Out of Order Is Rusty Still in the Navy?

Review Date 1/09/2026 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Sour   Brewery: rar   Country: USA   State: Maryland   $ Per OZ: $.34   ABV: 5%

Is Rusty still in the navy? There’s a classic line for National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, uttered by a somewhat confused Aunt Bethany as she enters the Griswold home. This film is, of course, a holiday tradition chez bruguru, so when I saw that rar brewing company of Cambridge, Maryland recently released Is Rusty Still in the Navy American Sour, parts of their Out of Order series, I had to have a can. That is, after all, Aunt Bethany on the label, complete with her cat wrapped up as Christmas gift.

Be forewarned, rar has a LOT of entries in the Out of Order series, so if you want to try them all, you had better get cracking. Out of Order Is Rusty Still in the Navy is my fifth so far; it is the third for which I will have reviews posted. I have tasting notes on a few more. I have also a few more cans I have yet to try in my beer fridges, one of which is a can of The Blesssssing!. Another Christmas Vacation themed brew.

I did find a listing for Out of Order Is Rusty Still in the Navy American Sour on the rar website, but there is no information about the beer, other than they ship to some states and sell locally for $22 a 4-pack of pint cans. I paid $6.99 for a single from Half Time. The beer has an alcohol content of 5% by volume and my can is stamped CANNED 11/26/25 on the bottom. The label tells me the beer is Brewed w/ copious amounts of lemon & lime jello, homey glazed cereal and lactose.

Ah, rar. You always put such fun things in your beer.

Out of Order Is Rusty Still in the Navy American Sour pours to a hazy golden color with an almost non-existent head and that on a vigorous pour and a nose of fresh vanilla wafers. Taking a sip, the beer is (of course) quite tart indeed with vibrant lemon lime citrus notes. Vanilla and honey nut cheerios pop in a cereal and milk kind of way, and the beer finishes sweet tart and sour.

Is Rusty still in the navy? I’m sure I don’t know, but if he is after all these years he deserves a beer. Kudos to rar for giving him one.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??