Craft Beer

More than 30 years ago, a group of oxygen- and alcohol-deprived amateur hikers convened in a Pakistan hotel room after summiting the world’s deadliest mountain. There, Flying Dog was born. George Stranahan — a PhD in physics, founder of the Aspen Center for Physics, professional photographer, writer — lead that expedition to the summit of K2 in 1983, at the age of 52. In 1990, George opened a brewpub in Woody Creek, Colorado with Richard McIntyre, a man who continues to be well ahead of his time.

The tavern attracted ordinary neighbors and one less ordinary celebrity — gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. At his urging, Stranahan hired famed British artist and illustrator — the one, the only and the inimitable Ralph Steadman — to design the labels.

Live on the BBC, Ralph scrawled those four simple words across his canvas and their mantra was born.