Hop Butcher Francheezie 4Pk

Hop Butcher Francheezie 4Pk is a Citra and Peacharine-hopped West Coast Pilsner brewed at 5.0% ABV and sold in a four-pack of cans. Brewed as a collaboration between Hop Butcher for the World and Chicago beer shop Bitter Pops, Francheezie bridges the hop intensity of a West Coast IPA with the crisp drinkability of a classic pilsner — a style that has rapidly gained traction among craft beer drinkers seeking flavor without weight.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.0%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: West Coast Pilsner  |  Brewery: Hop Butcher for the World  |  Collaboration: Bitter Pops

Production & Heritage

Hop Butcher for the World operates out of Chicago, Illinois, with production facilities in nearby Bedford Park. The brewery has built a devoted following through a rotating roster of hop-driven releases, and Francheezie continues that trajectory by applying a West Coast IPA hopping philosophy to a pilsner base. Citra hops contribute bright citrus and tropical fruit character, while Peacharine — a newer hop variety prized for stone fruit and floral qualities — layers in peachy aromatics. The result is a beer with more intense hop aroma, flavor, and bitterness than a traditional American lager, finished with a distinctly contemporary dry-hopped attitude.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Peach and citrus lead the nose, followed by floral hop notes and a faint malt sweetness underneath. The dry-hopped character is immediately apparent, bright and aromatic without veering into resinous territory.

Taste: The entry is clean and malt-forward, quickly giving way to assertive hop bitterness at the mid-palate. Citrus and berry notes emerge alongside the Peacharine's stone fruit contribution, blending into an almost rind-like flavor that keeps things complex. The body stays light and bubbly, reinforcing the pilsner backbone.

Finish: The finish is crisp and dry with a lasting resinous hop bitterness that lingers without cloying. A subtle malt sweetness rounds out the tail end, making the next sip come naturally.

How to Drink Francheezie

Serve cold — around 38–42°F — straight from the can or poured into a pilsner glass to release the dry-hopped aromatics. This is a beer designed to be drunk fresh, so don't cellar it. A Radler works well here, mixing Francheezie with fresh lemon juice to amplify the citrus hop notes. It also makes a solid base for a Beer Margarita (Beergarita), where the hop bitterness pairs naturally with lime and salt. For something simple, try a Michelada — the crisp, bitter backbone stands up to hot sauce and Clamato without getting buried.

Best For

• Backyard cookouts where you want hop flavor without IPA heaviness
• Introducing hop-curious lager drinkers to the West Coast Pilsner style
• Pairing with grilled sausages — the name practically demands it
• Warm-weather sessions where drinkability matters as much as flavor

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Francheezie taste like? Francheezie delivers bright citrus and peach hop flavors over a clean pilsner base, finishing crisp and dry with a pronounced hop bitterness that lingers. The mouthfeel is bubbly and light, making it highly drinkable despite its hop-forward character.

How does Francheezie compare to Timbo Pils by Highland Park Brewery? Timbo Pils is widely credited with popularizing the West Coast Pilsner style and tends toward a more balanced, classic interpretation. Francheezie leans harder into contemporary hop character with its Citra and Peacharine dry-hopping, delivering more pronounced stone fruit and tropical aromatics at a similar 5.0% ABV.

Is Francheezie good for lager drinkers exploring craft beer? Yes — at 5.0% ABV with a clean pilsner foundation, it serves as an accessible entry point into hop-forward styles without the alcohol or body of a full IPA. The familiar lager crispness keeps things approachable while the dry-hopping adds genuine complexity.

Where is Francheezie made? Francheezie is brewed by Hop Butcher for the World, a Chicago-based brewery with production facilities in Bedford Park, Illinois. It was created as a collaboration with Bitter Pops, a well-known Chicago beer retailer.

What foods pair well with Francheezie? Grilled bratwurst or Chicago-style hot dogs match the hop bitterness with smoky, savory fat. Fish tacos with citrus slaw echo the Citra hop's tropical notes. Soft pretzels with mustard play off the malt backbone, and a sharp cheddar or aged gouda creates a satisfying contrast to the beer's dry finish.

What sizes does Francheezie come in? Francheezie is available in a four-pack of cans, which is the standard format for Hop Butcher's rotating releases.

Is Francheezie worth the price? Francheezie positions as a small-batch craft release from a well-regarded Chicago brewery, and its pricing reflects that limited-run approach. For drinkers who value hop-driven pilsners with fresh, rotating hop bills, the four-pack delivers strong value within the craft pilsner category.

Why Francheezie?

What sets Francheezie apart is its specific hop combination — Citra and Peacharine together create a stone fruit and citrus profile that most West Coast Pilsners, which tend to rely on more conventional hop varieties, simply don't achieve. The collaboration with Bitter Pops signals a beer made with retail-level consumer insight, not just brewery experimentation. At 5.0% ABV, it sits in the sweet spot where hop intensity and sessionability genuinely coexist. For anyone tracking the West Coast Pilsner movement, Francheezie represents a focused, well-executed take on the style from one of Chicago's most prolific hop-forward breweries.