Flying Dog goes low cal, low carb

Flying Dog’s new Zen Blaster Active Ale has 90 calories and 1.5 grams of carbs. (Courtesy Kyle Romanek)

Frederick, Maryland’s Flying Dog Brewery says its new, low calorie, low carbohydrate summer beer aims to appeal to the increase in healthier lifestyles.

Zen Blaster Active Ale has 90 calories and 1.5 grams of carbs, and is brewed with lotus hops.

Flying Dog says its aroma gives notes of tropical fruits and vanilla with a light flavor profile that finishes dry.

The light ale has 4.5% alcohol by volume and a low 10 International Bittering Units, which measures how bitter a beer is.

“Changing mindsets around alcohol and active lifestyles, combined with a post-2020 desire to refocus on well-being, has increased interest in lower-calorie and lower alcohol craft options in consumers,” Flying Dog said.

Zen Blaster will show up on store shelves in mid-June in 6-packs of 12-ounce bottles.

Flying Dog, founded in 1990, is the largest brewer in Maryland and one of the 50 largest craft brewers in the country. It brews up to 20 styles of beer found in bars and retailers at any given time, with catchy labels that have been designed by artist Ralph Steadman since 1995.

One of its most recent beers was a tribute to the pandemic-fueled rise in work-from-home video calls, a red ale called “You’re on Mute.”

Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.

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