The Loop
Flying Dog celebrates Caddyshack's 40th anniversary with pale ale inspired by Judge Smails and Ty Webb
'Caddyshack' and beer go together like Bill Murray and a camo bucket hat, which is to say pretty damn well. We've seen microbreweries like Altamont Beer Works tap hoppy tributes to the OG golf comedy before, but now the big, uh, dogs are stepping up, led by Maryland brewery Flying Dog, who have readied their new seasonal brew 'Night Putting' just in time for the film's 40th anniversary this summer.
A reimagining of the classic American pale ale, Night Putting—which takes its name from the lips of Ty Webb himself—is brewed with a blend of Simcoe and Centennial hops, which are then smoothed out with a hit of sweet oats and subtle malt. Clocking at 5.5% ABV, the beer is session-able but not laughably lightweight and comes packaged in 16 oz cans inspired by Judge Elihu Smails' infamous fedora. Unlike the hat, however, this can will actually look good on you.
“When conceptualizing this beer, we knew we wanted to pay homage to the classic comedy," says James Maravetz, VP of Marketing at Flying Dog Brewery. "So we created a beer designed specifically for golfers.” Whether or not it lives up to that billing (or if we will get the chance to test it in its natural habitat) remains to be seen, but we know one thing: We don't plan to wait until July 25th—exactly 40 years from 'Caddyshack's original theatrical release date—to find out.