Flying Dog Brewery acquired by New York brewery, moving operations from Maryland

BALTIMORE -- Popular Maryland-based craft brewer Flying Dog announced Monday it has been acquired by a New York brewery and will be moving its operations out of the state. 

FX Matt Brewing Company, based in Utica, was already brewing many of Flying Dog's beers due to limitations at its Frederick brewery, according to a press release. 

Flying Dog said it plans a "seamless transition" to cease operations in August. 

The company did not say how many jobs might be affected by the acquisition, but CEO Jim Caruso said in a statement: "It is important to me that FX Matt Brewing is offering employment opportunities to as many employees as possible and we will provide job placement assistance to team members."

Caruso said that while Frederick was "a great place to live and do business," its brewery had too many limitations. 

Flying Dog CMO Ben Savage, who will become President of the Flying Dog division at CX Matt, alluded to branching out for changing preferences among drinkers. 

"There will always be a market for great beer, but the lines between beer, cocktails, spirits, and wine continue to blur," Savage said. "FX Matt Brewing Company gives Flying Dog significant resources to not only op:mize our current product portfolio, but also quickly develop products in new, emerging categories.

FX Matt Brewing Company was founded in 1888 and says it is the fourth-longest-running family-owned brewery in the country. 

"Flying Dog has created an amazing brand, and award-winning beers, and offers us a great opportunity to grow in the Mid-Atlantic Region," said FX Matt CEO Fred Matt. "When you think of craft beer in Maryland and the mid-Atlanic, Flying Dog is the first brand that pops into your head."

Flying Dog says it isn't the last of the brand in Maryland. It plans to return to Frederick in the form of a "taproom and innovation brewery."