Flying Dog Appoints New Brewmaster

Flying Dog has named Ben Clark as its new brewmaster. For all the details, see the release below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 29 FREDERICK, MD – For 20 years, it’s “snaked down the throat like a faithful friend.” (We couldn’t have said it better than Ralph Steadman’s dear wife Anna.)

The legacy of Flying Dog Brewery’s iconic Snake Dog IPA continues with a recipe that now includes Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe, Columbus and Warrior hops. The beer is available on draft and in 6-pack bottles in all markets where Flying Dog is sold. Twelve-pack cans will be on shelves in early May.

“The beauty of our craft is the ability to be nimble and evolve alongside the industry,” Flying Dog COO Matt Brophy said. “Some of these hop varieties weren’t even available a few years ago, let alone 20.”

With an evolution of the hop landscape, there’s been a shift from more earthy and pine flavor profiles to more citrus-forward character. Snake Dog now has layers of complex fruitiness with both lemony brightness and bold tropical fruit. Over two pounds of hops are used per barrel. “Wait until our accounting department hears about that,” Brophy said.

This evolution of Snake Dog was over a year and a half in the making, and one person critical to that development is Ben Clark, who was recently named brewmaster of Flying Dog.

“I could not be more impressed with Ben’s combination of technical abilities, creativity and sensory expertise,” Brophy, who remains Flying Dog’s chief operating officer, said. “I’m thrilled for this next step.”

Clark has been integral to Flying Dog’s groundbreaking Brewhouse Rarities program, where anyone on staff can pitch a beer concept for consideration, and recipes for Dead Rise OLD BAY Summer Ale, Fever Dream Mango Habanero IPA, Tropical Bitch Belgian IPA and the forthcoming Summer Rental Radler. He began homebrewing in 2004 as a challenge from his grandfather (a winemaker who couldn’t brew a decent batch of beer.) He left the corporate world for the Siebel Institute, joined Flying Dog in 2006 and worked up the ranks to head brewer in a mere four years.

“The hybrid of creativity and technical skill is what keeps me going,” Clark said. “The industry has grown quite a bit during my tenure here, and our unwavering commitment to innovative and quality craft beer is a legacy I look forward to continuing.”

About Flying Dog Brewery:

As one of the fastest-growing regional craft breweries in the mid-Atlantic, Flying Dog has been brewing world-class beer that pushes the confines of traditional styles for almost 25 years. Flying Dog attracts everyone from craft beer connoisseurs to those just catching the wave with up to 20 styles available at any given time and its Gonzo ties to writer Hunter S. Thompson and artist Ralph Steadman. Named the Mid-Size Craft Brewery of the Year at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival (the highest honor for its size in the United States), recent accolades for Flying Dog include its Pale Ale ranked as the #1 American Pale Ale in the U.S. by The New York Times. For more information, please visit www.flyingdogbrewery.com.