Introducing The Osopher

Introducing 'The Osopher'

When you want to honor the man who founded your brewery, the most appropriate method of paying homage is to brew a special beer. If that man also created a successful distillery in his lifetime, then a special whiskey is required too.

In George Stranahan’s case, he was a brewer, a distiller and so much more. So the teams at Flying Dog Brewery and Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey have joined forces to commemorate our founder in a way that speaks to the art, science, and creativity that he instilled in both companies with The Osopher project.

This limited-edition, commemorative project resulted in the creation of The Osopher beer - an incredibly special imperial version of the brewery’s first ever beer, Road Dog Porter - and The Osopher whiskey - the oldest whiskey Stranahan’s has ever put in a bottle.

Looking Back

For fans unfamiliar with the brands’ connected histories, here’s a down and dirty history lesson…

George Stranahan - astrophysicist, writer, photographer, entrepreneur, rancher, and philanthropist - founded the Flying Dog Brewpub in Aspen, Colorado in 1990, a decade after discovering the “flying dog” while on a mountaineering trip to K2, the world’s deadliest mountain. The Flying Dog brand expanded to become one of the top 50 production breweries in the U.S. and continues to this day to produce world-class beers at its brewery in Frederick, Maryland.

In 2004, George Stranahan and Jess Graber co-founded Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, Colorado’s first legal distillery since Prohibition in downtown Denver. The original Stranahan’s Whiskey utilized mash from Flying Dog’s Road Dog Porter. Today, Stranahan’s is the country’s leading American Single Malt whiskey and a fixture in Denver’s booming distilling scene.

But WTF is an ‘Osopher’?

George Stranahan was a man of many skills and interests. He was a brewer, distiller, maverick, mentor, inventor, investor, innovator, rancher, researcher, and more; he considered himself a “pilgrimosopher.” With his many talents and passions, ‘osopher’ speaks to the idea that you can become an expert in any field if you're just crazy enough to try it.

So over 30 years later, we are celebrating the intersection of his accomplishments as a brewer and distiller, and the result is this barrel-aged testament to the ‘Osopher’ in all of us.

The Liquid

This cross-country commemoration was all about the barrels. Using Stranahan’s 10-year-old whiskey barrels, Flying Dog barrel-aged an imperial version of Road Dog Porter, the first beer George Stranahan ever crafted for the brewery. Road Dog is also the beer mash used in the original Stranahan’s Whiskey. Once the barrels were emptied and the beer was bottled, Flying Dog sent back the barrels to Stranahan’s to fill with a new batch of whiskey for an accelerated aging process. The result? Two all-new limited-edition liquids that developed unique and delicious flavor profiles from the casks they’ve lived inside.

After being barrel-aged in Stranahan Whiskey barrels, The Osopher’s rich and malt-forward flavor profile from Road Dog is made even more complex, with touches of caramel and spice balancing out chocolate, vanilla and toasted nut flavors in its silky-smooth sip. The Osopher beer carries a 12% ABV.

The Osopher Whiskey is the oldest whiskey Stranahan’s has ever put in a bottle. With 11 years of aging and four months spent in Imperial Porter barrels, the whiskey has notes of dark chocolate caramels, sherried-soaked plums, and a dash of aged hops on the palate with a dry finish.

The Osophers from both brands will feature a new take on Road Dog’s original artwork, done by the incomparable Ralph Steadman.

Get Your Hands on It

Hand-bottled and packaged in a commemorative box, Flying Dog’s The Osopher is a collector’s item you can’t miss. The 750ml bottles will be available for purchase in Maryland only starting mid-August.

Stranahan’s The Osopher retails for $159.99 and will be available at the Stranahan’s Distillery in Denver, Colorado.