholic beer brand in the U.S., with over 18% market share and dollar sales growing more than 68%¹.

To locate a U.S. retailer in your area, please visit the Athletic Brewing storefinder. Please follow Athletic Brewing on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, and YouTube to stay up-to-date on all things Athletic.

About Athletic Brewing

Athletic Brewing Company is the largest and most decorated non-alcoholic brewery in America. Athletic is revolutionizing how modern adults drink by crafting game-changing NA beer that can be consumed anytime and anywhere. Launched in 2018, Athletic is now the number one non-alcoholic beer brand in America² and a top 25 U.S. beer company³. Its award-winning brews are available at more than 50,000 retailers and 25,000 on-premise venues nationwide. Athletic operates custom breweries in Connecticut and California and donates up to $2 million annually to protecting and restoring outdoor spaces across the globe via its Two For The Trails program. Athletic is proudly a Certified B Corporation™. Learn more and shop at www.athleticbrewing.com.

About Walker Hayes

Monument Records recording artist Walker Hayes is a singer/songwriter originally from Mobile, Alabama. In 2021, his smash hit "Fancy Like" topped every country music sales and streaming chart, spent more than six months at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart, hit the top 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 Songs, hit No. 1 at country radio, and gave Hayes his first GRAMMY Award nomination as an artist for Best Country Song. That track, as well as follow-up singles "AA," "Y'all Life," and "Good With Me" have made Hayes one of the top-selling and streamed artists in country music. His current project Sober Thoughts includes single "Same Drunk" and saw Hayes partnering with Athletic Brewing on a custom non-alcoholic beer.

Hayes just announced his next headlining tour, The Same Drunk Tour, which follows his last arena tours, The Duck Buck Tour and the Glad You're Here Tour. The Glad You're Here Tour is the same title as the book Hayes released in 2022 with his best friend, Craig Allen Cooper, detailing his journey to finding Christ.

^1,2NielsenIQ, Total US xAOC + Liq Plus + Conv, 26 Wks ending 3/23/24.
³ Circana Total US - Multi Outlet + Conv, CYTD ending 3/24/24

SOURCE Athletic Brewing Company