Flying Dog Brews Up A Winner for MGM Casino

Flying Dog Brews Up A Winner for MGM Casino

February 22, 2019

Erin Weston, senior director of communications of Flying Dog Brewery and Jim Caruso, CEO of Flying Dog, at the Voltaggio Brothers Steak House at MGM National Harbor for release of Let It Rye’d Hazy Rye IPA.

Flying Dog Brewery, Maryland’s largest beer maker, has teamed up with MGM National Harbor, the state’s largest casino resort, to product an exclusive brew only available at the luxury entertainment destination along the Potomac River. Fittingly, the hazy rye IPA beer is called Let it Rye’d, smooth tasting, yet full-bodied with aroma of citrus and peach. The 5.5% beer will be sold in restaurants and bars across the casino hotel.

Let it Rye’d embraces the haze craze that is flooding the craft beer industry with its own style that both aficionados and everyday guests can appreciate. Frederick, MD-based Flying Dog achieved the brew’s unique look and flavor profile by brewing the IPA with rye, a grain as synonymous with Maryland as crab cakes and the Chesapeake Bay.
Rye has been used in Maryland since the state’s inception – for bread, beer and whiskey – because it is easier to grow than wheat. Additionally, when seasonally rotated with tobacco, rye grass created the perfect soil for the late 1700s farmer. Since then, rye has remained a staple Maryland crop and continues to appeal to brewers and distillers alike for the fruity spice it adds to beer and spirits.

Let it Rye’d had its release in late January at the Voltaggio Brothers Steak House inside the resort. Famed cook Bryan Voltaggio was on hand as was Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso. The beer tasted great with beef tartar, chicken-fried sugar toads and oysters.
“We always are looking to create unforgettable experiences our guests can’t find elsewhere,” said Melanie Johnson, President and COO of MGM National Harbor.
Let It Rye’d is available at the following locations within MGM National Harbor: Lobby Bar, Fish by Jose Andres, Voltaggio Brothers Steak House, Tap Sports Bar and Osteria Costa.

At the release party in January, Caruso was excited to talk about another Flying Dog coming attraction. The brewery is partnering with Green Leaf Medical Cannabis on a plan to release Maryland’s first THC-infused beer in 2019. The beer, a non-alcoholic India Pale Ale named Hop Chronic, will serve as a medical delivery system to provide Maryland medical cannabis patients with therapeutic cannabinoids including CBD, CBG and THC without the patient having to smoke or vape the cannabis.
The product will be released at dispensaries throughout Maryland and will be available in 6-pack or single serve 12-oz. cans. Release of this new product is subject to regulatory and legal approvals.

Hop Chronic IPA will only be available at licensed dispensaries and only to people who have a medical recommendation for the use of cannabis. Hop Chronic IPA will be available in a variety of THC and CBD potencies.
“We see a lot of interest in cannabis from the craft beer community, and we jumped at the opportunity to partner with Green Leaf on a product that captures the passion and energy you see in fans of both craft beer and cannabis,” states Flying Dog CMO Ben Savage. “There are definitely similarities between the natural flavor profiles we extract from hops and the terpenes and cannabinoids found in Cannabis. “Using cannabis-infused non-alcoholic beer as a drug delivery system is a great way to allow cannabis patients to reap the medical benefits of cannabis without having to smoke or vape the cannabis flower.