The Weekly Sip: Dogfish Head, Grateful Dead partner on IPA | Anheuser-Busch slices into strawberry cocktail

Dogfish staying alive with Grateful Dead beer

Back for an epic encore, Dogfish Head and Grateful Dead are launching their latest brew.

The craft brewery and the iconic rock band are unveiling Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale. The beer joins Dogfish Head’s lineup of year-round beers.

The alcoholic beverage has a 5.3% alcohol by volume and is described as a refreshing, light-bodied beer. The addition of El Dorado and Azacca hops brings waves of tropical pineapple, mango, and passion fruit notes for “a vibrant tapestry of alluring aromas and flavors.”

“As a beer geek with a music problem, few things in life are as sensorially sensational as enjoying a great beer while simultaneously listening to some great music,” Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head’s founder and Grateful Dead fan, said in a statement. “With its layered, nuanced flavors of tropical hops complemented by its malty body, our Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale is as compelling and joyful as the band’s music itself.”

Dogfish Head and Grateful Dead first collaborated in 2013, with the release of American Beauty in 750 milliliter bottles.

While Dogfish Head is best known for its line of IPAs, the 30-year-old brewery, now part of Boston Beer, hasn’t been afraid to test the boundaries.

It branched out into ready-to-drink canned cocktails last May. Dogfish Head also has previously partnered with Tipsy Scoop on a dairy-free ice cream and launched a limited-time craft beer inspired by the combination of five different fermented alcoholic beverages.

—Christopher Doering

Anheuser-Busch slices into strawberry with new Cutwater cocktail

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, a ready-to-drink beverage maker is adding a fruity take on a classic cocktail.

Cutwater is debuting a Strawberry White Russian made with vodka, coffee cream liqueur and strawberry flavor. The canned beverage, which contains 13% alcohol-by-volume, is available for a limited time..

The drink “builds on the creamy decadence” of a standard White Russian, with an added taste reminiscent of a strawberries and cream dessert, the ready-to-drink brand said in a statement.

The beverage joins the White Russian and Peppermint White Russian in Cutwater’s RTD portfolio. Cutwater also sells canned cocktails including Tiki Rum Mai Tai, Pineapple Margarita, Lemon Drop Martini and Whiskey Sour.

Cutwater first debuted in 2007 and was acquired by Anheuser-Busch in 2019. 

In addition to canned cocktails, the brand also sells bottled spirits like vodka, gin and mezcal. Last fall, Anheuser-Busch invested $16 million into its Los Angeles brewery in order to boost capacity for “beyond beer” brands like Cutwater.

—Chris Casey

Actress Hailee Steinfeld releases RTD margarita with Mexican beer maker

Singer and “Hawkeye” star Hailee Steinfeld is the face of a new ready-to-drink margarita cocktail released in partnership with Mexico-based Premium Beers Group.

The cocktail, Angel Margarita, will launch in Southern California. Flavors include Lime, Grapefruit Paloma, Ranch Water and Wild Berry.

“Margaritas have always been my go-to cocktail, so making a ready-to-drink version with high-quality ingredients that didn't compromise on taste was important to me,” Steinfeld said in a statement. “I am so proud of what we have created together and cannot wait for the world to try Angel Margarita.”

The premixed cocktail market was valued at approximately $2.8 billion in 2023, Premium Beers Group said. The segment rose 26.8% from the previous year and represented the fastest-growing spirits category in the U.S. Tequila was the second fastest-growing category, up 7.9% year-over-year and valued at $6.5 billion.

Premium Beer Groups is a Mexico-based beer importer that also manufactures its own brews. The company has looked to expand into the RTD market and the U.S. more broadly.

—Sarah Zimmerman