Beer Journal #6: Flying Dog Brewery & Their "Old Scratch" Amber Lager

I must say that this beer has the weirdest label I've found so far.  The artwork is bizarre! Upon visiting the brewery website, I learned that the artist is Ralph Steadman.

If you think the crazed insects are creepy, let me tell you what's on the back side of the label. The exact words are:

"Tom Walker and his wife loved money more than life, so they surrendered their souls to Old Scratch.  And when her liver and lung were found lying on the forest floor, Tom forever feared a certain rapping at the door. Knock...Knock...Knock."

Okay.  Well, it's not really okay.

Old Scratch (5.5% alc/vol) is brewed by Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, MD. They have an interesting website. I contacted them on their website, praising the artwork and inquiring about the character, Old Scratch, of whom Tom Walker is so terrified and about his wife. I'll let you know if and when I get a response. Perhaps no explanation exists and we're to be left wondering. Being bizarre may be the only goal being sought after by Flying Dog Brewery.

I also found this quote on the edge of the bottle label:  "Good People Drink Good Beer" --Hunter S. Thompson

As I've mentioned before, I love the entertainment many beer labels provide.