Beer Can Blog

If you are not familiar with the brands of the Flying Dog Brewing Co. of Denver, CO, they are certainly worth a try. The various names include year-round brands - Doggie Style Ale, Road Dog Scottish Porter, seasonals - Heller Hound Bock, K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale, and specialty brands - Horn Dog Barleywine, Gonzo Imperial Porter - named after Hunter S. Thompson, and the new Double Dog Double Pale Ale.

If you have seen them, maybe you have been put off by the strange artwork on the labels, courtesy of Ralph Steadman, who did the "artwork" for the books written by Hunter S. Thompson. I guess we could speculate about the legality of the inspirations for Steadman's artwork, but that could wait for another time. Look at some of their labels and draw your own conclusions.

It is what is inside that is so distinctive. The new Double Dog Double Pale Ale is a hophead's delight. Once opened, it needs to be carefully poured into a wide-mouthed glass, so as to let it "breathe" and warm. As it warms, the hop flavors become more well-defined. It is 10.5% alcohol, so enjoy one after the kids are in bed and when you don't have to drive anywhere.

Double Dog Double Pale in its original incarnation was called Wild Dog Double Pale Ale as was issued to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the brewery in 2005. Now the Wild Dog name is applied to a special limited edition series in 750 ml bottles.

So give some of these brands a try and enjoy getting bitten (in moderation of course).