For every Chesapeake Wheat Ale sold, ORP can plant 10 baby oysters. Photo: Kyle Romanek

10 Oysters per Beer: New Chesapeake Wheat Ale Raises Restoration Funds

If you ever needed a good excuse to drink beer, here it is. Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Md. has just released a new craft beer that supports oyster-planting in the Bay.

Sold year-round, Chesapeake Wheat Ale will serve as an ongoing fundraiser for the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP). For each beer sold, 10 baby oysters will be planted in the Bay.

Chesapeake Wheat is a 5% ABV American wheat ale, “brewed with Hersbrucker and Mosaic hops,” with “a light body and crisp finish, softly balancing slight bitterness with fruity/citrus hop notes,” according to Flying Dog.

“Chesapeake Wheat represents Flying Dog’s commitment to supporting oyster restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay,” says Ben Savage, Chief Marketing Officer at Flying Dog. “We believe it is vital to come together to help the Bay thrive, and we love that we get to do our part by doing what we do best, making delicious beer.”

The brewery, located in the Monocacy rivershed flowing into the Potomac, has teamed up with ORP for the last decade—including as title sponsor of the Bay Paddle, one man’s challenge to standup paddleboard from the tippy-top of the Chesapeake Bay to its mouth, all in the name of oyster recovery. CBM was proud to support that effort along with the organizations.

ORP’s main focus is to bring back the oyster population, improving water quality and helping every species in the Bay’s ecosystem. They’ve added more than 5 million baby oyster back into the Bay with Flying Dog’s support.

“We’re fortunate to have partners like Flying Dog who provide us with not only the financial support to help us meet oyster recovery goals, but also the public platform to tell our story,” said the organization’s Director of Partnerships Paul Schurick. “The scale and scope of our oyster restoration footprint is only as successful as our partnerships, and lucky for us, the folks at Flying Dog are true advocates and steadfast supporters of a healthier Chesapeake Bay.”

Chesapeake Wheat is available at retailers in six-packs and 24-packs of 12-ounce bottles. Type your zip code into the brewery’s Beer Finder to locate Chesapeake Wheat near you: flyingdog.com/beer-finder.

-Meg Walburn Viviano