Flying Dog Brewery and Stranahan's Whiskey Reunite To Honor Founder George Stranahan

Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Maryland and Stranahan's Whiskey in Denver, Colorado has announced the release of a beer called The Osopher to honor the brewery's founder, George Stranahan. Full details are below.

To celebrate their shared history and commemorate their founder George Stranahan, Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey and Flying Dog Brewery created two new specialty products for what they call The Osopher project. Having collaborated over the years to share beer mash and barrels, The Osopher project marks the first joint product release for the two companies.

George Stranahan - astrophysicist, writer, photographer, entrepreneur, rancher, and philanthropist - founded the Flying Dog Brewpub in Aspen, Colorado in 1990, a decade after discovering the “flying dog” while on a mountaineering trip to K2, the world’s deadliest mountain. The Flying Dog brand expanded to become one of the top 50 production breweries in the U.S. and continues to this day to produce world-class beers at its brewery in Frederick, Maryland.

In 2004, George Stranahan and Jess Graber co-founded Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, Colorado’s first legal distillery since Prohibition in downtown Denver. The original Stranahan’s Whiskey utilized mash from Flying Dog’s Road Dog Porter. Today, Stranahan’s is the country’s leading American Single Malt whiskey and a fixture in Denver’s booming distilling scene.

The limited-edition beer created for The Osopher project is an imperial version of the original Road Dog Porter that has been aged in 10-year-old Stranahan's Whiskey barrels. Road Dog was also the beginning of Flying Dog's collaboration with the internationally renowned artist and friend of George Stranahan, Ralph Steadman, whose art continues to grace Flying Dog's labels after more than a quarter century.

The result of barrel aging the porter is a velvety smooth explosion of chocolate, vanilla cream cocoa beans, toasted pecans, toffee, and maple. The surprising richness of all these flavors balances perfectly with the added notes of caramel, spice, and a hint of tobacco from the whiskey. After the imperial Road Dog Porter had aged to perfection in the Stranahan's barrels, they were returned to Stranahan's distillery in Colorado.

With the barrels, Stranahan's created The Osopher, the oldest whiskey Stranahan’s has ever bottled. The Osopher stays true to both George Stranahan’s passion for creativity and the Stranahan’s distillery’s commitment to innovating American Single Malt Whiskey. The Osopher matured for four more months in the same barrels used to age Flying Dog's Road Dog Porter, in addition to the 11 years it had already carefully aged at the distillery. The flavor profile consists of:

• Nose: Coffee cake. Roasty malt mingles with toffee and barrel char
• Palate: Dark chocolate caramels, sherried-soaked plums, and a dash of aged hops
• Finish: Bread pudding and barley wine temper to a dry finish

“We’re excited to partner with Flying Dog Brewery and celebrate George Stranahan’s illustrious legacy with the release of The Osopher,” said Owen Martin, Head Distiller at Stranahan’s. “This release honors our storied past while showcasing our evolution. Both Stranahan’s and Flying Dog are committed to their craft, and the marriage of our whiskey and their brew creates flavor profiles bursting with complexity and passion.”

“The teams at Flying Dog and Stranahan's loved the idea of commemorating George in a way that spoke to the art, science, and creativity that he instilled in both companies,” said Jim Caruso, CEO at Flying Dog Brewery. “George was a man of many talents, he considered himself a ‘pilgrimosopher,’ so The Osopher speaks to the idea that you can pursue anything if you’re just crazy enough to try it.”

The Osophers from both brands will feature the original Road Dog artwork by Ralph Steadman.

Stranahan’s The Osopher carries a 47.3% ABV and will be available in 750ml bottles at the Stranahan’s Distillery in Denver, Colorado for $159.99. Hand-bottled and packaged in a commemorative box, Flying Dog’s The Osopher carries a 12% ABV and will be available in limited-edition 750ml bottles at retail locations in Maryland only for $29.99. Consumers are encouraged to visit the brewery’s Beer Finder to locate inventory. Both products will have additional availability in the coming weeks.

About Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey

Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey is a pioneering American single malt whiskey comprised of 100% malted barley and Rocky Mountain water, aged in new American white oak barrels. From grain to glass, Stranahan’s whiskey is distilled and bottled at its Colorado distillery, the state’s first legal distillery since Prohibition. Stranahan’s expressions include Original, Blue Peak, Sherry Cask, Diamond Peak, Mountain Angel 10 Year Old and the limited-edition yearly release: Snowflake. As one of the first and the best-selling American single malts, Stranahan’s is committed to building recognition and admiration for the category globally.

About Flying Dog Brewery

For over 30 years, Frederick, MD’s Flying Dog Brewery has been pushing the envelope to deliver premium craft beer to consumers across the country. We believe beer is an art form, and every day we use creativity, humor and innovation to challenge the status quo. Our brand was built on the gospel of Gonzo, drawing inspiration from Hunter S. Thompson’s relentless truth seeking and Ralph Steadman’s provocative drawings. In the true gonzo spirit, whenever the Thought Police have tried to close in on us, we have fought back to defend our right to free speech and expression. In life, we believe in Good Beer. No Shit. For more information visit flyingdog.com.