Dogfish Head Announces New Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager

I brought you a peek at this beer back in July 2025, and now this update from Dogfish Head in Milton, Delaware:

MILTON, Del., Feb. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dogfish Head and the Grateful Dead are back for a repeat performance with Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager. This week, the longtime collaborators unveiled their latest year-round brew, accompanied by the launch of Dogfish Head’s “Daydream Playbook,” an online resource hub for creative exploration. Just like the beer, the “Daydream Playbook” is built on the belief that some of the most meaningful ideas (and the tastiest beers) emerge when wandering off the main path.

Hitting shelves in 6pk/12oz cans nationwide, Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager (5.3% ABV) is an easy drinking American Rice Lager brewed with carefully selected rice and sustainable Fonio grain from Africa, hopped with a mix of Lemondrop and Contessa hops, and brightened with lemongrass, lime and lemon peel. The resulting beer is crisp, clean and super-sessionable with a splash of citrus for a drinking experience reminiscent of sunshine and daydreams. Track down some Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager using Dogfish Head’s Fish Finder.

INTRODUCING THE “DAYDREAM PLAYBOOK”
To celebrate the debut of Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager, Dogfish Head unveiled its “Daydream Playbook,” a digital guide championing creativity, encouraging curiosity and rewarding off-centered thinking – components integral to the dreamer-like ethos Dogfish Head and the Grateful Dead share. Inviting drinkers on an off-the-beaten-path journey, the resources, stories, videos and Q&As featured in the “Daydream Playbook” will act as a living, breathing hub for folks seeking enjoyment, experimentation and the same “road-less-traveled” creativity that has made Dogfish Head and the Grateful Dead the categorial icons they are today.

“Dogfish Head and the Grateful Dead both began as mere ideas, and thinking back to the beginnings of Dogfish, never in my wildest daydreams did I imagine we would one day be collaborating with a group as culturally influential as the Grateful Dead,” said Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Brewer & Founder. “One heck of a wild ride, our now more than 10-year relationship with the Dead has reinforced my belief in the value of thoughtful, authentic, against-the-grain experimentation … failures be damned. It is only by continuously pushing the boundaries of the beer and music industries that both Dogfish and the Grateful Dead have blossomed into what we are now, and together, I hope we can inspire others to do the same – to chart their own courses as they embark on their own explorations of goodness.”

Offering a content-rich counterpoint to life’s overly serious hustle culture, Dogfish Head’s “Daydream Playbook” is meant to inspire drinkers and music-lovers alike, helping them turn their daydreams into realities – just like the founders of Dogfish Head and the Grateful Dead have! Check out Dogfish Head’s “Daydream Playbook” at www.dogfish.com/daydream-playbook, and bookmark that page, as new content will be added weekly.

A CREATIVE PHILOSOPHY YOU CAN TASTE
Continuing Dogfish Head and the Grateful Dead’s more than 10-year partnership, Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager builds on the success of Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale (5.3% ABV), launched in early 2025. A light, easy-drinking pale ale brewed with Kernza perennial grains from The Land Institute, and hopped with a mix of El Dorado and Azacca hops, Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale was the biggest product launch in Dogfish Head history, concluding 2025 as the #1 innovation 6pk* in the Craft Domestic Specialty (CDS) category.

“Fans of the Grateful Dead are totally engrained in its culture and can easily identify when something doesn’t fit seamlessly with the band’s ethos,” said David Lemieux, the Grateful Dead’s Archivist & Legacy Manager. “It’s Dogfish and the Dead’s shared values of creativity and non-conformity, and their laser focuses on remaining true to themselves that has made this partnership so successful. Fans felt the genuine connection between our brands with Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale and I’m certain they will with Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager, too.”

Similar to Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale, Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager is a light, easy-drinking craft beer option featuring two distinct hop varieties and one sustainability-oriented grain. It also features the Grateful Dead’s iconic “Steal Your Face” logo on its bright green and psychedelic yellow packaging, just like its predecessor. Complementary offerings, Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager and Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale will live side-by-side in Dogfish Head’s year-round lineup of beers.

For more on Dogfish Head and the Grateful Dead, see www.dogfish.com and www.gratefuldead.net, respectively.
*Circana 52 W/E 12/28/25
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DOGFISH HEAD CRAFT BREWERY:
With quality, creativity and non-conformity at its core, Dogfish Head has been committed to brewing unique beers with high-caliber culinary ingredients outside the Reinheitsgebot since the day it opened nearly 30 years ago. Dedicated to exploring goodness of all kinds, Dogfish Head later expanded its beverage artistry beyond just craft beer to produce award-winning portfolios of full-proof spirits – whiskeys, gins, vodkas, rums and more – and spirits-based, ready-to-drink canned cocktails. A Boston Beer Company brand and proud supporter of the Independent Craft Brewing Seal, Dogfish Head is a Delaware-based entity consisting of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, a production brewery and tasting room; Dogfish Head Distilling Co., a production distillery; Brewings & Eats, a brewpub and live music venue; Chesapeake & Maine, a seafood and cocktail spot; and the Dogfish INN, a beer-themed, canal-front hotel. For more about Dogfish Head, please visit www.dogfish.com or follow the brand on social media.     
 
GRATEFUL DEAD:
The Grateful Dead is a social and musical phenomenon that grew into a genuine American treasure. In 1965, an entire generation was linked together by common ideals, gathering by the hundreds and thousands. This movement created a seamless connection between the band and its fans. As the band toured, Dead Heads would follow. Not because it was a part of popular culture but because it is a true counterculture that exists to this very day-one that earnestly believes in the value of its beliefs. By 1995, the Grateful Dead had attracted the most concertgoers in the history of the music business, and today remains one of the all-time leaders in concert ticket sales. Eventually, the caravan evolved into a community with various artists, craftsmen and entrepreneurs supplying a growing demand for merchandise that connected them to the music with their final tally being 2,318 total concerts. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and received a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, commemorated in the 47th class of the Kennedy Center Honorees, as well as the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year honored at the 67th Annual GRAMMY® Awards. The Grateful Dead celebrated their 66th Top 40 album on the Billboard chart —a feat no other artist has achieved —claiming the Guinness World Records title for the most Top 40 albums charted on the US Billboard 200.

Some trips are long, some are strange, and some are so good, you can’t help but keep ’em going! After reuniting with the Grateful Dead last year to release Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale, we couldn’t resist keeping the journey rolling. This year, we’re beyond excited to collaborate once again on our fifth Dogfish Head x Grateful Dead beer.
Meet Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager, our brand‑NEW collaborative brew inspired by creativity, exploration and the joy of following curiosity wherever it leads.

A daydream, brewed bright
Clocking in at 5.3% ABV, Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager is an adventurous American Lager brewed with Fonio grains and rice, then lifted with the sunny goodness of lemongrass, lime and lemon peel. It’s gently hopped for a splash of citrus and a soft blossom of floral aroma, creating a crisp, clean and refreshing beer that feels light on its feet but full of character.

And the good vibes with this brew don’t stop at flavor. Fonio is an ancient West African grain that’s naturally drought‑resistant and fast‑growing, requiring fewer resources than many traditional grains. It’s a small ingredient with a big impact … bringing subtle, delicate notes to Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager while supporting more sustainable brewing practices along the way.

In other words, this is a beer where bright flavor and thoughtful brewing go hand in hand. Light, crisp and endlessly refreshing, Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager is made for moments when your mind starts to wander and your schedule suddenly opens up … proof that small, intentional ingredients can lead to big, feel‑good daydreams.
Introducing the Daydream Playbook

This beer was brewed for wandering minds and joyful detours. To carry that spirit beyond the can, we created the Daydream Playbook, an online space that invites you to crack a beer, loosen the schedule and let curiosity take the lead.

Whether it sparks a creative detour, a fresh perspective or a well‑earned pause, the Daydream Playbook is a reminder that some of the best ideas (and moments) happen when you give yourself permission to drift.  
A long, strange (and delicious) trip

Our collaboration with Grateful Dead stretches back more than a decade, beginning in 2013 with the release of American Beauty and continuing through multiple re‑releases, evolutions and creative experiments over the years. Each chapter has built on the last, fueled by mutual respect, shared values and a belief that art, whether brewed, played or painted, should invite people in. Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager is the latest stop on that journey.
This goodness is swimming to shelves nationwide in 6‑pack / 12‑oz cans as we speak … er, type!, and will be available coast-to-coast beginning Mar. 2026. You can grab both of our Grateful Dead collaborative brews, Juicy Pale Ale and Citrus Daydream Lager, at your favorite local retailer or use our Fish Finder to track them down near you.  
So go on and crack a can, take a sip and let your mind wander a little.

About Dogfish Head:

The story of Dogfish Head began in June of 1995 when we opened Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats – the first state’s first brewpub – in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The plan was to bring original beer, original food and original music to the area … and we did just that!

Not only was Dogfish Head Delaware’s first brewpub, it was the smallest commercial brewery in America. With our very first batches brewed on a system that was essentially three little kegs with propane burners underneath, we were brewing 12–gallon batches of beer for a whole restaurant. It proved to be more than a full time job and when the doors to the brewpub first opened, we brewed three times a day, five days a week! The benefit? Brewing on such a small system gave us the ability to try out a myriad of different recipes.

Insert ‘off-centered ales for off-centered people.’ Our hunger for weird ingredients and venturing off the beaten path was just getting started.

Fast-forward to 2002 and after spotting a stainless-steel bin in a rural Delaware scrapyard, our wandering eye led us to explore the wild and wonderful world of spirits. Sam worked with engineers and welders to reshape the tank in the form of a pot still – lovingly named ‘Frankenstill’ – and Dogfish Head’s days of hand-distilling gin, rum and vodka began. We’ve since expanded our distillery operations to our Milton campus with Frankenstill standing guard.

The off-centered fun doesn’t start and stop with beverages though … oh no. Here at Dogfish Head, we have places to eat, places to drink and places to play. The missing link? A place to stay. That’s why in 2013 we designed a basecamp for both beer lovers and adventure seekers alike – the Dogfish Inn. Located in historic downtown Lewes, it’s chock-full of style, quality and craft … let’s spend the night together!
But Wait, There’s More…


But before we get ahead of ourselves, we have a bit more to tell you. With connections to both the Maine and Chesapeake regions from our founders Sam and Mariah, it only makes sense that our coastal roots would lead to our very own seafood restaurant, and in 2016 we opened the geographically enamored Chesapeake & Maine. Featuring fresh seafood sourced exclusively from the coastal waterways between the Chesapeake & Maine, you’ll find our take on coastal dishes, handcrafted cocktails and Dogfish beers in a casual, nautical-themed atmosphere.
And just when you think there couldn’t possibly be more…

Still motivated by non-conformity, by spontaneity and by experimentation, Dogfish Head turned the page of our American craft beer story in May of 2019 and started our next chapter by merging with our longtime friends-in-beer – The Boston Beer Company. With complementary portfolios and a band of like-minded co-workers, we combined our own superpowers in the beer, spirits and off-centered experience worlds with Boston’s superpowers in building strong, diverse and innovative brands in craft beer and beyond-beer.

With a never ending thirst for exploring new waters, in 2021 we swam south for our next great adventure – Dogfish Head Miami. Located in the Wynwood neighborhood, this off-centered outpost was a place to celebrate all of our favorite things – innovative ales, tasty eats, and immersive art. Sadly, due to significant rent increases throughout the Miami area, we made the difficult business decision to permanantly close our Dogfish Head Miami doors in Nov. 2022. 

At every turn, our restless desire to create what hasn’t yet been imagined keeps us bringing new stories, new tastes, and new experiences to you.

Because we don’t jump on the bandwagon, we are the funky drummer.

Every day is an exploration. A thoughtful search through a crowded world, we search for that thing that makes us pause – that idea that excites us, the inspiration we can’t ignore. The journey can be unpredictable … but that’s what makes it kind of magical.
Dogfish Head Brewing & Spirits…


If you haven’t had the chance to taste Dogfish Head, find a beer, track down one of our spirits or visit one of our restaurants! You’ll quickly see why international beer writer Michael Jackson called Dogfish Head “America’s most interesting and adventurous small brewery.”

We’re beer geeks with a music problem. We’re analog beer for the digital age. We take what we do seriously … ourselves? Not so much. But mostly importantly, we make off-centered goodness for off-centered people and there’s a whole mess of us that work hand-in-hand to make it happen.

Founded in coastal Delaware by Sam and Mariah Calagione back in 1995, Dogfish continues to move in a slightly off-centered direction, motivated by non-conformity, spontaneity, and experimentation. We’ve been known to march to the beat of our own drum, and that’s just the way we like it.

There are over 2,000 of us now thanks to joining forces with our longtime friends in beer at the Boston Beer Company … so lots of people work together day in and day out to make Dogfish Head, well, Dogfish Head.
When we opened in downtown Rehoboth Beach as the smallest commercial brewery in the U.S., we began with a straight-forward, but unorthodox mission: off-centered ales for off-centered people.

Flash forward to today. We’re a bigger – but still small – brewery (with a distillery, tasting room, two restaurants, and a hotel!), with the same mission.

Thanks to a lot of awesome fans who believe in what we are doing as a company we have a lot of passionate, talented, and team-oriented co-workers who have come together to grow this company into a very special community. A community that has supported us fiercely since the day we opened our doors and a community that inspires us daily.

Here at Dogfish Head, yes, we make off-centered ales for off-centered people. The key word though … people. People means that all are welcome in our off-centered world. A world where we’re dedicated to providing a safe environment for our coworkers, guests, and partners. A world that is free of discrimination and intimidation, and where all are treated with respect and dignity.

With people at the heart of everything we do, the following behaviors are just not going to fly when you find yourself in any of our locations:

Physical touch without consent
Unwanted attention – staring, stalking, or trapping an individual
Hate speech or attire
Inappropriate, disruptive, or offensive behavior that crosses personal boundaries (unwanted nicknames, sexual remarks, remarks on physical appearance)

If we find that a guest is having a hard time sticking to the house rules listed above, they will be asked to leave. Actions that repeatedly threaten personal boundaries of our co-workers and guests have no place here.
There’s nothing we love more than sharing our space with new and old friends alike, but we want everyone to feel safe and respected. We’ve typed this out to make sure we’re all on the same page – because together we can craft a world where everyone is welcome. Now … who wants a beer?!

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