Frederick, MD — To decide on the lineup for Flying Dog’s 2015 Brewhouse Rarities, Brewmaster Matt Brophy and his brewing team had to narrow down 45 beer concepts to just eight.
And there was just a little pressure from fellow coworkers.
Each summer, the entire brewery congregates atop a historic overlook in the Catoctin Mountain Range and teams of staff — from production to accounting to sales and marketing — pitch ideas for the next year’s Brewhouse Rarities.
“It’s an open forum for anyone in the company,” Brophy said. “Creativity, innovation, and passion for our craft runs throughout all areas of our brewery and this series is our way of harnessing our collective talent.”
Once the next year’s releases are determined, each team is responsible for everything involved in that beer’s release — from sourcing ingredients to planning launch events outside of the brewery — which exposes them to all aspects of the craft beer industry.
Now in its forth year, 2015 is the first time that all of the beers will be available on draft and in 6-packs.
“While the program continues to be exclusive and small-batch, the two types of packages increases the ways people can get their hands on these beers,” Brophy said.
The 2015 releases include:
- Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout
- Earl Grey Black Wheat
- Sriracha Pale Ale
- Maibock
- Juniper White IPA
- India Pale Lager
- Spiced Pear Ale
- Smoked Belgian Stout
About Flying Dog Brewery:
As one of the fastest-growing regional craft breweries in the mid-Atlantic, Flying Dog has been brewing world-class beer that pushes the confines of traditional styles for almost 25 years. Flying Dog attracts everyone from craft beer connoisseurs to those just catching the wave with up to 20 styles available at any given time and its Gonzo ties to writer Hunter S. Thompson and artist Ralph Steadman. Named the Mid-Size Craft Brewery of the Year at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival (the highest honor for its size in the United States), recent accolades for Flying Dog include its Pale Ale ranked as the #1 American Pale Ale in the U.S. by The New York Times. For more information, please visit www.flyingdogbrewery.com.