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If you’ve been down your beer aisle (or to your local craft beer store) you’ve no doubt seen Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale on the shelf. While they’ve got a wider range of options, this seems to be the most widespread (for instance, it’s the only one I’ve seen around here). They’ve been making it for 20 years now, so they released a throwback pack celebrating the three can designs they’ve had in that time frame.
If you pick up a 15-pack of the Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale Throwback, here’s what you’re getting:
- The Original (2002-2004): The can that started it all. The exact origin of this hand-drawn artwork remains mysterious. It features major natural landmarks viewable from the brewery’s original hometown of Lyons, ColoRADo – two 14,000+ ft Rocky Mountain peaks (Longs Peak and Meeker Peak) and the St. Vrain River. The stonework is a callback to the exterior of the Oskar Blues Brewpub.
- The Classic (2004-2019): The longest running can design for Dale’s Pale Ale. The direction from brewery founder Dale Katechis was simple – make it look like a red, white and blue football helmet. Certain elements are carried forward from the original design (the oval, the typeface, the mountains) but the bold colors, stars and stripes, and clean lines give it a distinctly AmeriCAN look.
- The FNG (2020-2022): The latest evolution of Dale’s Pale Ale can design. Debuting in 2020, this art is stripped down and no nonsense. The oval remains but an even cleaner, bolder typeface improves the legibility of the brand. The brewery logo was updated and is centered on a ‘championship belt’ of stars and stripes at the bottom.
Of course, all three cans will have that crisp 6.5% ABV IPA tickling your tastebuds. You should be able to find it locally, over on Drizly, and of course more information over at oskarblues.com
