Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is known for it’s really fun flavor combinations and approach to marketing, so it’s no surprise that their latest IPA, “American Beauty,” is a tribute to the Grateful Dead. In an homage to the way the band would incorporate fan feedback into their shows, Dogfish is asking for some assistance from fans of the beer and the Grateful Dead in choosing a “special ingredient.”
By special ingredient, they mean something that makes the taste of the beer unique, but also vibes with the original concept of the brew. For example, when they made “My Ale,” a beer commemorating what would have been blues legend Robert Johnson’s 100th birthday, they added dried lemon peel. Why? The peel accentuated the taste of the hops and it also honored Blind Lemon Jefferson who was Johnson’s mentor. Make more sense now?
Dogfish is going to start taking suggestions through their website beginning in December, but they’re announcing it now so that you can get a head start on thinking of a great special ingredient. They really want you to get creative – don’t think of the obvious. Dogfish even asks you to tell a story around that ingredient, if there is one. Here’s what a portion of their press release says:
“Did you trade a bushel of fresh clementines for tickets to a two-night-stand at Long Beach Arena? Or maybe your dad first laid eyes on your mom sipping a cup of green tea in the parking lot of the legendary Cornell ’77 show? Jog your memory, tell the story, and suggest the ingredient at the heart of that story.”
Like we said, the contest officially starts in December, so put your thinking caps on and let us know if you submit an awesome idea.