Seventy-three years ago today, Hunter Stockton Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky.

A profound influence on Flying Dog founder George Stranahan’s life, Hunter and George were longtime friends in Woody Creek, Colorado.

In his recent book Phlogs: Journey to the Heart of the Human Predicament, George describes a dynamite-and-whiskey-filled afternoon with Hunter:

One of many lady friends left her Wagoneer behind Hunter’s house; perhaps thinking it would be there if she returned…The Wagoneer stayed through more than a winter, and one day Hunter called me and barked, “Bring down some dynamite — a lot of it.”

Well, I did that, and we sat in his kitchen drinking whiskey as he spilled out his need to eliminate the Wagoneer from his view and his memory. There were fist poundings and many loud “Goddammits,” and more whiskey.

Eventually it became time to act; there is some rationality required when mixing whiskey and dynamite. Hunter hauled a twenty five pound canister of gunpowder from the war room and we went to work. Seven sticks of dynamite were placed head to toe from mid-engine to the firewall, the gunpowder placed in the driver’s seat. My fuse burns roughly ten seconds per inch, I jammed eighteen inches into the blasting cap and crimped it with my teeth.

My rule is “walk, don’t run,” and I made it down to the picnic table with about a minute of fuse left. I didn’t look at my watch, the vagaries of fuse chemistry ensure that the explosion always comes as a complete surprise, which it did.

We were barely one hundred yards from the blast and the shock wave knocked the wind out of our lungs, yet we “yeehaaed!” hugged and clapped each other on our backs. When haying that fall I found a fender that had sailed over our heads and three hundred yards further, almost to Woody Creek.

“Walk, don’t run.” That’s wisdom we should apply to all walks of life. And we think Hunter would approve.

Happy birthday, Hunter.

A moving collection of black and white photography, accompanied by raw, authentic essays, Phlogs: Journey to the Heart of the Human Predicament, is Flying Dog founder George Stranahan’s latest book with co-author Nicole Beinstein Strait. It was recently the winner of the 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the Coffee Table Book/Photography category and the second place winner in the Non-Fiction Book category.

This Wednesday, George will be at Flying Dog’s new Denver tasting room from 5 to 7 pm signing copies of Phlogs. The event is free and open to the public. We’ll be giving away a few signed copies of Phlogs, along with free Flying Dog beer and munchies.

From there, George will be heading over to The Tattered Cover in LoDo for a signing at 7:30 pm.

Not in the Denver area? Order a copy of Phlogs. Consuming copious amounts of Flying Dog beer while reading is optional.

I had a vision of some nerve-rattling geek all covered with matted hair and string-warts showing up in the press office and demanding Scanlan’s press packet. Well…what the hell? We could always load up on acid and spend the day roaming around the clubhouse grounds with big sketch pads, laughing hysterically at the natives and swilling mint juleps so the cops wouldn’t think we’re abnormal. Perhaps even make the act pay: set up an easel with a big sign saying, “Let a Foreign Artist Paint Your Portrait, $10 Each. Do It NOW!

- Hunter S. Thompson on meeting Ralph Steadman for the first time, from “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved”

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That first encounter between Hunter and Ralph wasn’t far off from Hunter’s prediction, although we don’t think they made any money that weekend off of Ralph’s drawings. If anything (as Hunter wrote), Ralph “was regarded with fear and loathing by nearly anyone who’d seen or even heard about his work.”

The significance of that first meeting 40 years ago goes beyond the now infamous resulting article, “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.” It represents the birth of Gonzo - a term coined by Boston Globe magazine editor Bill Cardoso, which he claimed is South Boston slang for the last man standing after an all-night drinking marathon. Ralph once said:

“Nobody I have read knows what GONZO is, was, or ever could be, not even Hunter, an if he doesn’t know what it is, I do. I am the only one who does. Gonzo makes you feel GOod rather than BAd, which is BANZO. Pursue BANZO if you must but don’t blame me or even credit me or you will make me sick. GOnzo is GOod. BAnzo is BAd. It is a simple equation.”

From those mace and whiskey-filled days during the Running of the Roses on, Gonzo became the lifestyle of Hunter and Ralph, which have been beautifully illustrated through both sketches and words.

From riding motorcycles to blowing shit up to getting drunk (sometimes simultaneously), Hunter was a long-time co-conspirator of Flying Dog owner George Stranahan and had a profound impact on George’s life. Hunter’s greatest contribution to Flying Dog was introducing George to Ralph, who now illustrates all of our labels.

This past week, we filled oak Stranahans whiskey barrels with our Gonzo Imperial Porter in Hunter and Ralph’s honor. It made us feel good.

For “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved” and more from Hunter S. Thompson, purchase The Great Shark Hunt: Gonzo Papers, Volume 1 on Amazon.

Flying Dog Founder and Owner, George Stranahan has recently updated his website and phlog (photo blog).  On his new site, he includes a bunch of stories and press clippings from the early days of Flying Dog.

It’s a must read for anyone who’s ever wondered how this crazy brewery got its start.  Click here or the photo below to read some of George’s tales.  Be sure to scroll about halfway down the page for the really juicy stuff.

Thanks, George.

If you love Flying Dog Brewery, you’ll love George (the Dog’s Founder and Owner) and Patti Stranahan (his wife).  George and Patti recently sat down with Plum TV (Aspen) at their home in Woody Creek, CO and reflected on their amazing lives.  In this 8-minute video, they talk about:

• The “March of the Innnocents” which is what George called his 1983 adventure with 13 other “hippie mountain climbers” to the top of K2
• How they came up with the name “Flying Dog”
• Their relationship with Hunter S. Thompson and blowing shit up together
• The launch of the world-famous Woody Creek Tavern

This 8-minute video is an absolute must see for anyone who’s ever enjoyed a Flying Dog beer.

Click here or the photo of George to see the video.

Well, we should start this off by letting you that it’s not going to be cheap. But our majority owner George Stranahan is selling his ranch up in Woody Creek, Colorado. Even if you can’t afford it, the Denver Post article is a great read and gives some good insight about George and his relationship with his friend Hunter S. Thompson.

The New York Times online recently posted an interview with Gonzo artist and Flying Dog label creator Ralph Steadman. Freakonomics author Stephen J. Dubner selected questions for the interview that readers had submitted online. To listen to Ralph’s candid answers follow this link to the New York Times site.

Any man who claims he was destined to own a brewery - since his first sip of beer at age 12 - and follows it up by starting a brewery that has grown into a fixture of the craft beer landscape has my respect. A lifelong educator, philanthropist and entrepreneur, George Stranahan built Flying Dog Brewery to reflect a culture and product that match his own ideals. Beer mixed with art, with a little irreverence thrown in. You’ll never see George speaking at industry seminars or writing books about food and beer pairings. He chooses to sit and enjoy our world class ales on his Woody Creek, Colorado ranch in peace and lets the beer do the talking for him. Check out the video below to get to know George a bit better and learn the origins of Flying Dog Brewery.

Cheers to you George!

Technorati Tags: George Stranahan, beer, craft beer, flying dog, The Session, beer people

George Stranahan points us to a  great comic strip in today’s Aspen Times.  Click HERE.

The Rocky Mountain News ran a great story on Flying Dog Brewery Founder and Owner, George Stranahan over the weekend. Check it out here.