As the official brewery of Record Store Day, Dogfish Head is bringing together independent beer and independent record stores through its reignited collaboration with longtime friends the Grateful Dead and the return of its fan-favorite pale ale American Beauty. Dogfish Head and the Grateful Dead are also turning up the volume with the creation of Sage and Spirit, a limited edition, 10-track vinyl album that will release on Record Store Day (Saturday, April 13).
“The enjoyment of a beautiful beer alongside an amazing album is an exponentially awesome experience, and we at Dogfish, take every opportunity we can get to weave together the art of brewing and our love of music” says Sam Calagione, CEO and founder of Dogfish Head. “We’ve always been inspired by the Grateful Dead’s creativity, collaborative nature and most of all music, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with them again for the re-release of American Beauty and our Record Store Day release.”
Brewed to 6.5% ABV to commemorate the year the Grateful Dead was formed (1965), American Beauty is an all-American pale ale infused with granola and succulent wildflower honey. First concocted in 2012, American Beauty is now available year round in a 6pk/12oz bottles with red, white and blue packaging featuring the band’s iconic ‘dancing bears.’ Fans of the design can check out the American Beauty-themed Dogfish Head x Crosley record player, available for sale on the brewery’s website, the perfect turntable to use when dropping the needle on a copy of Sage and Spirit.
Sage and Spirit features a hand-picked collection of Grateful Dead melodies, curated by the band’s audiovisual archivist and legacy manager, David Lemieux. After combing through the band’s expansive discography, Lemieux selected the following tracks to appear on this collaborative Record Store Day release: “Sugar Magnolia,” “Eyes Of The World,” “Lost Sailor,” “Saint Of Circumstance,” “High Time,” “Unbroken Chain,” “If I Had The World To Give” and “Sage and Spirit.” Also featured on the album are recordings of “Jack Straw” and “Brown-Eyed Women” from the band’s European tour in 1972. The perfect accompaniment to a pint of American Beauty, copies of Sage and Spirit will be sold, starting on Record Store Day, April 13, at independent record stores around the country.
“Choosing the songs for ‘Sage and Spirit’ really didn’t take long, but that’s not to say I didn’t put a lot of work into it. My directive was, ‘You’re sitting on the porch. It’s a summer day. You’re drinking a Dogfish Head American Beauty and listening to the Dead,’ and immediately I thought, ‘I got it,’” said Lemieux. “I was so inspired by that directive that the record turned out to be just that; the soundtrack to a summer day – or really any day. It’s mellow and meditative, and every song is a truly beautiful track.”
As self-proclaimed beer geeks with a music problem, Dogfish Head is also bringing back Dragons & YumYums, the brewery’s collaboration with The Flaming Lips. Shipping nationwide just in time for Record Store Day, this intensely tropical yet subtly bitter pale ale is brewed with a combination of dragon fruit, yumberry, passion fruit, pear juice and black carrot juice for an explosion of fruit in every sip. Part of the Off-Centered Art Series, Dragons & YumYums (6.5% ABV) is making its comeback in 6pk/12oz bottles with a playful and vibrant new look from artist Michael Hacker.
But, that’s not all! Available year round in 6pk/12oz bottles, Wood-Aged Bitches Brew is yet another of Dogfish Head’s melodic music collaborations to indulge in this Record Store Day. Originally brewed to honor the 40th anniversary of Miles Davis’ legendary 1970 jazz fusion record, Bitches Brew is a blend of three threads of an imperial stout and one thread of Tej, a native African honey beer. Wood-Aged Bitches Brew is the same bold, dark beer folks know and love, but this time it has been aged in American oak and Palo Santo wood tanks. A 9% ABV brew chock full of roasty aromas of vanilla, licorice and chocolate, this succulent sipper is best enjoyed alongside some classic jazz fusion tunes.
For more information about Dogfish Head’s music collaboration beers, or to find some American Beauty, Wood-Aged Bitches Brew or Dragons & YumYums near you, visit www.dogfish.com. More information on Dogfish Head’s Record Store Day events can be found at www.dogfish.com/events. To find a record store near you, visit recordstoreday.com.
