Frequently Asked Questions

There are no stupid questions, just stupid people asking them. That’s why it’s good to take a gander at our FAQs.

My beer didn’t taste like I expected it to. How do I report this to you?

If you are not satisfied with your Flying Dog beer, we definitely want to know about it. First, read the rest of these FAQs. They will further explain what we need from you to further investigate the issue your having.

Then, go to the Contact Us page of this website and complete the form. Please include:

• When and where (city, state, and store name) you purchased the beer
• The date code (explained in the FAQ below)
• What it tasted like

We read all of the questions, comments, and concerns that come into the brewery and promise that someone will respond to you as soon as humanly possible.

How do I know if my Flying Dog Beer is fresh?

At Flying Dog, we use a modified Julian calendar to date most of our beers. If you look in the lower right corner of the label (just above the bar code) you will find a code that reads something like 123A11. Here is what this means:

The first three numbers are the day of the year that the beer will be out of date. The middle letter is a code we use internally to keep track of what batch of beer we’re on. And the last two numbers are the year.

Using the code above, that beer will be considered fresh until the 123rd day of 2011, aka May 2, 2011.

We give most of our beers 140 days from the bottling day to be considered fresh. The exceptions to this are our Road Dog Porter, which has a 200-day window, and our beers that are vintage dated: Gonzo Imperial Porter, Double Dog Double Pale Ale, and Horn Dog Barleywine. The vintage dating, which looks something like VINT11EE, means that if these beers are stored in proper conditions they can be aged for several years.

How should I store my Flying Dog beers?

Matt Brophy, our chief operating officer, says you should treat it like milk. Beer should be stored in cool, dark places at a temperature that is not beyond room temperature. Sunlight is one of the most vicious attackers of perfectly good beer, so keeping bottles out of the sunlight, especially while traveling, is key.

I’m considering a career in brewing. How should I go about this?

The first thing we recommend is taking as many brewery tours as possible so that you can ask questions and understand if brewing is something that you definitely want to pursue. Most brewmasters and head brewers get some kind of formal training at some point. From there, you can look in to applying and enrolling in a brewing school or at an actual brewery itself. If you are interested in applying at Flying Dog, please email your resume to hr@flyingdogales.com or stop by the brewery in Frederick, MD to fill out an application.