Astronaut Status returns to Wiseacre Brewing Co.’s Broad Avenue taproom today, Friday, Dec. 19, bringing back the barrel-aged imperial stout in its familiar forms — plus one new, seasonally inspired variant.
The 2025 Astronaut Status lineup includes:
- Astronaut Status, a Bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout with cinnamon and vanilla beans, which is the top rated beer in Tennessee, according to BeerAdvocate;
- a packaged-only “Nitro” version of Astronaut Status;
- and a single variant, Bourbon and Orange Bitters, with orange peels and cocoa nibs.
The idea for the variant came together after Wiseacre sourced Woodford Reserve bitters barrels — originally used for bourbon before holding bitters — giving the brewery a natural foundation for an orange-and-chocolate variant.
The flavor pairing draws on a familiar holiday memory: Terry’s Chocolate Orange, the chocolate ball traditionally smashed on a table and broken apart into orange-shaped slices.
“That’s kind of a perennial stocking stuffer,” Wiseacre co-founder and head brewer Davin Bartosch told Memphis Beer Bog. “I remember getting those a lot when I was a kid, and it just seemed like a fun flavor combination to do.”
Lower ABV for Astronaut Status
All versions of Astronaut Status this year — and moving forward — will come in at 10% ABV.
In prior years, most versions were around 12–13%.
The change follows Wiseacre’s decision to let its Tennessee distiller’s license lapse earlier this year — a permit that allowed the brewery to produce beers above 10% ABV.
Bartosch said the license was both expensive to maintain and accounted for such a small volume of what Wiseacre brewed, especially in more recent years.
“Even three to five years ago, I feel like we were making a lot more high-alcohol beer,” Bartosch said. “For whatever reason, the tides have turned. … The general public doesn’t want (higher-alcohol beer) in the quantities that they previously did.”
Bartosch said Wiseacre has long aimed to make Astronaut Status rich and complex without pushing it into over-the-top territory, prioritizing balance and drinkability even in a barrel-aged imperial stout.
Astronaut Status release details
Astronaut Status will be released today at 1 p.m. at Wiseacre’s OG taproom, 2783 Broad Avenue.
All three versions will be available in four-packs of 12-oz. cans, with the regular and Bourbon & Orange Bitters variant also available on draft. The Nitro version will be package-only.
Wiseacre will have a dedicated area for customers who are only buying the packaged beer to go, while draft pours will be available at the bar. Food will also be available throughout the day, starting at 1, from the new onsite sandwich shop Panuzzo King.
Astronaut Status will not be available at Wiseacre’s Downtown taproom on Friday, though it may appear later in the weekend depending on logistics.
“For safety’s sake, if you really want to try it — and if you really want to get some the variant — I would probably just go to Broad Avenue,” Bartosch said.