Fun idea: Rogue launches Dead Guy can art contest to celebrate the beer’s 30th birthday

I literally cannot remember one fun thing that happened this year, so kudos to Rogue Ales & Spirits for trying to do something fun. Its flagship beer Dead Guy Ale turns 30 this year and to celebrate Rogue is challenging fans to ‘Paint the Can Dead’ by creating their own original Dead Guy can art. See? Fun!

Since its debut in 1990, Dead Guy Ale has been an iconic Rogue brew, recognized by many for its bold artwork. Dead Guy Ale was first brewed for a Day of the Dead celebration at a now defunct Tex-Mex restaurant in Portland, Oregon. The beer was an instant hit and Rogue brought it to shelves in a silk screened, tie-dye 22oz bottle that featured a skeleton sitting on a barrel with arms crossed and a beer in hand.  For the first few years, every bottle of Dead Guy was unique depending on how the silk screen ink was applied.

“The label art on Dead Guy Ale has always been what initially draws people to the product,” says Hagen Moore, VP of Marketing and Creative. “So much character and expression are packed into that tiny piece of art on the label. It really resonates with people and has been awe-inspiring for us to witness all the emotions and connections it has generated over the years. We wanted to celebrate that by challenging others to share their own Dead Guy inspired art on a special blank Dead Guy Ale can. We can’t wait to see what people create.”

Over the years, the Dead Guy label has had several memorable iterations. The silk screened bottle with the tie-dye background was replaced with the classic red background version, there have been various seasonal bottles featuring orange backgrounds and glow in the dark ink, and today’s bold label features a large, sleek black and silver skeleton with no words whatsoever.

“Three decades later and Dead Guy is still one of our all-time favorite beers,” says Rogue President Dharma Tamm. “While the packaging has evolved, the beer in the can has stayed the same and withstood the test of time. We love Dead Guy all year-round, but there is something truly special cracking one open this time of year, the season when we brewed our first-ever batch of Dead Guy Ale.”