Hungry at Firefly? We've Got You Covered (and what Dogfish beers to pair with).

So, we’ve figured out what beers to pair with some of our favorite artists performing at Firefly, now let’s talk about what’s going to keep you going throughout the 4 days of the festival…food and beer pairings!

We're digging what Dogfish head will be pouring throughout the 4-day festival because now we can figure out what we want to try to pair up throughout the weekend. They’ve also announced some pretty cool additions to their usual beer offerings. Check it out. 

Dogfish is rocking something a little different this year – not only can you check out their brews in The Brewery tent, but Friday through Sunday afternoon you can also grab a Festina Peche or Namaste Beermosa! Talk about a fun way to start your day.

There will also be 3 special tappings throughout the weekend. On Friday at 4pm Dogfish is tapping Biere de Provence. On Saturday at 4pm it’s Alternative Takes #1 and Sunday at 4pm it’s Alternate Takes #2.

In addition to Beermosas, Dogfish is selling 32 oz (filled!) growlers (for $20 each). You can fill it with Namaste, 60 Minute IPA, Festina Pêche or Firefly Ale. If you want one of the growler keep in mind there are only about 700 of them. Now to decide what we're going to fill ours with (cause that's going to be our first stop of the day on Thursday).

Now back to the pairings.

Last year we took advantage of a few unique food truck options that were set up next to The Firefly Main Stage. We noshed on things like a simple, old school grilled cheese from Between Big Cheese (which we paired with a Dogfish 90 Minute), Buffalo Chicken Nachos from Sum Pig, and carnitas tacos from Peace Love Tacos (we're excited to see Peace Love Tacos will be back at Firefly again this year).

Two of the Dogfish Head Beer Pairings and the Foods of Firefly we suggested and had a chance to try last year was the idea of Firefly Ale and a slice of Grotto's cheese pizza (that was simple and yummy, cause pizza and beer, pizza and beer always works). We also went with a little Midas Touch paired with the Hawaiian-style Stir Fried Soba Noodles from Wok on the Wild Side. This year we need to try a few more fun pairings that we're about to suggest. 

FIREFLY ALE

You can’t do Firefly without having at least one Firefly Ale. The fruity, citrusy aroma combined with the subtle and spicy finish of Firefly Ale makes this a great option to pair with a simple slice of cheese pizza from Grotto’s Pizza or Pizza Nova. Or go crazy and go for the Veggie Blanco at Grotto’s or the El Blanco from Pizza Nova. Another great pairing would be the Gangsta Wings and Wraps from Gouda Boys, tossed in Sweet BBQ, Korean Sesame Wook Sauce, or Maneater Buffalo hot sauce. Want to check out a little more unique twist on wings? Check out the Chicken Korma Wings served with a spiced coconut-yogurt sauce from Coriander Market. Local food spot, Doc Magrogran’s will have a Fish Tacos and Fish and Chips that would be great to pair with Firefly Ale, or you can grab the Crispy Beer battered Rockfish and Old Bay Fries from Bayside 30.

60 MINUTE IPA

(are you checking out the new 60 Minute label and CAN design?!)

When pairing Dogfish 60 Minute look at foods that bring out the citrus and the Northwest hops used in this east coast style IPA. Think spicy foods, soy-based foods, pizza and vintage cheddar (the later possibly not something you might think about during Firefly weekend, but it's possible-ish!)

With your 60 Minute in hand, head to Grotto’s, grabbing a slice of pepperoni pizza this time. Or you can check out Pizza Nova for the War Pig Pizza (pepperoni, sausage, bacon and jalapenos), Gouda Boys for their Road Warrior Pizza (pepperoni, veggies and meat) and Fresh Coast Kitchen for their Roasted Vegetable Flatbread (especially since it’s topped with fresh basil pesto – a suggested 60 Minute Pairing – roasted peppers, onions, zucchini, yellow squash, carrot and a five cheese blend) or their Spicy Chorizo Flatbread ( topped with another pesto, a roasted pepper pesto, spicy chorizo sausage, sweet corn, black beans, peppers, onions and a five cheese blend). If you're more of a pizza purist, go right for a slice of Grotto’s Cheese Pizza. The aged white cheddar they use is perfect for 60 Minute.

A few other spicy goodness options to pair with 60 Minutes is the from Chicken Chipotle Mango Sandwich from Mayhem & Stout , Doom Street Eats' Buffalo Chicken Street Tacos or Chipotle Beer Cheese Nachos with Jalapenos and Spicy Lime Crema, Roti Rolls Creole Mac and Cheese, Bayside 30 Old Bay Popcorn, the Non-Pacific Jerk Chicken Bowl, Caribbean Jack Fruit Bowl or the California Chicken Club Sandwich (with chipotle aioli). 

Looking for a few other suggestions? 60 Minute also pairs nicely with soy-based foods like Wok on the Wild Side stir-friend soda noodles with veggies and grilled chicken or the their kabobs with teriyaki glaze, Doc Magrogan's cold noodle salad, the chilled miso noodle salad with crispy sesame pork or jack fruit from Miso Place, or the Hawaiian style wok-fired soba noodles (with or without chicken) from Island Noodles.

NAMASTE

Dogfish will be rocking a new Namaste Label Design too!

As the weekend progresses there are times when we need something a little on the lighter side. Namaste is a great beer to pair with foods like Roasted Chicken and Quinoa Bowl from Fresh Coast Kitchen or the Sprouted Spoon Greek Salad with homemade dressing. According to dogfish.com, Namaste is comparable to a Gewurztraminer, so we’d also pair it with Non-Pacific’s Crispy Coconut Shrimp, Bayside 30’s Loaded Chesapeake Fries, the Shrimp and Noddle Salad from Doc Magrogan's, Roti Rolls Funky Farmer Roti, Foghorn Leghorn Roti or Rockin Rice Bowls (it's all about the curry), or the Chicken Tikka Masala or Chana Masala at Coriander Market.

FESTINA PECHE

Festina Peche, a Neo-Berliner Weisse, is delicately hopped with flavors of peaches, green apples and raspberry syrup. It will be fun to pair Festina Peche with Gouda Boys Gangsta Steaks with grilled chicken, maybe even going crazy and ‘Make It Gangsta’ by topping it with mac & cheese (and bacon!), or Roti Rolls Mother Clucker Roti with grilled organic chicken, the Grown-Up Grilled Cheese at Between the Bread, the grilled chicken tacos with green chiles from Peace Love Tacos or or roll late night with the Grilled Cheesus from Sprouted Spoon. Since the wine comparable choice would be Pinot Grigio, let’s go out on a limb and suggest pairing Festina Peche with a slice of cheese pizza, as Pinot Grigio pairs nicely with mozzarella cheese.

Though you’ll have to wait until 4pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday to get these special beers, let’s check out how to pair Biere de Provence, Alternate Take #1 and Alternative Take #2.

BIERE DE PROVENCE

On Friday at 4pm Dogfish is tapping Biere De Provence in The Brewery. While you’re sipping on this newly released brew, grab the Roasted Chicken and Quinoa Bowl from Fresh Coast Kitchen or the Chicken and Noodle Salad from Doc Magrogran’s. Other ideas to check out are the Crispy Belgian Fries from the Schnitzel Shack or go for the Cheeseburger from the American Grill, the Cheeseburger Sliders from the Slider House, Potato Curls from Taste of Philly or the Potato Pierogies with Dipping Sauces from the Sausage Haus.

ALTERNATE TAKES #1

Saturday’s 4pm tapping in The Brewery with Dogfish brings Alternate Takes #1, a Double IPA with tropical fruits like pineapple, papaya and passion fruit in the aroma, and a ‘malty, apricot sweetness with each sip.’ Dogfish says it’s almost tea-like, which we're thinking is going to be pretty darn perfect for the warmer spring/summer days of Firefly.

If you’re going to grab a bite to eat to pair with Alternate Takes #1 go for something like a slice of Grotto’s Hawaiian pizza to bring out the pineapple background of the beer, a BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich or the Chicken Chipotle Mango Sandwich from Mayhem & Stout, the Vegan Bourbon BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders or Cuban Mojo Pulled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Mango Salsa from Doom Street Eats, Smoky Pulled Pork Carnitas from Sprouted Spoon, the Grilled Pork Bratwurst from the Schnitzel Shack, Pulled Pork Loaded Nachos from The Cheesy Pig, Island Slaw with Teriyaki Chicken from Island Noodles or the Florida Fries topped with cheese, peppers, onions, pork and garlic cream sauce from Butt House Smokehouse. A few other pizza options to try would be Pizza Nova’s War Pig Pizza (pepperoni, sausage, bacon and jalapenos), or the Spicy Chorizo Flatbread (topped with a roasted red pepper pesto, spicy chorizo, sweet corn, black beans, peppers, onions and a five cheese blend). Want to go the complete opposite direction? Grab a Mango Smoothie from Non-Pacific to work with the tropical fruit notes of the beer. 

ALTERNATE TAKES #2

Alternate Takes #2, being tapped at 4pm on Sunday, is a ‘wild sour ale with a deep, dark and complex flavor’ that came to life as Raison D’Etre that was ‘end-fermented in a tank with a Belgian Abbey yeast’ before being transferred to a single-use red wine barrel. Pair this draft only brew with foods like Peace Love Tacos Beef Tacos, a Philly Cheesesteak from Taste of Philly, or, for a grilled beef alternative, the Portobello Mushroom Burger from The Burger Joint.

BEERMOSA

Dogfish threw us for a loop offering Namaste or Festina Peche Beermosas (served at the brewery Friday through Sunday afternoon). To us, that’s the best excuse to indulge in some breakfast-y brunch-y foods like the Sausage Gravy over biscuits or fried doughnut with fresh strawberries at the Sprouted Spoon, the Breakfast Taco from Peace Love Tacos or the Chicken and Waffles Southern Soul is serving.  

To say you won’t go hungry at Firefly is an understatement. Looking at all the yummy food options at Firefly this year we're digging the variety and food choices we'll get to pick from all weekend long. It’s going to be fun to try a few of our suggested beer pairings as we rock through the weekend. Cheers!

"Light lager is for the birds. Hearty seafaring folks prefer flavor-ful ales and spirits." ~ The Opening of Dogfish Head's Chesapeake & Maine

When a “school night” invitation to Dogfish Head’s new restaurant venture, Chesapeake & Maine, landed in our inbox I immediately prayed that our 9-5 schedule was clear for the date and that some freak March snowstorm wouldn’t keep us from making that drive south. And thankfully, both of these things worked in our favor (though it did start to snow as we made our way back north).

Combining the summers Dogfish Head founder and president Sam Calagione spent in Maine, and the connection the brewery has to the Chesapeake region, the foundation and inspiration of the newly opened seafood restaurant, Chesapeake & Maine (located on Rehoboth Avenue, next to Dogfish’s existing brewpub) was formed.

We've been keeping an eye on the progress of Chesapeake & Maine during our off-season visits to the beach and through social medial, anxiously awaiting the updates of when and where this restaurant was going to open. The updates peaked our curiosity for far too long, and as we walked through the front doors for the first time, to say we were wowed is a crazy big understatement. It was also pretty cool that almost immediately after walking through the front door we got to visit with Sam and Mariah Calagione.

As you walk through the front door (and a palatial entrance, at that) a grand bar greets you on one side and a raw bar on the other. The bar was part of the structure during the previous ownership and has origins of Ireland, by way of Philly, before making its home in Rehoboth. It's now painted soft colors of the sea and adorned with mother of pearl tiles, tying perfectly to that raw bar area on the opposite side of the entry. The raw bar is airy and bright, accented with white subway tiles, pendant lights and some very cool artwork that Sam found in his travels in Austin, Texas. He added his own mark to the diorama, painting the quote, “Light lager is for the birds. Hearty seafaring folks prefer flavor-ful ales and spirits. Fish. Not fowl.”

Walking through the other rooms of the restaurant we are immediately struck by the gorgeous oyster shell chandelier hanging in the room with whimsical wall art created by California-based cartoonist, illustrator and author, Tony Millionaire. When you visit the restaurant you'll notice both real and fictional points along the Chesapeake and Maine coastlines on the map. It was fun trying to figure out which are real and which are made up.

Travis Louie, a New York-based artist, “brought Sam’s version of a Matriarch and her two sons – 19th century waterman who have the visible DNA of a Maine Lobster and a Chesapeake Blue Crab” to life. Sam’s vision for these characters were to connect them in “the unusual circumstances that shape who they were and how they lived.” Mariah told us that since Travis finished up this artwork for the restaurant he has since been hired by Disney to work on an animated film. My initial thought was, 'how cool would it be to somehow see these characters slipped into the design of the film he's working on?!'

The artwork of Jon Langford was one of my favorite details in the restaurant. You might not pick up on it - the six paintings, designed specifically for Chesapeake & Maine, include the six artists who anchor the restaurant's playlist: Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, John Coltrane, Elvis Presley, Miles Davis, and Patsy Cline. We love this. Such a cool idea. Even cooler, check out the ChesandMaine Spotify Playlist.

Paintings by Jon Langford, a reflection of the six artists who anchor the playlist at Chesapeake & Maine.

Now that we had time to explore some of the décor, because it was hard to talk about Chesapeake & Maine and not talk about how awesome it looks, it was time to enjoy the cocktail we were welcomed with and check out a sample of a few different menu items including Smoked Oysters (more on them in a sec), Lobster Sausage (LOBSTER SAUSAGE! Yes, it's was as good as it sounds.), Warm Maryland Crab Dip served with Toasted Bagel Chips (the bagel chips were genius!), Sweet & Spicy Hushpuppies (hushpuppies have a special spot in my world), and Lobster Rolls created with fresh Maine lobster, Lemon May, Fines Herb and served on a Buttered Toasted Roll. All lobster rolls in our future takes note, you have a lot to live up to now that I've had this lobster roll. I think we could have easily eaten the equivalent to a whole lobster roll without even thinking about it.

Now, a little spotlight on the fantastically refreshing Moscow Mule we were handed upon entering Chesapeake & Maine. The recipe for the keg conditioned Moscow Mule, which is served on tap right next to Dogfish Head beers, mixes Dogfish Distilling Co.’s Analog Vodka, Housemade Ginger Beer and Fresh-squeezed Lime Juice. The bite of the ginger and tartness of the lime juice is perfectly balanced with the Analog Vodka, all while making its home in a Dogfish Distilling Co. copper mug. It was also very cool to learn that the cocktails at Chesapeake & Maine were crafted by celebrity bartender, Mia Mastroianni, who just happens to be Sam’s cousin.

Keg Conditioned Moscow Mule

Dogfish Analog Vodka, housemade ginger beer, fresh-squeezed lime juice.

Keg Conditioned 60 Minute Gin & Tonic

Whole Leaf Gin, Housemade 60 Minute IPA Tonic

After finishing our last sip of the Moscow Mule we knew it was time to find out what was on tap. This is when the true beer geek in me popped out. The very patient server barely got the words “Squall IPA” out when I pretty much did a happy dance because I was so excited to not only have Squall again, but to have it on tap. Thankfully I let him finish the list as he told us about the Chesapeake & Maine exclusive brew, Sequenchale, an experimental brew combining the three traditional German styles of Kolsch, Berliner Weisse & Gose into ‘one unique, thirst quenching beer.’ Or as Sam described it, a beer margarita! Thank goodness Eric was with me so that we could try one of each of the beers.

Dogfish Head Squall IPA and the Chesapeake & Maine exclusive brew, Sequenchale.

What was really fun about the night was getting introduced to both the leadership team of the restaurant and the suppliers and farmers of various items, like the very unique, very Dogfish, oysters. One of our favorite stories of the night was how, by no surprise, Sam wanted to find a way to hop-infuse the oysters at Hooper’s Island Oyster Company. Turns out, oysters don’t like hops added to their water, but they do like culinary smoked salts. And with that, the oysters are “smoky but not too smoky – really unique, earthy and oceanic at the same time, keeping with Dogfish’s long history of wood-grilling and wood-aged beers.” Chesapeake & Maine are calling these oysters “Smoke in the Water.’ A raw oyster with a smoky taste about it? Wonderful!

Hooper’s Island Oyster Company "Smoke on the Water" Oysters
 

Throughout the rest of the evening we were treated to the Lobster Bisque (uniquely served on top of a white chocolate gellan and fine herbs), Seafood Pho (brimming with lobster, clams, mussels, shaved beef, rice noodle, bean sprouts, lobster dashi, and cured egg yolk), and Seared Jumbo Day Boat Scallop (served on and with Maine Bean-Hole Cassoulet, RAPA Scrapple, Lobster, Lobster Gravy and Fines Herbs). They said they wanted to make the focus the ingredient, in the most natural and beautiful way. Nailed it.

The Start of Lobster Bisque

White Chocolate Gellan and Fines Herb

Lobster Bisque

Seafood Pho

Lobster, Clams, Mussels, Shaved Beef, Rice Noodles, Bean Sprouts, Lobster Dashi, Cured Egg Yolk

Seared Jumbo Day Boat Scallops

Maine Bean-Hole Cassoulet, RAPA Scrapple, Lobster, Lobster Gravy, Fines Herb

We also were treated to a trio of dessert options: Cookies & Milk (chocolate Chicory Stout whoopie pies with peanut butter filling paired with malted milk), Mini Delmarva Strawberry Pretzel Salad (pretzel crust, mascarpone cheese cake, strawberry gele, fresh strawberries), and Mini White Chocolate Lobster Crème Brulee with Red Velvet Biscotti. Seriously. So. Good. We especially love their twist of the regional delight, pretzel salad. Such a fun thing to have on the menu.

Executive Chef Kevin Downing, who most recently was a chef at Walt Disney World for 8 years, is in his second year with Dogfish Head, having “reinvigorated the Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats menu” before bringing the Chesapeake & Maine menu to life. You can easily taste the passion that Chef Downing has in the dishes we sampled throughout the night.

Here are a few other interior shots:

The seafood, music and art of Chesapeake & Maine are woven together like the waves of the ocean. As you can expect the food and drink are outstanding, leaving us anxious for an excuse to make a return trip. As amazing as the food and drink were, the interior is hard to ignore. It's gorgeous, uniquely different, yet flowing and cohesive. The restaurant was likened to the interior of a lobster trap in its designed, and as Sam joked, much like a lobster pot once you come in, you can't get out. I think we may have to test that theory on our next trip to the beach. Cheers!

Snow fall as we left Chesapeake & Maine.

Chesapeake & Maine Info:

The restaurant is open from 4pm-7pm, 7 days a week, year round.

They're closed on the following days: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, the Tuesday after Labor Day, their annual Beer & Benevolence Day, and the evening of their annual holiday PARTAY.

Address:    316 Rehoboth Avenue

                     Rehoboth Beach, DE

Phone:        302-226-3600

Firefly Music Festival: Dogfish Head Beer Pairings and the Foods of Firefly

Photo Credit: Dogfish Head's Twitter Page

It's Firefly week, and we couldn't be more excited! To spend 3 1/2 days listening to amazing live music on the grounds of The Woodlands while sipping on brews from Dogfish and munching on local foods from around the state (and beyond), this is one of our favorite weekends of the year.

If you're like us, you'll head straight to The Brewery immediately upon walking onto Firefly grounds to start the festival off right - with a Dogfish in hand - especially since The Brewery will be open on Thursday this year! Dogfish will be pouring Firefly Ale (of course!), 60 Minutes, 90 Minute, Namaste, Midas Touch, Aprihop, Festina Peche, and for those gluten intolerant Festival goers, Tweason'Ale.

Photo Credit: www.fireflyfestival.com

As we're packing up and getting ready for the weekend ahead of us, we got thinking, wouldn't it be fun to play with beer pairings while we eat our way around The Woodlands? We can create mini beer lunches and beer dinners throughout the three and a half days of Firefly. Thanks to the Dogfish website we found plenty of suggestions of how to pair their beers. We came up with so many fun ideas of what to eat and drink through Firefly weekend!

The Pairings
You can't have Firefly Music Festival without Dogfish Firefly Ale! The fruity and citrusy aroma combined with the subtle and spicy finish of Firefly Ale make for great pairings with the Cheese Pizza at Grotto Pizza and All Gourmet Catering. Dogfish suggests that Chardonnay is the wine comparable to Firefly Ale, and we're thinking give the Crabcake Sandwiches from Sherri's Crabcakes or the Chicken Kabobs from Doc Magrogan's, the Chicken Pita from Hamilton Gyro or Hamilton Wrap's Chicken Caesar Wrap.

When pairing Dogfish 60 Minute we took at look at foods that would bring out the citrus and the Northwest hops used in this East Coast IPA. Think spicy foods, soy-based foods, and pizza. With your 60 Minute in hand, head over to Grotto Pizza and grab a slice of their simple Cheese Pizza. The aged white cheddar they use is perfect for 60 Minute. Feeling a little pepperoni pizza? Try the Spicy Pepperoni Pizza from All Gourmet Catering. Wash down the spiciness of the Jambalaya from Phat Daddy's Creole Eats with a little 60 Minute too. Working on the soy-based side of things, pair the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl from RC Thai or the Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Teriyaki Glaze from Wok on the Wild Side with a 60 Minute.

Though not a food pairing, the grassy notes of 60 Minute are perfect to pair with the bands playing on The Lawn stage. Grassy? Lawn? Seems like a good fit to us!

Dogfish is bringing another continuously hopped treat to Firefly, 90 Minute. For this beer we're looking at the the malt background and the flavors of the raisins and citrus to shine through. The Pepperoni Pizza from Grotto Pizza or the Meat Lovers Pizza offered by All Gourmet Catering would fit the bill. The Fish and Chips from Doc Magrogan's would work mighty fine too and the Jambalaya at Phat Daddy's Creole Easts would too.

For the lighter foods of Firefly, Namaste is a great choice. The dried organic orange slices and lemongrass make this Witbier a great pairing with the Turkey Pita from the Pita Station or the Chicken Caesar Wrap from Hamilton Wrap. Dogfish suggests that Namaste is a beer comparable to Gewurztraminer. Taking a cue from that, we like the idea of pairing Namaste with the Crabcake Sandwich or Cream of Crap Soup from Sherri's Crabcakes or a Chicken BLT Wrap from Hamilton Wrap.

It's really interesting to see that one of the most pair-able beers at Firefly is one of the brewery's first Ancient Ales, Midas Touch. The rich and colorful background flavors of the brew will pair well with the Cold Noodle Salad with Veggies, Chicken or Shrimp from Doc's Magrogan's, the Hawaiian-style Wok Fried Soba Noodles from Festival Island Noodles, the Asian Lettuce Wrap from Hamilton Wrap and the Stir Fried Soba Noodles with Vegetables form Wok on the Wild Side. Grad a Midas Touch and go on a little culinary adventure!

Festina Peche, the brewery's Neo-Berliner Weisse is delicately hopped with flavors of peaches, green apples and raspberry syrup. We're liking the idea of Doc Magrogan's Chicken Kabobs to compliment the flavors. Taking a note from Dogfish likening Festina to Pinot Grogio, check out Festina Peche with the Pita Station's Tuna Salad Pita or the Crabcake Sandwich from Sherri's Crabcakes.

Go a little heartier to keep you energized for the full days of music ahead with Aprihop and food pairings to bring out the apricot, fruit, citrus and cedar. These notes will work well with tacos and burritos from Tica's Tacos, the BBQ Pork, Beef or Chicken Sandwich from Outlaw BBQ, and the BBQ Chicken Pizza from All Gourmet Catering.

Though you may not have a gluten intolerance to encourage you to try Dogfish Tweason'Ale, these food pairing suggestions may! The Tuna Salad Pita (available on a gluten free pita) from Pita Station will be a nice compliment to the molasses, strawberry and buckwheat honey you'll find peaking through the flavors of this beer Another suggestion is the kettle corn or movie popcorn from Bunting's Popcorn Station. Not quite a food pairing, we're liking the idea of creating a beer cocktail with the Strawberry Lemonade from Hamilton Gyro and a Tweason'Ale!

If you're camping at Firefly, be sure to stop by The Hub and check out the food trucks hanging out there for the weekend. We saw that both I Don't Give a Fork and The Roaming Raven will be there representing Delaware love!

And now, 5:30pm on Thursday afternoon can't come soon enough. See you at Firefly!

We Second This Open Letter of Support for the Expansion of Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats...

Earlier this week Richard Hartogs, also found as I Heart Beer and Better Beer Authority, wrote an open letter to the City of Rehoboth Beach Board of Adjustment. To say we second his thoughts throughout the letter is an understatement. Here are our sentiments and thoughts on everything Dogfish is going through...

One of my first introductions to craft beer was a beer from that oddly named brewery down at the beach. That oddly named brewery was Dogfish and it peaked my interest in what has become a passion, a hobby and something I simply enjoy. 

We regularly attend craft beer events, visit breweries and spend time with our friends enjoying craft beer. We've traveled from east coast to west coast and places in between, and when fellow craft beer drinkers find out we're from Delaware, it's an immediate conversation starter. Everyone knows Dogfish, their eclectic collection of brews, and that Sam Calagione has played a very large role in helping make the craft beer industry what it is today. And those that haven't already visited Delaware and Dogfish, many tell us that trip is one they hope to make one day.  

From those conversations we learn that people make trips from cities as close as Wilmington and Philadelphia, but also from upstate New York, Canada and just about anywhere else you can imagine. The folks from New York? They made the 8+ hour drive to Coastal Delaware and stayed at the Hotel Rehoboth for 5 days. Midway through their stay they knew they needed to spend more time in Rehoboth and came back the following May and have been doing so every year since I first met them. How about receiving a tweet from a Dogfish fan in Canada. She was traveling to Delaware for her birthday, celebrating it at Dogfish. She wanted to know our thoughts on how she could spend her time at the Delaware beach. Her tweets from during the time she was visiting were full of excitement, giddy and pure happiness. 

Dogfish has made Delaware, and Rehoboth, a destination. 

What is even greater, on their way to Dogfish, craft beer adventurers find out that Delaware has so much to offer by way of cuisine, beautiful beaches, and something to keep them coming back to Delaware: a thriving craft beer scene. Dogfish is a tourism generator, and I'm sure no matter where they are located people will still visit, but the greater picture, and the first thing we immediately thought: What will that do to the local economy of Rehoboth? 

Like Richard mentioned, Rehoboth's off-season, like many coastal towns in this area of the country, have been quieter in years past. And like many people, we now visit Rehoboth more in the off-season then we do during the height of the summer season. Many of our first off-season trips were because of Dogfish. Assuming we would have little to do other than visit the brewpub and do some outlet shopping, we quickly realized that isn't the case. Through the years this has changed so tremendously, which has been amazing to see. It's also easy to note that the one constant through the years in the off-season has been the Dogfish brewpub. It's not a seasonal destination, it's year round. 

The ripple effect of those potentially not visiting Rehoboth because Dogfish isn't there any more is apparent. The week your initial decision was made on the new plans for the brewpub, we were in town staying at a hotel in Rehoboth. We were very quick to question various businesses on their thoughts on how this might affect their business. Not surprised one bit, we heard over and over that these business owners and managers were very aware of the influx of visitors that Dogfish brings in to the town. They eat at the restaurants around town. They're filling up the rooms at the hotels. They're shopping in the boutiques and shops along Rehoboth Avenue and beyond. They're spending their hard earned dollars in your town, in your economy. Why take that way from the businesses that benefit from having these visitors in your beautiful beachside town? As supporters of the great town you live in, would you want to be the cause of something like this? 

One of the greatest takeaways we get from being a part of such an amazing industry is the family-like camaraderie of breweries, looking out and helping one another whenever they can. To see this translate to the community of Rehoboth and your decision and encouragement of keeping a business like Dogfish in your town, is one that I hope we all see happen. Rehoboth is an integral part of Dogfish's history. It would be heartbreaking to see a staple of your town, and a company that is so intertwined with the community it serves, leave and make their home elsewhere. 

Thank you, 

Lindsey Timberman

Eric Roberts

Delaware Hop Scene 

Help this petition to Approve Dogfish Head Expansion Plans reach 5,000 signatures: 

https://www.change.org/p/rehoboth-beach-board-approve-dogfish-heads-expansion-plans?recruiter=16327771&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg&fb_ref=Default

off-centered off-season

When you think of a weekend at the beach, your mind probably wanders to the warmth and sunshine of the time coming up between Memorial Day and Labor Day. And we do too, most of the time. But as much as we love spending hours catching up on every book we didn't get to read over the winter, listening to the waves crashing on the sand, the 'off-season' months are some of our favorite around Coastal Delaware! 
The cooler months of the year is a time to do a few of the things we never seem to find the time to do during the summer months because, let's face it, we don't want to pull ourselves off the beach! Over the years of exploring the beach during the off season we continue to find more and more local business that are staying open year-round (if they weren’t already). So many beer dinners and special beer events happen at the beach during these quieter months, taking advantage of the smaller year-round population and visitors.  

After making it through the final workday of the week, on a chilly Friday night in January, Eric and I made our way down Route 1, and like any time we make this trek, the closer we got to the smell of salt in the air, the more excited – and relaxed – we both find ourselves. This trip down it also may have had a little something to do with spending the weekend at the Dogfish Inn in downtown Lewes. Pulling into the Inn’s parking lot we quickly realized we weren’t the only ones who had the idea of a winter weekend visit to the beach. Which was pretty awesome to see (though not really surprising...this is one cool Inn!)  

We first visited the Inn for the ribbon cutting back in June and had a chance to check out the grounds and rooms of the Inn, but getting to stay for the weekend was going to be a whole new adventure. Upon checking into Room 7, relaxation really kicked in. After a long work week we fought off the urge to crash into the beyond comfortable looking bed (especially after our friend Heather told us it was of the most comfy bed she’s ever slept in), we quickly reminded ourselves we didn’t come to rest, we can to explore!

First on our agenda: dinner at the Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats (the Brewpub!) Since this was our first trip to the beach since the New Year, before we did anything, we had to renew our Dogfish Head Mug Club membership. Then it was food and drink time. Round one, and the Mug Club renewal beer, was Sixty-One for Eric, and a flight for me. With three Brewpub Exclusives immediately catching my eye, the flight was the way to go for me. Czechzum, Brewdolf and Black Lodge, Immort and Chicory Stout filled up the dance card of my flight. 

Needing a snack before dinner, we went with one of our menu go-tos, the Olives Pickles and Cheese with 60 Minute IPA marinated olives and Brooklyn Brine Hop Pickles. 

Eric's next round was Palo Santo, and I, like a kid, had to order my now-standard once-a-trip Beach Beer, which I got hooked on it during last year's Analog-A-Go-Go. 

When we read one the dessert special for the night, we knew it would be the best way to round out the night - and to remind ourselves to save room for dessert! How intriguing does Ancho Chili Churro Bites served with three sauces - Mexican Cinnamon Chocolate, Nutmeg Crème Anglaise and Ancho Chili Honey - sound? To make it even better, Theobroma was on tap, which paired perfectly with the amazing flavors of the dessert. Talk about a perfect ending to night #1 of our Coastal Delaware #offcentered #offseason adventure! 

As much as we're beer people, we're coffee people too, and the Chicory Stout Coffee the Inn serves is out of this world. There was a chill in the air that rainy Saturday morning, making it the perfect type of morning to enjoy a cup of coffee by the fire. And that’s just what we did. That's another thing we love so much about the beach. Relaxing is okay. Taking it a bit slower in the morning is okay. The day can get started when you're good and ready for it to start. 

After refueling with coffee at the Inn, it was breakfast time...with with more coffee, of course. We stopped into a favorite spot in Lewes, the Lewes Bake Shoppe and Notting Hill Coffee Roastery. The Bake Shoppe offers so many yummy breakfast items and pastries, and one of the largest selections of coffee beans we've ever seen. On top of this being a great place to start your morning, the folks there are super sweet and just the right dose of perkiness for early morning trips!  

Without summer traffic to battle, getting in the car for a drive is a great Saturday afternoon plan during the off season. Our destination this Saturday was Burley Okay Brewing, located about an hour south of Lewes, in Berlin, Maryland, America's Coolest Small Town, according to Budget Travel. Burley Oak is, as you might expect from the names of several of their beers, a pretty chill place to visit. It's BYOF(ood) and a totally relaxed atmosphere. 

We originally visited Burley Oak not long after they opened. We've been looking to get back down to the brewery for another visit. This time around we went with Awesome Sauce, Secret Sauce, Rude Boy, Vlad, Bunker-C, and I had to try their Root Beer! The weekend prior to our visit was Burley Oak’s Bee’s Knees release party and we were pretty excited to see a few bottles still available when we visited, so obviously a bottle had to make its way home with us.

Needing some post brewery visit grub, we took a drive into downtown Berlin and found Rayne’s Reef Soda Fountain and Grill – where we ran into one of our bartenders from Burley Oak - and split one of the most delightful grilled cheese we’ve tasted.  

While popping in the shops around town we also purchased a fun beer sign from TaDa and a Birthday Cake cake pop and salted caramel cupcake from Cupcakes in Bloom, who you may have seen on the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. Despite the rainy day, we had a blast checking out such a cool town!
Having any sort of a schedule or super laid out plans goes against our mantra when we're at the beach, but this Saturday was a bit of an exception to the rule. Our goal of the afternoon was to get back to the Inn by 4pm so we could take part in the Fireside Chat with Sam. But before that, we had to make one final stop on the way back through town. We had to visit with the fantastic folks at R&L Liquors, located right in downtown Lewes, just a few blocks from the Inn. During this trip (as it was just a few days after the Elysian announcement) we were anxious to purchase Elysian Space Dust before the folks of InBev tinkered with it. We grabbed a six-pack of that, plus a little Dogfish Piercing Pils, Siren Craft Brew Lemon Cello IPA and Prairie Artisanal Ales Spaghetti West. We always come out of R&L with a nice haul of beers to take home with us, and this Saturday was no different. 

Since it wasn’t the prettiest of 4 p.m.’s, Sam’s Fireside Chat was still fireside, just slight change of location, to the lobby’s fireplace. Sam raided his fridge to share with the Inn's guests, and guests were encouraged to bring their own beer to sip on. Many fellow Inn guests opted for brews local to their home, while others brought their favorite Dogfish brews. We opened up Evil Twin Hop Flood and Lagunitas Sucks to sip on during the chat.  

Sam was off to the annual co-workers shindig in Dewey that night (which also meant the brewpub was closed  - eek!) but this gave us the perfect opportunity to finally stop in and meet the folks at Mr. P’s Pizza. It was great to chat with Rick and Meg about their 19 beers on tap, including a nitro and cask beer. While we were there we checked out Saucony Creek Schnickelfritz Chocolate Stout on cask, Troegs Blizzard of Hops and Sierra Nevada Flipside Red IPA while we snacked on homemade garlic bread. Make sure you get one of Mr. P's craft beer and pizza frequent cards when you stop in! 

After some downtime wandering through the shops in Rehoboth, dinner at Henlopen City Oyster House was on the docket for the evening. Eric and I were on the same lobster wavelength that night – I went with the Lobster Roll and Eric tried the Lobster Mac and Cheese. And both were crazy good. Dinner was paired with Mikkeller Spontanredcurrent and Lagunitas Brown Shugga. As we took our last sips of our beers, we knew it was time to call it a day. We could hear our bed back at the Inn calling our name...

We woke to sunshine and warmer weather on Sunday morning and decided, after our Chicory Stout coffee, it was time to borrow two bikes from the Inn and cruise down the Junction & Breakwater Trail and then down to Lewes Beach. It was a little breezy, but we couldn't pass up a chance to take a quick ride in January. And when the bikes are as cool as the Inn's bikes, you really can't pass up a ride!

The bike ride kicked off a much more low key Sunday at the beach, which is pretty much how we love our Sundays to be when we're down there. After chatting with Innkeeper Andrew during checkout, our afternoon included window shopping through Lewes and Rehoboth, then grabbed lunch at Fin's Ale House, where we spied the brewing equipment of Big Oyster Brewing. 

On the drive back North, one that we always put off as long as possible, I scrolled through pictures from the weekend. It was so easy to see why we love our trips down to Coastal Delaware. Having such a neat addition to the Dogfish Head family. And it's just darn awesome. Besides being super cool accommodations, every person we came in contact with throughout our stay made the stay even better than it already way. The attention to detail and amenities of the room were so unique and quirky - in the best way possible! When the designing mind behind the Ace Hotel working on the awesomeness of the Dogfish Inn, we knew it would be super impressive, and boy did they prove that notion right! 

Checking Out The Dogfish Inn

After making our way through four days of Firefly, we hopped in the car as soon as we saw Jack Johnson finish his set and, rather than head north on Route 1 towards home, we took it south to Lewes so we could wake up bright and early the next day to see Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione and his son Sammy off on their 10-day, 5-stop boat trip aboard the S.S. Dogfish. Each stop included a beer dinner raising $10,000 for The Nature Conservancy. 
Sam's goal for the journey was to not only raise awareness of the beauty of coastal Delaware (which we are already quite familiar with, right?!) but to tell folks about the important work of The Nature Conservancy. Along the way Sam also wanted to share how easy it is to get to the Dogfish Inn, the brewpub and the brewery. Boy are we thankful for how easy it is!

After seeing the S.S. Dogfish on its way we made our way back to for the ribbon cutting of the much anticipated Dogfish Inn, which officially opened over 4th of July weekend. 

Here's Dogfish Head's VP Mariah Calagione, Off-Centered Innkeeper Andrew Greeley and Dogfish Head's Chief Operator Officer Nick Benz doing the honors!

From the moment we step into the Inn it is quite apparent that Dogfish is taking on the hotel industry a little differently than most might be used to. The first introduction to the Inn is the simply and perfectly designed lobby. It's welcoming, fun and exactly what we would expect from Dogfish. We could totally see hanging on the couch in front of the fire with a book from the Inn's Vusuvio Library, an ode to what was once the Vesuvio Motel, stocked by City Lights Books.

While you're wandering around the lobby area, you can pick up some Dogfish goodies to take back to your friends, family, yourself (of course!) and even your fellow pooch, who you know will be awaiting your arrival back at the homestead! 

Don't forget about Fido! Pick up some Dog Bark! and a Frisbee!

Try the Chicory Coffee, a locally-roasted  blend of Colombian coffee, chicory and dark malted brewers barley.

Items from the Dogfish/Woolrich collaboration are  available in the lobby, along with Dogfish soap and shampoo (we use this and love it!), and the Dogfish Apolis Market Bags (which you'll also find in the rooms). 

Now let's head to the rooms! 

Upon entering we quickly notice several of the Inn's partners featured throughout each of the 16 rooms, which we love. Our eye is first drawn to the inclusion of the latest collaboration with Woolrich, who Dogfish originally worked with a few years back on the wallpaper when they redesigned the tasting room. Most recently Dogfish and the outdoor gear manufacturer collaborated on not only a line of womens, mens and home gear, they also worked together on Pennsylvania Tuxedo, a spruce-infused Pale Ale (did you get a chance to try it?! So good!) The Woolrich + DFH blanket is featured in all of the rooms, perfect to keep you toasty on cool nights down at the beach! 

Other partners you'll find include the rooms are One Man Gathers Studio who framed Steve Rogers' Lightship Overfalls paintings. The paintings are showcased in each room of the Inn, with frames made from wood salvaged from an 1840's barn in Warren County, NJ. You can see one of the pictures in the picture to right (hung above the table).

The detail of every room is simple, clean, yet extremely clever. The Douglas Collection desks are perfect for writing home about your latest adventures in Lewes!

This is our kind of Mini Bar - Duke's Jerky, Brooklyn Brine Dogfish Hop Pickles and Kettle Chips!

We totally dig this Jermaine Rogers Primus print in one of the rooms!

The Inn offers two room types: a room with two double beds and a room with a king size bed. Great options for a getaway with your honey or your fellow craft beer drinking cohorts! You're easily within walking distance of Lewes' restaurants, bars, pubs, liquor stores, galleries and so much more! 

As cool as the traditional rooms are, you have to see the SWEET! As soon as we walked in we pretty much wanted to call in sick and forget about heading back to our day jobs and just spend all day here!

Heading into the SWEET!

The sitting area is a great common room.

Digging the kitchen area of the Sweet!

We loved the simplicity of the bedrooms - there are two of them in the Sweet. Sweet!

You have to love the fun details in the loo! 

We love the randomness of the wood burning pieces by Brian Kolakowski in the stairway up to the SWEET! Which one is your favorite?

The firepit is the perfect spot to enjoy the brews you picked up at the Brewery or the Brewpub.

Spend the day at the beach? No worries? Rinse off in the outdoor shower before heading up to your room. Cause let's face it, one of the best parts of being at the beach is the outdoor shower! Just make sure you keep your skives on! 

Take Time Magazine's advice and add their top summer beer trend to your to-do list: stay at Delaware's own craft beer motel, The Dogfish Inn. The rooms are cozy, the folks are great and you won't be banished to your room. Unless you're drinking bad beer while listening to bad music! 

Our favorite time down at the beach is the off-season - I know, we're weird like that! We can't wait to book a weekend down at the Dogfish Inn exploring Lewes. With all the time we've spent at the Delaware beaches over the years, Lewes is one area we haven't had much of an opportunity to visit. We're excited for a pretty darn good excuse for that to change! 

Testing Out The Dogfish Head Craft Brewing and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Spiegelau IPA Glass

Last Tuesday Dogfish Head announced the new Spiegelau IPA Glass, created in collaboration with Sierra Nevada, was finally available for purchase. Well, thank goodness for their online store, because I hopped right on and ordered a set. The craziest part? The glasses were delivered to my doorstep the next afternoon!

Unfortunately we had a crazy week getting ready for (sniff, sniff) the now-postponed Extreme Beer Fest, so we didn't get a chance to try it out until after the Fest, and our trip, were postponed. Before heading out with friends on Saturday night we decided it was the perfect time to crack open DFH and Sierra Nevada's latest collaboration, Rhizing Bines, and test out these glasses.    

Let the "testing" begin!

We opened up our cabinets and pulled down each type of Dogfish Head glassware we own. Here's what we were using:
The Pint Glass

The Dogfish Head Signature Glass

Dogfish Head Shaped Pint Glass

And the new Spiegelau IPA Glass

We evenly split the bottle of Rhizing Bines between the each of the four glasses. The first thing we wanted to test among each glass was the aroma. Our goal was to see if we noticed anything significantly different between each of the four glasses. 

Using the pint glass, the large opening of the glass seemed to allow the aroma of hops dissipate   especially in comparison to the shaped pint glass, and similarly to the DFH signature glass. In both the shaped pint glass and the signature glass the aroma of the hops seems to be heightened quite a bit. Comparing this to the new IPA glass, the aroma of the hops seems a little more subtle than we expected, but not as subtle as they were in the pint glass.  

We then wanted to simply taste Rhizing Bines in each glass (cleansing our palette in between each taste). Again, the pint glass seemed to provide the least beneficial sip of this beer. It was good, don't get us wrong, but it wasn't nearly as flavorful as when tasting the beer in each of the other three glasses. 

The hops were the first thing that hits your nose in both the shaped pint glass and the signature glass, and we definitely got a much hoppier taste when sipping Rhizing Bines out of each of these glasses. We realized how much more we enjoyed drinking Rhizing Bines out of both of these glasses over the traditional pint glass.

Then we drank out of the IPA glass. Oh, the IPA glass. The first thing we noticed about the IPA glass, in addition to the design being very simple and very clean, was the thinness of the glass. The other glasses we were using seemed very heavy and bulky now that we had the IPA glass in our hand. Another thing that was very noticeable was the heady foam in the IPA glass stayed behind as the others faded away. Interesting. 

Now to sip. As we mentioned, the aroma of hops is more subtle in this glass, but it really seemed to encompass our nose as we started to drink. The drinking experience, as crazy as this might sound, was just easy with this glass. The beer nearly shot down our throats with barely an ounce of effort. It seemed to make the beer much smoother than when drinking from the other three glasses. It was a little hard to comprehend that something as simple as a glass could create such an effect. The taste of the beer was different, not a bad different, a very good, very clean different. It tasted a though we were getting to the root of the ingredients, really getting to experience what the beer was meant to taste like. 

Something else we found rather interesting was the carbonation that was noted in the IPA glass. This picture is a little up close and personal action with the pint glass. Not super clear, but we think it's pretty noticeable the difference in the carbonation between this glass and...

...the new Spiegelau USA IPA Glass. Crazy. 

Our overall verdict: this glass rocks. Neither of us read a thing about the glass before we used it to ensure that our opinion wasn't swayed or influenced in any way. As Eric quite simply put it, "I want to drink EVERYTHING out of this glass." He's wondering if we can take it with us to bars so that every IPA we drink is lucky enough to experience this phenomenal glass!

Coming Soon...Mid-Atlantic Wine + Food (+ Craft Beer + Spirits!) Festival

We remember hearing about last year's Mid-Atlantic Wine + Food Festival and thought it sounded pretty cool. But as it primarily featured wine-focused events, we passed (as obviously beer is more our thing!) This year, they're switching it up a little bit. Wait, they're switching it up A LOT! 

Mark you calendars! Save the dates! Because this festival, benefiting the Mid-Atlantic Food and Wine Feast Charitable Fund at the Delaware Community Foundation, will be showcasing some of the area's best, not just in wine and food, but spirits and craft beer. If you're a supporter of the Christina Cultural Arts Center, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Delaware Art Museum, Delaware Theatre Company, The Grand Opera House, Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Kent County Fund for the Arts, OperaDelaware, or the Rehoboth Beach Film Society, then here's one more great way to show your love! 

The 30+ page invitation!

The Mid-Atlantic Wine + Food Festival will be 4-days of chefs, winemakers, brewers and distillers from not only our region, but around the world. Events will be hosted throughout the Brandywine Valley, Kent County and along Delaware's "Culinary Coast." 

The epicenter of the Festival will be The Festival Village, the 8,000-square-foot tent on Rodney Square. The tent will be the home to such events as "In the Mix: Mixologist and DJs," a "South African Braai," "The MasterChef Tasting Experience," other sampling events, and the Mid-Atlantic Wine + Food Festival Bottle Shop, where you'll be able to purchase several of the wines, beers and other items featured throughout the festival. 

Here's a look at The Festival Village schedule:
Friday, March 8th
11:30am - 2:30pm
Cost: $25

3:30pm - 7pm
Cost: $30

Saturday, March 9th
9am - 1pm
Cost: $30
2pm - 5pm
Cost: $30

Sunday, March 10th
Noon - 3pm
Cost: $25

Admission into the Festival Village will include access to:

• Food Vendors
• Complimentary Wine, Beer and Spirits Samples
• Chef Demonstrations
• Music
• Visiting Winemakers

Want to purchase a weekend pass, which will cover all village times (except ticketed events)? You can purchase that for $100. 

Here's a run-down of the great Festival events that will feature a few of the things we love in life...

THURSDAY, MARCH 7th

The Craft of Beer

This event, being held at OperaDelaware, will celebrate the Mid-Atlantic's role in the craft beer revolution! So far they have Evolution Craft Brewing Company, 16 Mile Brewing Company, Dogfish Head, Eastern Shore Brewing, Fordham Brewing Company, Old Dominion Brewing Company, Heavy Seas Beer, Sly Fox Beer, Troegs Brewing Company, Twin Lakes Brewing Company, Weyerbacher Brewing Company and Yards Brewing Company lined up. More breweries may still be announced! We can't wait to attend this event - it's going to be a fantastic way to kick off a very awesome weekend in Wilmington!

Ticket price: $50 per person

To purchase tickets: http://www.midatlanticwineandfood.com/readmore_events.php?id=119

Bourbon & Bacon Tasting - Wilmington Edition -  SOLD OUT

Are you like us and have another favorite "B" word? As in Bourbon? Then the Bourbon & Bacon Tasting, hosted by Chelsea Tavern, is the event for you! 

Amazing small-batch bourbons will be paired with bacon-inspired culinary creations of the Columbus Inn!

Ticket price: $50 per person

To purchase tickets: http://www.midatlanticwineandfood.com/readmore_events.php?id=120

Scotch & Cigars - SOLD OUT

Join Bill Sullivan, the General Manager of the Courtyard by Marriott at the University of Delaware, to talk Scotch and Cigars. The event, being held at Oberod, one of the area's finest estates, is the perfect after-dinner event. 

Ticket price: $50 per person

To purchase tickets: http://www.midatlanticwineandfood.com/readmore_events.php?id=112

FRIDAY, MARCH 8th
Bourbon + Bacon South
Being held at Nage in Rehoboth, this event has been so popular the Festival decided to add on every county! You'll enjoy the perfect pairing of that thing we all love, paired with some of America's finest bourbons.

Ticket price: $50 per person

To purchase tickets: http://www.midatlanticwineandfood.com/readmore_events.php?id=140

He Said Beer, She Said Wine - SOLD OUT

This fun event, being held at The Grand Opera House, features Delaware's own, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Brewery and wine sommelier, Marnie Old, as the two discuss the book they co-authored, "He Said Beer, She Said Wine!" It's a debate over which is better, beer or wine. This multi-course dinner, prepared by Chelsea Tavern, will be served on the main stage of the Grand Opera House. 

Ticket price: $125 per person

To purchase tickets: http://www.midatlanticwineandfood.com/readmore_events.php?id=92
Side note: We went to a "He Said Beer, She Said Wine" dinner at World Cafe Live at The Queen a few years back and had a BLAST! Sam and Marnie both have so much knowledge about both beer and wine. Their fun, friendly competition and banter was great, it was hard not to have an awesome time. As two people that typically only dabble in wine, attending this event really opened our eyes back up to the similarities of wine and beer and how both could very equally pair with some of the same dishes. Having the wine lovers pitted against the beer lovers was a fun, light-hearted way to spend an evening learning so much more about both sides of the spectrum. Our advice: don't miss out on this event this time around!

SATURDAY, MARCH 9th
Scrapplegasm - SOLD OUT

Okay, so it might not exactly be a craft beer-related event, but, c'mon, it's SCRAPPLE! 

Hosted at the Green Room at the Hotel du Pont, you'll dine on pheasant scrapple, bison scrapple and who knows what else the Green Room's Executive Chef, Keith Miller, and University & Whist Club's Executive Chef, Robert Lhulier, will create for this crazy breakfast!

Price: $40 per person

To purchase tickets: http://www.midatlanticwineandfood.com/readmore_events.php?id=101

Wine + Chocolate Tasting
The Christina Cultural Arts Center will host this event, featuring artisanal chocolates paired with fine wines. 

Price: $50

To purchase tickets: http://www.midatlanticwineandfood.com/readmore_events.php?id=107

Bacon + Bourbon: Kent County

Are you located in Kent County? No worries, Mid-Atlantic Wine + Food Festival has you covered! The Bacon + Bourbon: Central Delaware event will be held at Triad Farm, and hosted by Mr. and Mrs. LD Shank. You'll enjoy small-batch bourbons poured and paired with bacon-centrics foods. Net proceeds from this particular event will benefit the Kent County Fund for the Arts! 

Price: $50 per person

To purchase tickets: http://www.midatlanticwineandfood.com/readmore_events.php?id=135


SUNDAY, MARCH 10th
Brunch + Bloody Mary Throwdown

Whether you like your Bloody Mary spicy or tame, you'll get to vote on what you think is the perfect Bloody Mary in both the amateur and the professional category at this event held at Noble's Pond in Dover. The winners from each category will then face off for the final challenge! Who will win?! Area restaurants will provide various brunch foods, plus you'll get a little Prosecco as well! Net proceeds for this event will benefit the Kent County Funds for the Arts.

Price: $50 per person

To purchase tickets: http://www.midatlanticwineandfood.com/readmore_events.php?id=137

The MasterChef Tasting Experience
Hosted by Delaware's own, and MasterChef Season 2 winner, Jennifer Behm will host The MasterChef Tasting Experience, held at the Festival Village. Seven contestants from all three season's of Chef Gordon Ramsey's "MasterChef" will be featured at this event: Christian Collions, Suzy Singh, Dave Miller, Tracy Kontos, Becky Reams, Derrick Prince, and Jennifer, who will all show off their culinary skills while sharing stories from the show! Keep in mind, only 200 tickets will be sold for this event! Photos and autograph opportunities will be available at the end of the event. 

Price: $75 per person

To purchase your tickets: http://www.midatlanticwineandfood.com/readmore_events.php?id=125

Looking for a hotel to stay at during the Festival? They have you covered. The Homewood Suites in Wilmington, Hotel du Pont, and the Sheraton Wilmington South are all offering special rates for those attending the Festival. 

Our region never ceases to amaze me. Going through the 30+ page invitation for the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Wine + Food Festival proves that over and over again! This is definitely something we are super excited about!

What Your Doing New Year's Eve?

As I sing 'What Are You Doing New Year's Eve,' in my head, I'm now wondering, what are you doing New Year's Eve?

You know there are so many awesome things going on around our state all night long New Years' Eve. Here's a quick run down of what we know of so far (and keep checking back for updates as we find them out!)

Dogfish Head will be hosting another fun New Year's Eve at the Brewpub in Rehoboth. This year they're switching it up a little and serving their regular menu along with some great food and drink specials. They are taking a limited number of no-charge, nonticketed reservation for seating upstairs (although I do believe they are already booked up). The downstairs dining room and bar will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. They're going to have the very cool, very rockin' Nate Meyers and the Aces jamming on the stage! If you're interested in trying to get a reservation, email matt@dogfish.com!

The Pickled Pig Pub will be open their regular hours for New Year's Eve. They're putting together pretty awesome dinner specials*:

• Lobster Mac-N-Cheese Appetizer

• Pear & Walnut Salad -arugula, frisee, radicchio, drunken pears, candied walnuts, goat cheese & honey vanilla dressing

• Surf & Turf - New York strip & sautéed shrimp with twice baked potato medley, chef’s vegetables & orange bourbon demi glace

• Broiled Crab Cake - herb roasted potatoes, garlic spinach & lemon-old bay aioli

• Pan Seared Halibut- baby bok choy, daikon, carrots, scallions, five spice & miso broth

And for brunch...

• Crab & Spinach Quiche

• Sausage & Egg Sandwich

• Scrapple Tacos (whoa!) 

• BBQ Shrimp & Grits

• Open Face Rueban

• and more Chef-inspired lunch specials

Plus they'll have Bottle and Draft Specials both days! 

Argilla's Brewing Company at Pietro's Pizza is keeping it low key on New Year's Eve. They are planning on doing a midnight toast with their new Belgian Quad and will have a few dinner specials that night. Once we find out what the specials are going to be, we'll update this post with them! 

Two Stones Pub will be offering a 4-course, prix fixe menu for $49.95 at both locations. They're going to have an option to add beer pairings for each course for an extra $10. Reservations are highly recommended. They're going to have two seatings for the 4-course meal, one at 6pm and one at 9pm. The cocktail areas of both locations will be open with the normal menu, as well as the menu items from the prix fix meal will be available a la carte. 

Here's what Newark will be serving:

1st Course (choice of one): 

• Drunken Arugula Salad with poached pears, red onions, toasted sunflower seeds and vanilla champagne vinaigrette, paired with Brooklyn Sorachi Ace

• Lobster Bisque with roasted sweet potatoes and poblano peppers, paired with Rodenbach Classic

2nd Course (choice of one): 

• Jumbo Lump Crab Salad with cornmeal-crusted fried green tomatoes, whole grain mustard vinaigrette, paired with Allagash White

• Duck Confit Arancinis with wild mushrooms, English peas, and truffled demi-glace, paired with Ommegang Rare Vos

• Fried Chicken Livers with brussel sprouts smoked bacon slaw and red beet ketchup, paired with Stone Levitation

3rd Course (choice of one):

• Pan-seared Chilean Sea Bass with butter poached fingerling potatoes, roasted red peppers, sauteed spinach, fennel onion soubise, paired with Saison DuPont

• Char-Grilled Filet Mignon with goat cheese-lobster mashed potatoes, braised broccolini, and port-shallot demi glace, paired with Brooklyn The Companion

• Smoke 1/2 Chicken with whipped sweet potatoes, wilted rainbow Swiss chard and black eyed peas salsa, paired with North Coast Brother Thelonious 

4th Course (choice of one): Any of the evening's featured desserts, paired with Evolution Rise Up


Two Stones Pub Wilmington will have the following on their prix fix menu:

• Lobster Bisque with lemon verbena creme fraiche, paired with Goose Island Sofie

• Heirloom Spinach Salad with golden beets, blue cheese crumbles, pine nuts and horseradish vinaigrette, paired with Rodenbach Classic

2nd Course (choice of one): 

• Mushroom Crostini with roasted chanterelle mushrooms, soft herb polenta and shaved parmigiano regiano, paired with Saison DuPont

• Nicoise Stack with yellowfin tuna, baby arugula, vine-ripened tomatoes, olives, eggs and an anchovy-garlic aioli, paired with Allagah White

3rd Course (choice of one):

• Smoked NY Strip with boursin mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, and wild mushroom demi glace, paired with North Coast Brother Thelonious 

• Black Garlic Roasted Chicken with tri-color new potatoes, sauteed hericots verts, and baby fennel puree, paired with Green Flash Friendship

• Prosciutto Wrapped Salmon with sweet potato mash, broccoli rabe and toasted walnut oil, paired with Ommegang Rare Vos 

4th Course: Any of the evening's featured desserts, paired with Evolution Rise Up Stout

Ulysses American Gastro Pub has released what beers will be flowing on New Years's Eve. Check out this list!!!

• Dogfish Head Hellhound
• Dogfish Head Positive Contact
• Dogfish Head Bitches Brew
• Dogfish Head Johnny Cask
• Dogfish Head Faithfull 
• Troegs Mad Elf
• Stone Lucky Bastard
• Victory Moonglow
• Sierra Nevada Ovila
• Southern Tier Pumpking
• Allagash Interlude
• Brooklyn There Will Be Black
• North Coast PranQster
• Bear Republic Racer X
• Stone Vertical Epic 12.12.12
• Flying Fish Grand Cru Winter Ale
• Flying Dog Barrel-Aged Gonzo Porter
• Harpoon Leviathan
• Uinta Crooked Sea Legs
• Elysian Maelstrom
• Fordham Brewing Company/Old Dominion Brewing Company Mother Pucker
• Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
• Green Flash Friendship Brew

Looking for something to do in the Georgetown area for New Year's Eve? Then head to 16 Mile Brewing Company! May be you can call it 'Brew Year's Eve?' How about 'New Beers Eve?' Whatever 16 Mile calls it, they're planning quite a New Year's Eve celebration in their tavern! 

$25 will get you in the door where you'll enjoy food, live music and $3.00 beers all night long, including collaborations and infusions. Catcher's Catering will be providing the food, which sounds pretty awesome!

• Cheddar Harvest Ale Soup 
• Mini Maryland Crab Cakes
• Amber Battered Coconut Shrimp
• Blues Golden Fried Asparagus Spears
• Responders Mac & Cheese Squares
• Shaved Prime Rib in Puff Pastry with Torched Horseradish

Drink local with 16 Mile on New Year's Eve!

Chelsea Tavern is hosting the New Year's Eve Market Street Bash! They are offering three different packages...

The Chelsea Package

$75 per person, or $65 per person for groups of 6 or more. Reservations are required as they're going to have limited seating. The package will include:

• 4-Course Dinner
• Open bar from 8pm until 1am
• Cockatil hour with heavy hors d'Oeuvres
• Dance Party with DJ SuperDan
• Champagne toast at Midnight

The Tavern Package

$30 per person, or $25 per person for groups of 6 or more. This package includes:

• Open bar from 10pm until 1am
• Dance Party with DJ SuperDan
• Champagne toast at Midnight

The Everyday Package includes:

• Cash bar from 11:30am until 1am on New Year's Eve
• Ala Carte Menu all day and night
• Dance Party with DJ SuperDan

Going to Chelsea for New Year's Eve and want to stay in town, the Doubletree Hotel, a block away, has special discounted room rates. Just mention Chelsea Tavern when you make your reservation! 

Frank's Wine is hosting a New Year's Eve Beer Dinner at World Cafe Live at The Queen.  They're also going to have a Wine Pairing option, but who wants that?! 

World Cafe Live's culinary team has prepared a special four-course menu to compliment the craft beer that Frank's has selected. Background dinner music will be provided by Schuylkill Rhythm Section, made up of three award-winning musicians. Take a peek at the dinner menu for the night.

1st Course:

Braised pork belly with cannelloni bean puree with a drizzled sherry honey. This will be paired with Rogue Santa's Private Reserve.

2nd Course:

Grilled lobster drizzled with vanilla bean vinaigrette served on butternut squash risotto with crispy sage and whipped cinnamon-sugar mascarpone and paired with Samichlaus Helles.

3rd Course: 

Grilled dry-aged strip steak served with caramelized shallot demi-glace and parmesan cannoli shell with whipped purple Peruvian potatoes and paired with Allagash Interlude. 

4th Course: 

Malted chocolate cake coated with ganache and salted toffee chips, served with Elysian Valhalla Red IPA. 

Click here to RSVP: http://www.frankswine.com/dinners.html#nye

Once dinner is over you can call it a night, or stay for the Rusted Root show downstairs at The Queen (tickets sold separately). 

Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant Newark is hosting a 2013 New Year's Eve Celebration from 5pm until 10pm. Take a look at the menu they'll be featuring (all a la carte): 

• Lobster-Saffron Bisque
• Baby Arugula Salad
• Colossal Crab Lettuce Wraps
• Grilled Jumbo Shrimp
• Braised Veal Cheeks
• Char-Grilled NY Strip Steak
• Pan Seared North Atlantic Salmon
• Pan Roasted Striped Bass
• Chocolate Molten Cake

The Wilmington location is having a special, a la carte menu as well:

• Sweet Corn and Crab Soup
• Endive Salad
• Ahi Tuna Appetizer
• Seafood Linguine
• Char-Grilled Beef Tenderloin Medallions
• Pan Roasted Striped Bass
• Mustard Crusted North Atlantic Salmon
• Belgian Chocolate Terrine
• Strawberry Cheesecake Bombe

Reservations are strongly suggested at both locations. 

Stewart's Brewing Company will have a New Year's Eve buffet from 6pm until 11pm for $35 person. Reservations are strongly recommended. The buffet will feature:

• Fresh baked artisan breads
• Lobster Bisque
• Tri-colored rotini pasta salad with jalapeno ranch
• Caesar salad with creamy garlic dressing
• Winter berry salad with herb vinaigrette
• Saffron rice
• Roasted red bliss potatoes
• Roasted medley of winter vegetables
• Beef tender medallions with a shiitake and portobello mushroom demi-glace
• Baked salmon topped with crab imperial
• Grilled pineapple jerk chicken
• A carving station featuring roasted cajun turkey breast & spinach and parmesan stuffed pork loin
• Warm apple cobbler 
• Stout cupcakes with Irish cream mousse
• New York Style Cheesecake with Melba sauce

The DJ Countdown party starts at 9pm, with no cover charge. You must be 21 to enter after 11pm. 

Stewart's will also have a New Year's Day brunch, starting at 11am. They will have a limited quantity $1 Stumblin' Monks (get there early!) The brunch will feature stuffed French Toast, smoked salmon benedict, steak & eggs and more! 

Update: 
33 West Ale House and Grill will serve their regular menu, plus a few extra specials they're in the process of creating. Toney Robinson will be providing entertainment, starting at 9pm. 33 West will also be doing a champagne toast at midnight! 

For other area New Year's Eve parties, check out Ryan Cormier's News Journal article, All About (New Year's Eve).

Update: 
Ernest & Scott is hosting a 5 hour open bar on New Year's Eve for $39. This price includes all 21 beers on draft, as well as house wines, rail liquor and 12-ounce bottles. They will be a free champagne toast, party favors, prize giveaways, free hors d'oeuvres and music all night long! 

Here's one of my favorite versions of "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve." Take it away, Ella...

Holiday Shopping at Our Delaware Breweries!

I'm all about buying local. And drinking local (of course!) Putting the two together is the perfect combination for the perfect holiday gift for those craft beer loving folks on your shopping list!

Think about it - we have 8 breweries in our state - where you can purchase beer drinking goodies such as pint glasses, t-shirts, hats, growlers and  gift certificates. I thought it would be fun to give you a quick rundown of some of my favorite things from each brewery. Check them out...

16 Mile Brewing Company

My 16 Mile hat that I rock often!

I'm a sucker for a good hat, and the maroon 16 Mile baseball hat we picked up over the summer at the brewery is one of them! In addition to my favorite baseball hat, 16 Mile has some new merchandise in for the holiday, including a new Promo T, an update to the Responders Tshirt, a new hoodie, and a new long sleeve shirt for women. Not sure what to get that craft beer loving person on your list? A 16 Mile Gift Card is always a great alternative to your lame ol' generic gift card! I mean, you can buy beer (or cool 16 Mile gear!) with it! 

3rd Wave Brewing Co.

Source: 3rd Wave Facebook page

You have your pick of goodies at 3rd Wave Brewing Co.! Short- and long-sleeved t-shirts, hats, growlers, sweatshirts, and pint glasses - 3rd Wave has your gift giving covered! If you're going to make the trip to 3rd Wave, you can't leave there without chatting with Lori and John, and of course, without trying at least one of the brews. Even better, we suggest you try the sampler so you get a little of everything! And with SEVEN beers on tap now, that's a lot of samplin'!

Argilla Brewing Company at Pietro's Pizza 

Source: http://www.argillabrewing.com/

So maybe you weren't one of the lucky 50 people to get first dibs on their upcoming growlers! Why not get that craft brew loving person on your holiday list a gift certificate to use on one when they become available? Or just to use on Argilla's amazing craft brew and grub?! And now is the perfect time to purchase that gift card from Argilla! Now until December 31st, when you purchase a $50 gift card, you receive an added $15 gift card. ($15 gift card will be valid from January 1, 2013 through March 1, 2013). You can't beat a deal like that! Especially when there's good beer involved! 

Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales

Source: http://www.dogfish.com/

It's easy to find something for just about everyone (including your pup!) when you hop on the Dogfish Head online store! Have a hiker, a biker or outdoor activity loving beer drinker on your holiday shopping list? The DFH Emergency Info Bracelet is a pretty cool gift for them! (I'm thinking this is going to be in someone's gift pile on Christmas day!) A cool stocking stuffer for the avid beer taster is the DFH Beer Tasting Journal (I just got mine!) Pretty much one of my favorite purchases from an Analog-a-Go-Go a few years ago (no pun intended) is the Heidi Lowe DFH Vinyl Record Necklace. Seriously, how cool is this? (Heidi's gallery is the yellow house next door to the Brewpub in Rehoboth). I'm so excited to see that they're carrying her necklaces now! DFH has tons of tees, sweatshirts, Patagonia gear, hats, glassware and so much other cool off-centered good stuff. 

Fordham Brewing Company / Old Dominion Brewing Company

Source: Fordham Facebook Page

These two breweries make it easy for us to show you a few of our favorite things that we wouldn't mind finding under our Christmas tree - or in our stocking (check out the picture!) Seriously though, one of our favorite t-shirts comes from Fordham - it's the 'Fordham Unisex T-Shirt.' It's one of those super worn in looking, super comfy tees. Old Dominion has some pretty cool goodies too. Have an art collecting, beer-loving someone on your holiday list? How about give them a collection of the Limited Edition Bomber Girls Posters? They're available in GiGi's Farmhouse, Double D, and Morning Glory! I could easily see these great prints framed and hanging in someone's kitchen or bar area. They rock! 

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

Source: ironhillbrewery.com

Remember the westchesterdish.com post about the Iron Hill Holiday Bottled Reserves Gift Pack? It features Iron Hill's Bottled Reserve seasonal beers, brewed in small batches. You even get a complimentary beer tote gift packaging when you purchase the gift pack! With beers like Senor Chocolatoro and Winter Wheat Wine Ale, you can't go wrong. If you're thinking about purchasing a gift card or two for the holiday gift giving season, don't forget, for every $75.00 of gift cards you purchase, you get a $20 gift for yourself! You can always give someone a gift certificate for a King of the Hill Loyalty Program too!

Stewart's Brewing Company

Source: stewartsbrewingcompany.com

There are a few things in life that I know for sure. One of them is that the purchase of a growler from Stewart's Brewing Company is definitely a good holiday present! Pair it with a gift card from the brew pub and I'm pretty sure any beer lover on your holiday list will be thrilled. Bonus: right now Stewart's has a gift card special - buy a $50 gift card, get a $5 gift card for free; or purchase a $100 gift card and get a $20 gift card for free. Plus, your gift recipient can use that gift cards towards Stewart's Mug Club or towards Stewart's New Year's Eve dinner!


Twin Lake's Brewing Company

Source: twinlakesbrewingcompany.com

When talking to someone about Twin Lakes, I can't tell you how many times I've heard the response, "I've never done the tour at Twin Lakes before." Well, that, my dear friends, is suggested gift #1 from Twin Lakes! The tours, held Wednesdays at 5pm and Saturday at 1pm, are $22 per person and include a pint glass, a fantastic tour of the brewery and tastings of the beers. A Twin Lakes growler (filled of course) is also a great gift idea! You can go crazy and purchase one of the uber-cool one-gallon ceramic growlers ($250) or a glass growler, which will set you back $12, $17 filled. We're a little partial to the very cool Twin Lakes Bike Jersey. We love seeing all the craft beer jerseys along the road when we're out for a small supply of the 225th Delaware Day Commemorative Mugs left too! 

The best Delaware craft beer related gift ever? Something from each and every one of the awesome, kick a*s, crazy cool breweries in our state. Or a road trip weekend filled with visits and tours to each of the 8 breweries! Buying local and supporting our local breweries is about as cool as a Christmas gift can get! Cheers! And Happy Holidays! 

BIB - Buckley's is BACK!

Let's face it, there are some pretty awesome tavrens, pubs, bars and restaurants in our area. We're pretty lucky. But when one of them closes, it's a pretty big bummer. That's pretty much how I felt when Buckley's Tavern, located in Centreville, shut down on January 15th. Here it is, nearly 11 months later, and the Tavern is back and under new management!

I've been riding by Buckley's for months wondering when their doors were going to reopen. The sign said summer, but then summer came and went. And then, on October 30th, the Buckley's Tavern sign was once again hung, the doors were back open for business!

A few Sundays back we finally had a chance to stop in - for their Sunday Pajama Brunch no less! (Although, in full disclosure, we had several errands to run and totally ditched the PJ idea. It's already on the schedule for another Sunday when we go in full PJ gear - robes and all!)

I'm sure many of your know this, but Buckley's has a long standing Pajama Brunch tradition - wear your PJs in, and get 50% off your bill! The best part is seeing what others will show up in! This trip back to Buckley's, I was partial to the girl who donned the Pale Pink and White Polka Dots one piece number, and the man with the fluffy animal print robe!

For brunch, Buckley's offers a Family Style Prix Fixe menu for $18 per person (half price for children and those in PJs!)

All entrees come with an non-alcoholic beverage, homefries, a plate of bacon, sausage, scrapple and ham, plus a basket of their breakfast bakery items (which were very hard to stop eating!)

The brunch choices include: 

• Big Stack of Griddle Cakes  - Plain or Blueberry and Maple Syrup
• Cinnamon Swirl Brioche French Toast
• Belgian Waffles with Maple Syrup
• Sweet Potato Pancakes with Pecan Butter and Maple Syrup
• 3 Egg Omelette with your choice of the following: Bacon, Cheddar, Crab, Ham, Mushrooms, Onions, Peppers, Spinach, Tomato)
• 3 Eggs your way - scrambled, fried, poached
• Classic Eggs Benedict with Canadian Bacon and Hollandaise

For a surcharge you could upgrade to one of the following options:

• Crab Eggs Benedict - Old Bay spiced Lump Crab and Hollandaise ($3 surcharge)
• Smoke Salmon Benedict - Smoked Salmon and Hollandaise ($3 surchage)
• Shrimp and Grits - Cheddar Grits with Cajun Shrimp ($3 surchage)
• Chicken Imperial - Chicken breast stuffed with Crab Imperial ($5 surchage)

One of my favorite things on the old Buckley's menu was back - Shrimp and Grits. When I saw it on the brunch menu, I didn't even have to think about what I was getting. Eric had a little bit of a tougher time since everything sounded so good. He landed on the Crab Eggs Benedict. It was all amazing. One bite into my dish and I knew there were going to be no leftovers! Same went for Eric's dish! I even liked the scrapple (which I can very safefly say is a statement that has never come out of my mouth!)
My nephews are coming into town next weekend and I have told them that we are taking them to brunch (which for a 6 and 11 year old know way too much about already!) When I mentioned that all they had to do was roll out of bed and put on shoes and socks (and brush their teeth of course!) their eyes got pretty big. I think we just gained some major cool points in their books!

It was so great to see TWENTY FOUR beers on tap at Buckley's! They're not all of the craft beer persuasion, but what they did have was pretty impressive. The Sunday we were there, the beers that fell under the category, "Fresh & Local" were Yards Brawler, Twin Lakes Pale Ale, Twin Lakes Tweeds Stout, Dogfish Head 60 Minute, Victory Golden Monkey, Victory Hop Devil and 16 Mile Blues Golden Ale.Post-brunch we had a quick beer before heading out to run our errands. Although we typically go for the local beers on tap, Eric was immediately drawn to the Hacker-Pschorr Maibock and I went with a gluten free beer I have been encouraging myself to try the next time I saw it, Estrella Damm.  

Since our Sunday brunch excursion, I've been back to Buckley's for a girls night dinner and had the Buckley's Crab Cobb Salad and a Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. It was a pretty awesome way to spend a Monday night! 
If you haven't had a chance to stop into Buckley's - tomorrow night is a great excuse to! They're taking part in the Delaware Day, "the celebration to Honor the 225th Anniversary of this special date, which commemorates the date in 1787 when Delaware became the first state to ratify the Federal Constitution, making us the first state in the New Nation!"

Buckley's is one of the locations to purchase one of the 1,000 Limited Edition Commemorative Beer Mugs. They are going to be selling the mugs for $15, which will include a fill of a Twin Lakes beer! Proceeds from the purchase of the mug will benefit the Delaware Historical Society. While they're at it, Buckley's will also be tapping Twin Lakes Jubilicious tomorrow night. Jubilicious is Twin Lakes awesome, awesome, aweome limited production holiday beer! Tapping happens at 5pm!