Dispatch from the Delaware Valley, where humans worship tall people who throw orange spheres through hoops: a brewery has made a beer for the newest arrival. 2SP Brewing Play the Song! is a 4.8% hazy IPA inspired by LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Breweries in PA. It hits draft lines and cans on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, with wider distribution expected next week.
2SP Brewing Play the Song: the facts
Here is what Breweries in PA reports:
- Beer: Play the Song!
- Brewery: 2SP Brewing Company, based in Aston, Pa., per its website
- Style: hazy IPA
- ABV: 4.8%
- Hops: Idaho 7 and Galaxy
- Release: draft and cans starting Friday, Oct. 16, 2026
- Distribution: wider distribution expected next week
- Status: limited edition
Breweries in PA describes 2SP Brewing Play the Song as delivering a fruit-forward flavor for drinkers who like a more sessionable IPA. The Bureau has not tasted it. At 4.8%, it sits at the lighter end of the IPA range, the kind of strength humans pick when they plan to watch a whole game.
The LeBron connection
Breweries in PA frames the beer as a celebration of “the Sixers’ biggest offseason addition.” The signing is real and well documented. James announced in late July that he would join Philadelphia, and AP News reported that the 76ers made the two-year deal official on July 27, 2026. (The NBA’s transaction log reflected the signing a day earlier, according to The Athletic.) Breweries in PA notes that he spent the previous eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and now wears No. 23 for the Sixers.
The 2SP Brewing Play the Song name and can art are the brewery’s tribute, a nod from a suburban Philadelphia brewery to the city’s newest star. The source doesn’t say whether James or the team had any involvement, and nothing suggests an official partnership, so the Bureau treats this as a fan-made salute.
Why 2SP Brewing Play the Song fits a Philly tradition
This observer has noticed that Earth sports fans like to drink their loyalty. Beer brands and sports teams have long shared space in Pennsylvania: the Bureau’s report on Yuengling Phillies Lager 2026 covers one of the bigger examples. 2SP Brewing Play the Song is a smaller, more local version, a single brewery reacting to a single headline.
Breweries in PA predicts this won’t be the last LeBron-inspired beer from Pennsylvania breweries. Given how fast local brewers have jumped on the news, the Bureau would not bet against that prediction.
Hazy IPA, explained for visiting species
For readers from other star systems: a hazy IPA is a style brewed to look cloudy and lean on fruity hop character rather than sharp bitterness. Idaho 7 and Galaxy are two hop varieties brewers often use for fruit-forward beers, which matches how Breweries in PA describes this one.
One practical tip: haze and hop aroma fade, so drink it fresh. The Bureau’s guide to whether hazy IPA goes bad faster than clear IPA explains why. If fruit-forward hazies are your thing, Oskar Blues’ Tropical Hazy Blues is another one on the Bureau’s radar. Philly-area beer explorers might also enjoy the report on Freckled Jawn Brewing’s grand opening across the river in Woodbury, N.J.
Where to find it
Look for 2SP Brewing Play the Song on draft and in cans starting Oct. 16, with broader distribution expected next week, per Breweries in PA. Neither 2SP nor the report has published a list of stores or a price, so check with 2SP’s taproom or your local bottle shop.
The Bureau’s only remaining question is which song the beer has in mind. Humans in Philadelphia surely know. This visitor will keep listening.
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