Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and the Grateful Dead have introduced Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager, a new year-round American rice lager that marks the second major product release under their collaborative brand partnership. The release follows the 2025 launch of Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale, which achieved record-breaking performance for the Delaware-based brewery, capturing the top position in the Craft Domestic Specialty category and becoming Dogfish Head's largest product launch to date.
The Citrus Daydream Lager joins a complementary digital initiative, the 'Daydream Playbook,' a creative resource hub designed to engage consumers beyond the beverage itself. This multi-platform approach reflects the companies' strategy to leverage the Grateful Dead's cultural heritage and fanbase while expanding Dogfish Head's product portfolio into the lager segment.
The partnership demonstrates the continued viability of artist-brand collaborations in the craft beverage industry, particularly when combining established music franchises with regional breweries seeking national scale and market differentiation. The success metrics from the Juicy Pale Ale launch have positioned the two organizations to scale distribution and consumer engagement for the new lager offering.