Where the Wild Hops Are kicks off Dogfish art collaboration
Celebrating the creative magic at the intersection of art and ales, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s Off-Centered Art Series is a yearly collection of four limited-edition beers featuring artwork by a different collaborating artist.
The brewery’s featured artist for 2022 is Max Mahn, a well-known printmaker and illustrator from Missoula, Mont.
Mahn kicks off his Off-Centered Art Series residency with label artwork for the brewery’s all-new beer, Where the Wild Hops Are, a rustic, unfiltered IPA brewed with four wild-derived hop varieties. It’s now available nationwide on taps and shelves, in 6pk/12oz bottles.
Throughout his career, Mahn has worked with clients of all types, from pizzerias and film festivals to newspapers and breweries, and his favorite, bands. He has created gig posters for many notable acts, including My Morning Jacket, Ween, Wilco, Disco Biscuits and more.
“I’ve been drawing weird things for as long as I can remember,” said Mahn. “Most of my posters are based off lyrics or the general sound/aesthetic of that specific band. Those things don't exist for a beer. For beer, I'm personally creating the aesthetic for that specific drink. So, it was fun to think up different imagery and stories that would in the end define the beer itself.”
Where the Wild Hops Are (6.5% ABV) is a complex IPA brewed with zappa, amarillo, comet and sabro hops, and blended with a touch of wild ale aged for four years in French oak barrels. The result is a delicious blend of citrus meets dank, rounded out by just a bit of wild funk.
The beer’s hazy pale-gold color, slightly tart yet juicy fruit flavors and dry, oak-tinged finish are sure to satiate drinkers, transporting their palates to the universe of off-centered goodness. But heed this warning … when all those unique, multidimensional tastes and aromas are combined with the bottle’s fierce artwork, folks best be ready for a walk on the wild side!
Setting an ominously mysterious tone, Mahn’s label artwork for Where the Wild Hops Are, features an old-school box trap baited by nothing other than a large hop cone. The illustration’s lively color palette alongside the detail-oriented nature of Mahn’s work brings the scene to life. With every sip, drinkers’ excitement and anticipation builds, and they are left anxiously waiting to catch a glimpse of the creature hiding in the darkness.
“Here at Dogfish Head, we see brewing as a work of art; the creative interaction between traditional brewing, off-centered techniques and high-quality culinary ingredients being our medium and drinkers, our muse,” said Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head founder and brewer. “We were so excited about Max’s interpretation of Where the Wild Hops Are that we decided to create a limited-edition, long-sleeve T-shirt and a ‘gig’ poster of our own, so drinkers can not only taste the art through the beer, but they can also wear it or display it in their home.”
Dogfish Head’s 2022 Off-Centered Art Series includes Where the Wild Hops Are, the brewery’s iconic Punkin Ale and two other all-new innovations, Mandarin Orange & Mango Crush, and Crimson Cru. To learn more, go to twinhomeprints.com and dogfish.com.
