New Dogfish Head x Grateful Dead Beer: Citrus Daydream Lager, Reviewed

I’ve found the beer of the summer for 2026 and it’s a beer made in collaboration with the Grateful Dead.

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This isn’t the first time Dogfish Head has released a Grateful Dead beer. In 2013, the two collabed on American Beauty, a “psychedelic pale ale brewed with granola, honey, and all-American hops” that has had multiple rereleases. And last year, they dropped Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale. Now, Dogfish Head has gone and made another Grateful Dead beer. This time, it’s a lager.

Brewed with lemongrass, lime, lemon peel, and fonio grains (an ancient, sustainable grain from West Africa), Citrus Daydream Lager is, according to Dogfish Head, a beer “for wandering minds and joyful detours.” Is that the case? I got an early taste of this new brew (which launches in March) to find out.

New Dogfish Head Beer!

Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager

Dogfish Head

Pros: I won’t bury the lead, I love this beer. There’s something about it that reminds me of 2015—when Dogfish Head was doing more experimentation and was a bit rougher around the edges, also when I was younger and generally more carefree. Good times. Anyway, this is a return to form for the brewery. It’s bright and crisp and exceedingly easy to drink. The lemongrass and lemon peel are certainly there, but they’re not overly apparent. You wouldn’t take a sip and immediately think, ah, flavored beer. It’s super refreshing, really light on the hops and the wheat, and just a great, gulpable beer.

Cons: If you like beer because you love the bitter flavor of hops, you’re not going to be satisfied by this beer. Dogfish Head has plenty of other options for you, however. May I suggest the 60 Minute IPA? It’s one of the best IPAs you can get (according to us).

Verdict: At 5.3% ABV this is a day drinking beer at its finest. I will be buying these by the case this summer. And it’s the perfect festival beer. You could (and should) totally crush one of these while getting high in a field watching the jam band of your choosing.

Credit: Liv Averett / Dogfish Head

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

About the Author

Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients. Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now). Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test! Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.