11 Beers

Did You Know?

• The Reklaws' third career chart-topper on the Billboard Canada Country chart was "11 Beers".
• Jake Owen's seventh number one in Canada came from this song.
• The song peaked at number 56 on the Canadian Hot 100 for the week prior to its Canada Country chart peak.

Background

The Reklaws first met Jake Owen at the Boots and Hearts Music Festival in 2016, where Owen was a headlining act the duo was set to introduce. They saw Owen drive up backstage in the Volkswagen bus from the cover of his album American Love before he introduced himself. Stuart Walker of the Reklaws said Owen's off-stage authenticity and the vibes from his performance inspired how he wanted the Reklaws to build their image. Years later, the two artists sought to record together and exchanged demos for about eight months.

Owen sent "11 Beers" to the Reklaws; Stuart Walker initially feared the title because the duo had already recorded several drinking songs, including "Can't Help Myself". They were intrigued because the song was written by well-known Nashville writers including Hardy, who sang the demo. Upon listening, they became instant fans, recognizing its theme of reminiscing about a summer love. Jenna Walker described the song as the "first of many to come" in the "next level" of the duo's music, adding that fans would relate to losing something before it felt finished.

Critical reception

According to Chris Parton of Sounds Like Nashville, the track offers "a buzz worth chasing again and again," blending romantic perfection with a sense of desire and an easygoing groove. Nanci Dagg of Canadian Beats Media called it an "'80s inspired pop medley" and a hopeful love song, predicting it would become a country party anthem. Bill King of FYI Music News stated the song is expected to be another major success for the Reklaws. The Country Note described it as an anthem with great promise.