Inside Dogfish Head’s Grateful Dead partnership

Thirty years from its last concert, and 60 years from its founding, the Grateful Dead still rings in the ears of its fans. The Dead were more than a band, but a lifestyle brand whose songwriting and performances espoused ideals of freedom, creativity, and improvisation—qualities that many brands want, but have to borrow. It’s led to more than 100 official partnerships between the Dead and other brands in recent years, from sneakers to coolers to baseball gloves, that amount to a swap of counterculture equity for continued exposure. The latest collab came to life Wednesday night as Dogfish Head, the Boston Beer Co.-owned craft brewer, celebrated the release of Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale at an event in Brooklyn, New York. See all of Ad Age’s 2025 Agency A-List winners here Recognizable for the band’s “Steal Your Face” logo on the can, the beer comes as part of a collaboration with the Grateful Dead that also includes the release of a curated live LP and a poster by rock artist Drew Millward that are to be part of Record Store Day on April 12 (Dogfish is also a Record Store Day official partner). “With the Grateful Dead, their legacy is not just the music, it’s the trademark, their IP,” Judy Ng, brand licensing coordinator for Warner Music Group, told Ad Age at the event. “We want to see that extended to merchandise. And merchandise is how a lot of fans connect. It’s really about building community, connection and culture.” Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione has a longstanding relationship with the Grateful Dead—they teamed on the release of American Beauty beer in 2015. Calagione predicted the new brew would be the brand’s second most popular style this year behind its signature 60-Minute IPA. He described Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale as “super crushable” and “juicy” (meaning a drinkable beer that’s more sweet than bitter), qualities that should help it compete for young drinkers who are now entering the alcohol category behind sweet offerings like canned cocktails, he said. A panel discussion led by Calagione at the event examined the enduring phenomenon of the Grateful Dead and its intersections with culture and beer, followed by a performance by Bushwick’s Dead, a Brooklyn-based Grateful Dead tribute band. Formed in San Francisco in 1965, the Grateful Dead officially retired in 1995, shortly after the death of co-founder Jerry Garcia. Former members have continued to perform in various outfits including Dead & Company, which is resuming a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere later this month. Founding member and bassist Phil Lesh, who was part of a reunion performance with three other surviving members in 2015, died late last year. In addition to its counterculture credentials, the Grateful Dead is seen by some as a marketing oracle pioneering ideas like a “freemium” model that encouraged fans to trade tapes for the interest it built in concert attendance. The band also partnered with its independent merchandise vendors, resisted a move to third-party ticketers and embraced fan experience over record sales. “I think they’re more popular now than they ever were,” David Lamieux, the Grateful Dead’s official archivist, said at the event. “People are going to their shows, buying the music. They’re consuming the Dead in so many ways, whether it’s live shows, whether it’s Record Store Day, whether it’s going to the Sphere, going to clubs like this and hearing Bushwick’s Dead. There’s a lot of ways to consume your Dead now—plus in a can.” At the event, Lamieux also described his work on the 60th anniversary live show compilation that includes recordings of 20 Grateful Dead shows over 60 CDs. The collection, which comes in a keepsake box, is available for preorder at $599.98 on the band’s official web page. Lamieux also helped to curate the Record Store Day LP, “On a Back Porch Vol. 1,” with Calagione’s son, Sammy. Data-Driven Marketing Playbook Join us May 22 in NYC to explore how data powers marketing Learn more here

Inside Dogfish Head’s Grateful Dead partnership

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