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'Walking Dead'-inspired beer brewed with braaaainss 

The season finale of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” is right around the corner, and Philadelphia’s Dock Street Brewing Co. is celebrating by brewing a beer that any zombie would give its right arm for (assume it still has its right arm). Why? Because, it’s brewed with braaaains!Dock Street Walker is a 7.2 percent ABV American pale stout brewed with malted wheat, oats, and flaked barley. Oh,
This undated publicity photo provided by AMC shows a zombie in a scene from AMC's TV show, \"The Walking Dead,\" Season 3, Episode 1. The show airs Sund...
A beer brewed with brains... a perfect zombie thirst quencher?Gene Page / Today

The season finale of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” is right around the corner, and Philadelphia’s Dock Street Brewing Co. is celebrating by brewing a beer that any zombie would give its right arm for (assume it still has its right arm). Why? Because, it’s brewed with braaaains!

Dock Street Walker is a 7.2 percent ABV American pale stout brewed with malted wheat, oats, and flaked barley. Oh, and let’s not forget the skull stuffing.

To give the beer a subtle smoky flavor, Dock Street chose smoked goat brains (which from a zombie’s perspective probably aren’t as tasty as human ones, but walkers can’t be choosers). Cranberries were also added to the mix to provide a little bit of tartness and give the beer a bloody red hue.

The idea for the leg-dragger-inspired ale came from Dock Street’s head brewer Justin Low and brewery rep Sasha Certo-Ware, who are both loyal fans of AMC’s zombie slog.

“More often than not, monotonous Monday cleaning rituals (labors of love for brewers everywhere) were spent recapping the previous night’s twists, turns, narrow escapes, or untimely goodbyes,” the brewery said on its website, “Dock Street wanted to brew a special tribute to the show. “

This isn’t the first tribute beer created by a local brewery to honor an edgy AMC show. Last year, Albuquerque’s Marble Brewing Co. brewed a pair of beers for the “Breaking Bad” series finale, but those ales didn’t go quite as far as Dock Street Walker to imbue the brew with a special aspect of the show. That would’ve required adding a dash of blue meth or a pinch of Lily of the Valley to the boil.

While the idea of brewing a beer with slightly disturbing meats may seem kind of gross, it’s been done quite tastefully in the past. A little while back, Denver’s Wynkoop Brewing Company unveiled their Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, which is brewed with roasted bull testicles, or as they call them in Colorado, Rocky Mountain oysters. While it sounds a bit unappetizing, the beer itself was pretty wonderful, having an interesting “umami” quality to it (even if it totally grossed out Hoda and Kathy Lee when they sampled it on the air).

Our ladies will have to travel to West Philly if they’d like to sip on a Dock Street Walker, as it’s only available in the brewery’s pub, starting Sunday, March 30, when they’ll have a screening of “The Walking Dead”season finale.

They’ll be filling growlers for those people who like to sip their brain beer in seclusion, but the real fun will be had by those who stay to watch show with a Dock Street Walker in hand. After what happened in “The Grove,” it’s good to have a bit of liquid courage and be surrounded by friends in case things take a dark turn as the characters come together at Terminus. Plus, if ever there was a beverage perfectly suited to a “Walking Dead” drinking game, this is the one. Enjoy it with a crowd!

Jim Galligan is co-founder of the Beer and Whiskey Brothers blog, where he and his brother Don cover the ever-evolving world of craft beer and distilled spirits. Follow him on Twitter.