Enjoy the flashy label and fruity taste of Flying Dog: “Doggie Style”

Mike Lee and Ray Feller

This beer would be great for kids! The “Flying Dog” on the label is sure to divert their attention from their X-box for the short amount of time it takes for them to immerse themselves in this Pale Ale. The name Doggie Style may be a little awkward to explain, but beer always helps awkward situations.Aside from the flashy label, the beer smells like a cross between fruit and malt: two things kids are sure to like.

When they reach for the beer, don’t forget to stop them-it’s illegal to drink underage.

If you happen to knock the beer over, you might notice the eggshell-colored head staining your living room carpet. The beer itself, however, is an amber-copper color (though this was observed by color-blind Mike, so don’t be shocked if it is actually blue or something.)

What your kids won’t find out is that the beer’s palate lives up to what is promised by way of its aroma. It definitely is fruity, but the malt flavor is a little subtler. The beer is light, but that is made up for by the carbonation, which is a little heavier than in other beers. If your kids like pop (or “soda”), then keep them away from this.

The flavor comes from what is officially termed a “shit-load” of Cascade hops and Carastan malts. The Flying Dog Brew Pub was originally a 50-barrel brew house in Aspen. Now it is bigger and better in Denver. The beer’s fathers, George Stranahan, Richard McIntyre, and Hunter S. Thompson, first dreamed up the idea back in 1983, when we were still short.

Doggie Style was the first Flying Dog beer, and therefore the classic. It was first bottled in 1991, and has been the proud winner of “The Best Pale Ale in America” and a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival.

The beer has a slightly bitter aftertaste (which, in the event that your kids get a hold of a bottle, will keep them from opening another), in addition to a slightly more citric twang than when it first enters your mouth.

The beer labels are creative and colorful, designed by artist Ralph Steadman. It is always important to judge a book by its cover, so this is reason enough to like the beer. Plus, after an intense lawsuit, Flying Dog is proud to print the naughty word “shit” on their labels.

All in all, the beer is a little light like a small child, but it’s all good, dog. If you like fruity beers (like Blue Moon or Spotted Cow) or Belgian white beers in general, then you might or might not like this, but definitely one of those two…or both…or neither.