The Flying Dog Story

In 1983, a series of events in the Himalayas involving under prepared hikers, an unfaithful Sherpa, a scared-shitless donkey, and quickly consumed contraband led to the creation of the Flying Dog philosophy.

That's right, philosophy. It wasn't until 1990 that beer came into the picture.

From a brewpub in Aspen, Colorado to a full-fledged Denver brewery, and then to a state-of-the-art brewing facility in Frederick, Maryland, Flying Dog stands for not only extraordinary beer, but also for standing tall, doing great things, and not letting anyone make you eat shit.

For the past 20 years, we’ve done just that. We produce world-class craft beers and continue to push the envelope with experimental brews and limited-edition one-offs. All the while, we continuously pay homage to our Gonzo Godfathers – George Stranahan, Hunter S. Thompson, and Ralph Steadman.

Most importantly, we have a lot of fun doing it. And we never take ourselves too seriously.

George Stranahan

"Don't let anyone make you eat shit." -George

After successfully climbing K2, one of the most difficult mountain faces on the planet, George Stranahan and his climbing cohorts ended their 1983 "amateur mountaineering expedition" by drinking beer in a Pakistani hotel bar. After quite a few beers, George noticed a painting on the wall of a dog with wings – a Pakistani artist’s interpretation of an English Bird Dog.

We don’t know if it was the exhaustion, the beer, or a combination of both, but George took a liking to that dog.

We all know that dogs can't fly. But no one told this winged beast he couldn't, just like no one told George and his friends they couldn't complete their extraordinary Himalayan adventure. Flying Dog became George's life philosophy because, as he personally discovered, "it is amazing what you can achieve if nobody tells you that you can’t."

When George decided to start a brewpub in Aspen, Colorado in 1990, it was only natural for him to name it Flying Dog. In less than five years, we started bottling Flying Dog beers at a brewery in downtown Denver. By 2000, the brewpub closed and that same Denver brewery became the first Flying Dog Brewery.

Then in 2007, no one told us we couldn't move production over 1,600 miles to a state-of-the-art brewing facility in Frederick, Maryland. So we did.

The heir to a family automobile industry fortune, George is a physics professor and scholar, amateur photographer, philanthropist, entrepreneur, activist, and all-around rebel. He lives in Aspen, Colorado, helping others learn that they don’t have to eat shit from anyone.

Learn more about George on his website, GeorgeStranahan.com. After that, hop over to the Flying Dog Ranch website to read more about "the Flying Dog Way of Life."

Hunter S. Thompson

"I'd hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me."
- Hunter

Hunter S. Thompson and George Stranahan were neighbors, friends, and co-conspirators long before Flying Dog Brewery was a glimmer in George's eye.

Whether it was through riding motorcycles, shooting guns, talking politics, blowing shit up, or getting good, old-fashioned drunk, Hunter had a profound impact on George's life and, later, the Flying Dog brand. One of Hunter's greatest contributions to Flying Dog was introducing George to another long-time friend of his, Ralph Steadman, who is the mastermind behind all of our label art.

Hunter was best known for his Gonzo style of journalism – a combination of his eccentric personality, total excess (often with the help of alcohol and recreational drugs), and complete immersion in the specific topic. His most famous work is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which chronicles his trek, along with his attorney, to Las Vegas to cover a police convention and motorcycle race. With the assistance of inhumane amounts of LSD, ether, and numerous other drugs, they end up also searching for the American Dream.

When Hunter died in 2005, we figured the only appropriate way to pay tribute is through a commemorative beer. Thus, our Gonzo Imperial Porter was born. With black and chocolate malts balanced with a unique hop kick, this beer is deep, dark, and mysterious…just like the man it was made for.

Ralph Steadman

"Authority is the mask of violence."
- Ralph

After being introduced to Flying Dog founder George Stranahan by Hunter S. Thompson, Ralph readily agreed to be the demented genius behind all of our label art.

Ralph's first work for us was for our Road Dog Porter label in 1995. He blessed the art with the simple phrase, "Good Beer, No Shit." We liked where he was going with that, so we let it be.

As soon as it hit the shelves, the Colorado liquor board deemed it profane and removed all Road Dog from the market. Temporarily replacing it with "Good Beer, No Censorship," we fought with the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) to get the original text reinstated for over four years. In 2000, it was decided that art should not be censored. From then on "Good Beer, No Shit" proudly adorns all labels for our Road Dog Porter.

Ralph had a long partnership with Hunter, illustrating several of his articles and books. One of their most famous journeys (also their first encounter) was covering the Kentucky Derby for the now-defunct Scanlon’s Monthly.

Currently living in England with his wife, Ralph is renowned for his political and social caricatures, writing and illustrating his own books, and creating art for numerous other companies. If you can handle the calculated madness, check out Ralph's website.