Our Recommendation: Flying Dog Raging Bitch
Where: Kildare’s Irish Pub, 18 West Gay Street, West Chester, PA 19380
Out for dinner at Kildare’s recently, I was impressed by their updated drink menu, which I had not seen before. Printed on 11 x 17 stock in big type that was easy to read while sitting outside at night, the menu smartly listed beers by category. A note at the top read: “Categories are listed from least complex to most complex, brands are listed alphabetically.” The list also denoted all twenty-one draft beers with an easy-to-see pint glass symbol.
The menu listed out the Ales first with the Lagers posted separately underneath. The back of the menu listed Fruits and Ciders, Layered Pints, Beer Flights and Whiskey choices.
I chose a controversial ale from Flying Dog Brewery called Raging Bitch. This belgian Style India Pale Ale comes in at a strong 8.3 percent. This medium bodied ale pours a light amber color and has floral and citrus notes, with a medium bitterness finish. Flying Dog Brewery is based in Frederick, Maryland.
Flying Dog Raging Bitch is one of the rare beers that has been banned because of the name. When it was originally released in 2009, The Michigan Liquor Control Board banned the sale of the ale citing the bottle label was “detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare.” In an extended legal battle, the Michigan LCB has reversed their ban but Flying Dog is now suing to recover damages lost from the ban.
Previous On Tap columns featured the following: Wells & Young’s Wells Bombardier, click here; Fuller’s ESB, click here; Earth Bread + Brewery’s Black Irish Stout, click here; Sierra Nevada’s A Lighter Shade of Pale, click here; Deschutes Brewery’s Mirror Pond Ale, click here; Sierra Nevada’s Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale, click here.
