Since 2011, a combined passion for craft brews and community has built 4 Hands Brewing Co. in St. Louis into a local powerhouse. Key to the brand’s success, says founder Kevin Lemp, is an ongoing commitment to letting customers be a part of what’s rolling out of the brewery. 

“We feel pretty passionate that we don’t own our brands,” he says. “The customers own our brands, and the customers tell us what is working and what is not working.” 

In 2025, 4 Hands began rotating out a segment of its core lineup to make room for new offerings. Single Speed — an easy-drinking American blonde ale with a hint of citrus — was one of the beers on the chopping block. 

“We decided that Single Speed had lived its life cycle, and we needed to reinvigorate that spot,” Lemp says, adding that the move gave 4 Hands a chance to build a new active lifestyle beer brand. “I feel like it is super important for us to start looking at categories that we haven’t been in that we’re passionate about.”

Stride, released in April, is 4 Hands’ first attempt at hitting a hyper-specific category with a beer designed for broad appeal. “We like the name ‘Stride’ because it can correlate with anything physical activity-wise,” Lemp says. 

Like Single Speed, Stride is a blonde ale, but the new brew goes far beyond its predecessor with thoughtful additions to make it an ideal session beer for outdoor enthusiasts.

“It’s pretty different from anything else in the portfolio,” Lemp says. “It’s going to be easy-drinking, super light, but it has some body to it.” 

Lemp notes that the late-addition Citra hops in Stride add bright, refreshing citrus notes that amplify flavor without overpowering it, while the malt bill adds subtle sweetness. Electrolytes and protein are added to the finished product, making it an ideal post-activity brew. 

To introduce the beer to St. Louis’ outdoor community, 4 Hands is partnering with groups that align with Stride’s mission, a strategy similar to what the brand employs for its City Wide offering. 

“We have all these nonprofits we work with [for City Wide], and we’ve taken that model and adjusted it to fit with what we want Stride to be,” Lemp says. The beer company is teaming up with outdoor enthusiast groups like GO! St. Louis, Alpine Shop, Big Shark Bicycle Company, Great Rivers Greenway, Pedal the Cause, Bike MS, STL Run Crew, and Three Run Four to engage the customer base and establish Stride as a key brand in the 4 Hands portfolio.  

The release further establishes 4 Hands as a nimble player in a broadening market, where customers are looking for beverages that help them connect and unwind without weighing them down. (Stride has a relatively low 4.7% ABV.) Recently, the brand launched a line of hemp-derived THC sparkling drinks under the 4 Hands Cannabis Co. label and will continue to innovate all lines in the coming year.

“I think it’s super important for us to keep our finger on the pulse, and within our core portfolio,” says Lemp. “I’m excited about what this year is going to look like and what it’s going to bring.”

Author: Shannon Weber is a contributor to Terrain Magazine.

Top Image: Courtesy of 4 Hands Brewing Co.