Walking down any liquor aisle these days, consumers are bound to be met with a slew of new high ABV beers, wines, and canned liquors. As the demand for casual drinks with higher percentages only continues to rise, the stage is set for household names and emerging brands alike to take a swing at alcohol’s next big trend. Among the contenders is Golden Road Brewing, who look to stake their own claim in the frontier with Mango Cart Mas, a new 8% ABV take on their 4% ABV flagship craft beer, Mango Cart.
From Overnight Success to a Household Name
Photo courtesy Golden Road Brewing
Founded in 2011 by Meg Gill, Golden Road Brewing saw a meteoric rise in the early 2010s with its introduction of Mango Cart that same year. Inspired by the fruit carts of Los Angeles, (for which the drink gets its namesake) the craft beer quickly became a favorite among Angelenos, and soon among Californians as a whole. Demand only continued to ramp up, and by 2015 Golden Road Brewing was acquired by Anheuser-Busch, who helped to take Mango Cart national. Since then, Golden Road Brewing has opened three more brewpub locations, expanded their product line, and has continued to hold rising sales as the rest of the craft brew industry begins to decline.
The Next Big Thing in Brewing
Photo courtesy Golden Road Brewing
The concept for Mango Cart Mas came from Golden Road’s very own in-house brewers, who looked to tackle the challenge of making a stronger Mango Cart that retained the beloved craft beer’s flavor. The team began to experiment with ingredient ratios, later fermentation, pressures, and heats. On the ninth revision, the team struck gold. Still retaining the essence of Mango Cart, Mango Cart Mas uses the same ingredients, such as their signature mango puree, to deliver a robust flavor that still rests within Mango Cart’s original flavor profile.
“Developing Mango Cart Mas was a fine balance. We had to make sure it could reach its higher ABV, while still maintaining the fruity flavor of the original Mango Cart – a beer known and loved by many.” – Gavin Harper, Assistant Brewmaster at Golden Road and Master Cicerone®
Ready-to-drink cocktails and high ABV beers alike have been in a renaissance as of late. The new trend not only forecasts changing consumer mentalities but a shift in drinking culture as a whole. As the homebody-prone Generation Z begins to enter their 20s and the last of the Millennials begin their journeys into parenthood, America has begun to drink more and more at home. Beyond generational lines, changing economic attitudes have consumers looking to get more bang for their buck, leading toward more purchases of higher-percentage single-container drinks. In the world of beer itself, new brewing processes and innovations have brought about a breed of beers with the same ABVs of lagers or stouts but with more flavor-forward profiles, such as Mango Cart Mas.
Where to find Mango Cart
At Golden Road on San Fernando Rd.
Mango Cart Mas is set to launch in the spring of 2026 and will be available both on tap and in stores. For those still curious about Golden Road Brewing, readers can visit their Atwater, Downtown, Huntington Beach, or Anaheim locations. Readers looking to experience Mango Cart or its line of sister products-Street Cart, Guava Cart, or Non-Alcoholic Mango Cart – from the comfort of home can find them stocked in their local grocery or liquor stores around Los Angeles. https://www.goldenroad.la
