American Beauty back in time for reunion of Grateful Dead members

Saturday, May 30, 2015

American Beauty, our collaboration with the legendary Grateful Dead, is back – with a new look! – just in time for the Fare Thee Well reunion shows.

A huge hit with both beer lovers and Dead lovers, American Beauty is an imperial pale ale (the band’s choice) brewed with organic granola.

The brewery and the band, who both built followings by connecting directly with their fans, asked their supporters to help decide on one righteous, off-centered ingredient to add to the recipe that would complement the pale ale base.
More than 1,500 loyal fans suggested an ingredient idea and the Dead-inspired story behind it. There was no shortage of great suggestions – the red grenadine from “Brown-Eyed Women,” rose hips reminiscent of the motif painted on the Rosemont water tower – but there was one that stood out.
Thomas Butler, a chemist by day and homebrewer by night, suggested granola. It was the main course in millions of parking lot meals, and both Dogfish and the Dead agreed it would be a sweet and toasty complement to the pale ale’s hops and barley.
“The components of granola – honey, toasted grains, oats – offer a lot from a beer perspective,” says Thomas, who visited Dogfish Head in coastal Delaware to brew a test batch. “It was fun brewing with these guys. The Dead built their own institution, their own identity. It’s a family. And Dogfish culture is big, too. They’re the pioneers of playing with beer.”
The new batch of American Beauty will be available on draft and in 750-ml bottles throughout Dogfish Head’s distribution network (AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, KY, ME, MA, MD, MI, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, VT, VA, WA, DC). 

The brewery and the band, who both built followings by connecting directly with their fans, asked their supporters to help decide on one righteous, off-centered ingredient to add to the recipe that would complement the pale ale base.

More than 1,500 loyal fans suggested an ingredient idea and the Dead-inspired story behind it. There was no shortage of great suggestions – the red grenadine from “Brown-Eyed Women,” rose hips reminiscent of the motif painted on the Rosemont water tower – but there was one that stood out.

Thomas Butler, a chemist by day and homebrewer by night, suggested granola.* It was the main course in millions of parking lot meals, and both Dogfish and the Dead agreed it would be a sweet and toasty complement to the pale ale’s hops and barley.

“The components of granola – honey, toasted grains, oats – offer a lot from a beer perspective,” says Thomas, who visited Dogfish Head in coastal Delaware to brew a test batch. “It was fun brewing with these guys. The Dead built their own institution, their own identity. It’s a family. And Dogfish culture is big, too. They’re the pioneers of playing with beer.”

The new batch of American Beauty will be available on draft and in 750-ml bottles throughout Dogfish Head’s distribution network.

We currently send American Beauty to our wholesale partners in the following states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, ME, MA, MD, MI, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WIS, DC.

To find retailers who have received shipments in the past 60 days, try Dogfish Head’s “Fish Finder” app at www.dogfish.com.

And don't miss the story of American Beauty and footage from the original test batch!

* Note: The granola used in American Beauty contains almonds.