The brewers at Flying Dog worked closely with the flavor experts at OLD BAY for more than six months to develop the recipe for Dead Rise. The beer begins with OLD BAY and citrus notes on the nose, which develop into citrus hop flavors and end with a crisp, tart finish. At 5.6% ABV, it will quickly take its place alongside tins of OLD BAY on tables piled high with steaming crabs this summer.
"We wanted to create something that highlights the bold character of OLD BAY through bright and refreshing citrus hop character,” Flying Dog Brewmaster Matt Brophy said. “And something that’s easy-drinking with a lower alcohol content is essential for the hot and humid summers we have here in the mid-Atlantic.”
Dead Rise is now on tap at the brewery and available throughout the mid-Atlantic through Labor Day. After all of us in the office tasted Dead Rise we craved was some Maryland blue crab, the two simply belong together.
Dead Rise gets its name from boats specifically designed to navigate the waterways of the Chesapeake.
"OLD BAY is proud to partner with Flying Dog to offer this distinctive ale in celebration of our 75th Anniversary. We can't think of a better way to honor and help preserve the history and traditions of the Chesapeake watermen,” Jessica Schatz, brand manager for OLD BAY, said. “We’re especially excited to join together with someone who has the same love for this community.”
To complement the new beer, Flying Dog teamed up with the region’s most notorious and cutting-edge chefs – including Mike Isabella, Spike Gjerde, and Bryan Voltaggio – to create The Dead Rise OLD BAY Cookbook.
Each of the seventeen celebrity chefs was asked to get their inspiration from the Chesapeake and incorporate OLD BAY into their recipes, which include falafel with crab yogurt, grilled oysters with peaches, crab macaroni and cheese, catfish tacos, and OLD BAY peanut brittle ice cream. Who can wait to whip up any one of the great recipes?
Flying Dog and OLD BAY will donate a portion of the proceeds from Dead Rise to True Blue, a program that advocates on behalf of the Chesapeake Bay’s 5,500 watermen and promotes sustainably harvested Maryland blue crab.
Now in its third year, the True Blue program created a $7 million increase in business for local crabbers in its first year alone through a restaurant certification and consumer awareness program. The program includes an interactive map of restaurants that serve crabmeat that is at least 75 percent sourced from or processed in Maryland.
"Since 2004, the number of commercial crabbers working the Bay has decreased by nearly 50 percent,” Steve Vilnit, director of fisheries marketing for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and head of the True Blue program said. “There is a tremendous amount of pride in the Maryland Blue Crab and it's the True Blue program’s goal to encourage restaurants and consumers to buy local to make sure that number doesn’t drop any lower.”
Proceeds from The Dead Rise OLD RISE Cookbook will also benefit True Blue. The cookbook is available through Flying Dog’s website and in the brewery gift shop.