What would make something ‘the most Maryland’?
- Dumping Old Bay on it?
- If it raised money to support the MD crabbing industry?
- What if it paid homage to Chesapeake Bay watermen and the area’s history?
There’s one thing that checks all of those boxes… Flying Dog Brewery’s Old Bay beer, Dead Rise. And it is back for its 5th year with a new look, new recipe and even moreOld Bay.
June 2020 marks the return of what has been called ‘the most Maryland beer ever’ by The Washington Post: Flying Dog Brewery’s Dead Rise. This Limited Release sour ale is the first and only beer brewed with the iconic OLD BAY® seasoning and this year it is celebrating its 5th anniversary with a new look, new recipe, and even more OLD BAY.
Five years ago, Maryland’s largest brewery began a partnership with the Chesapeake Bay region’s own OLD BAY. Its initial release created a viral sensation that made it difficult to keep store shelves stocked. Since that time, Flying Dog remains the only brewery allowed to brew a beer using the famous OLD BAY seasoning, a product that runs in the blood of Marylanders and has gained enormous popularity outside of the region.
Initially released as a blonde ale, Flying Dog is taking Dead Rise back to its roots and giving it to fans as it was originally envisioned – as a gose. Perfect for summer days full of seafood, Dead Rise’s new gose formula blends OLD BAY with a refreshing lemony tartness for a beer low in bitterness and high in flavor. Dead Rise was brewed with Citra hops and carries a 5.7% ABV. The beer begins shipping to distributors June 1, 2020 in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles.
“For those of us who grew up in crab country, you can’t get more iconic than OLD BAY. We wanted our new Dead Rise formula to live up to that greatness,” said James Maravetz, VP of Marketing at Flying Dog. “The refreshing pop of tart, balanced with the OLD BAY’s salty and spicy flavor profile, created a beer that tastes like summer on the Bay.”
Brewed with the rugged spirit of the Chesapeake Bay watermen, the name Dead Rise is a nod to their traditional fishing boats, used year-round to gather shellfish feasts. A portion of the proceeds from Dead Rise also benefit Maryland’s crabbing industry through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ True Blue Program, an annual campaign aimed at raising awareness for the struggling industry. The True Blue Program highlights and rewards those restaurants who make it a point to serve local, Maryland harvested crab.
The concept for the beer was developed as part of the company’s Brewhouse Rarities program, dreamt up by a Flying Dog staff member with a deep devotion to their favorite state, seasoning and seafood. The new gose formula was also designed to turbocharge the flavor of whatever seafood is on your plate. The recipe’s new lemony tartness freshens up the beer and helps flavors pop. In addition to seafood, try Dead Rise with salty starches like tater tots and fries, lighter proteins like turkey, chicken and tofu, or rich sauces and creamy condiments like melted cheese, bechamel and avocado and ranch dressings.
