Waddell’s sees the Lite

Waddell’s Brewing is getting into the light beer game.

A light lager dubbed SpoLite is being tapped today at the North Side brewpub, with an official release party scheduled next Thursday from 3 to 5.

“Sometimes, a thought-provoking or even a center-of-attention conversational craft beer is not what the occasion calls for,” the brewery says in a Facebook post. “Like you, sometimes we just want to grip it and rip it!”

At just under 4 percent alcohol and 13 International Bitterness Units, SpoLite is actually a hair lighter than the likes of Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors Light, which clock in at 4.2 percent ABV.

Head brewer Bryan Utigard says the beer is based on Waddell’s previous Punxsutawney Pilsner, with the amount of malts in the recipe backed off.

It’s intended as a replacement for the Coors Light that the brewpub has had on tap, he says.

 “We’re trying to develop a craft beer culture up here,” says Utigard. “We’d rather brew our light beer ourselves. We sell a ton of it.”