Just in time for football season, Fremont Brewing is tapping into a little Seattle nostalgia with the release of 6 Killer Native Lager, a new limited-release beer created with Husky football legend Sonny Sixkiller and in collaboration with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.
But the story behind the beer starts closer to home.
The idea came from Sonny’s son, Tyson Sixkiller, a sales account manager at Fremont Brewing, who saw an opportunity to bring together his father, his workplace and a longtime community connection.
“I’ve obviously known my dad as Dad my entire life, but I also understand what Sonny Sixkiller means to generations of people around Seattle and throughout the region,” Tyson says. “Working at Fremont, I started thinking about how much fun it would be to create something together.”
That idea eventually grew into 6 Killer Native Lager, bringing the Sixkillers together with Fremont and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, which has had a longstanding relationship with Sonny through charitable golf tournaments and other community efforts over the years.
For those who know their Husky history, Sonny Sixkiller needs little introduction. The former University of Washington quarterback became one of the most recognizable names in Seattle college football during the 1970s and has remained a fixture in the Northwest sports community ever since. His signature now appears across the new beer’s packaging alongside a bold gold “6,” a nod to the name and number familiar to generations of local football fans.
Inside the can is a beer designed for exactly the sort of occasion you might expect: tailgates, watch parties and fall afternoons at Husky Stadium.
At 4.8% ABV, 6 Killer Native Lager is crisp and easy-drinking, with a clean malt body and light hop finish. Fremont brewed the lager with Premium Pilsner malt, flaked rice, Carapils and Acidulated malt, along with Cashmere Cryo hops.
“When Tyson first brought the idea to me, I thought it sounded like a lot of fun,” Sonny says. “To be able to do something like this with my son, Fremont Brewing and friends at the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe makes it special. And most importantly, they made a really good beer.”
That father-son connection is also what made the project particularly meaningful for Fremont.
“This project really started with Tyson, and that’s what makes it special for us,” says Fremont Brewing President Andy Fogarty. “Sonny is an iconic figure in this city, but at its heart, 6 Killer is a story about a father and son creating something incredibly special together to honor a legacy.”
6 Killer Native Lager launches August 28 in 16-ounce four-packs and on draft. The limited release will be available at Fremont Brewing’s Urban Beer Garden, select locations around the region and, appropriately, Husky Stadium throughout the 2026 football season.
Sonny Sixkiller will also make several appearances tied to the release this fall, beginning with a launch event at Fremont’s Urban Beer Garden from 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, August 28. An additional celebration is planned for early September at Seattle’s Duchess Tavern.
For Husky fans, it might just be the most Seattle way possible to toast the start of football season.
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