The Breweries of Delaware

The Breweries of Delaware

 16 Mile Brewery - Georgetown, DE

 3rd Wave Brewing Co. - Delmar, DE

 Argilla Brewing Company at Pietro's Pizza - Newark, DE

 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Milton, DE

 Fordham Brewing Company - Dover, DE

 Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - Newark, DE and Wilmington, DE

 Mispillion River Brewing - Milford, DE

 Old Dominion Brewing Company - Dover, DE

 Stewart's Brewing Company - Bear, DE

 Twin Lakes Brewing Company - Greenville, DE


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: 


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! 

Last Minute Craft Brewery Gifts From Around the State #shoplocal

Christmas may be in a few days, no worries, there’s still plenty of time to get that craft beer lover in your life (or yourself!) something pretty darn awesome, and local, from one of the craft breweries around the state! Here are some of our favorite picks again this year (seems this is becoming an annual thing!) 

16 Mile Brewing has a few new items in stock including this camo logo hat. The brewery has newly redesigned growlers that you can fill with your holiday pal's favorite 16 Mile Brew. The brewery also has their summer t-shirts for $5 and all other t-shirts for $15. Can’t go wrong with a cool beer t-shirt!

Photo credit: 3rd Wave Facebook
3rd Wave Brewing has a stainless steel growler available, plus tons of cool t-shirts, hats and signage for the craft beer lover you’re still shopping for. Not sure exactly what to get? There’s always a 3rd Wave gift certificate or a growler full of the brewery's tasty beers!



Argilla Brewing is offering a gift card special through the end of the year (that's next week already, can you believe it?!) Buy a $50 gift card and receive a free $15 gift certificate. It's always a nice bonus when you get a little something extra for yourself! 



Photo credit: www.dogfish.com
Dogfish Head partnered with Woolrich earlier this year.  We are loving the Woolrich + DFH Blanket. It’s a great  gift for those on your holiday list that aren’t into craft beer too. We love anything with dual functionality, like this Dogfish Head Belt – a belt and bottle opener in one.


Photo credit: FoDo's website
Looking to decorate your man (or woman) cave? How about picking up one of each of the Bomber Girls posters from Fordham and Dominion Brewing? Need something for the kiddies? Shoot the brewery an email to place your order for Dominion Handcrafted Soda.  


Photo credit: ironhillbrewery.com
Iron Hill Brewing put together a whole Holiday Gift Menu for you to check out (http://bit.ly/1wCjITV) with picks like a King of the Hill Membership, gift card or the Bedotter Belgian- Style Tripel, now available in cans!


Photo credit: Mispillion's FB 

Mispillion River Brewing has a cool sterling silver necklace for the craft beer loving lady in your life. (Check out the pur-ty lady modeling the necklace...hi, Lauren!) Stop by the brewery for t-shirts, growler fills or pick up a gift certificate for the hard to buy for folks on your list.  

Photo credit: PBE's Facebook

 Visiting with a craft beer lover for the holidays? Stop by Pizza by Elizabeth's to pick up a growler of their Frozen Toes brews and a pizza to go for a great night in with your holiday pal. 




Stewart’s Brewing Co. has growlers and gift cards that
Photo credit: Stewart's FB page
make the perfect Christmas gift for the craft beer lovers in your life. Suggest using the gift card for Stewart’s New Year’s Day celebration – when they will have $1 Stumblin’ Monk Abbey Tripel (for the 1st 150 servings) - and if you're lucky they'll take you along with them!

Photo credit: Twin Lakes' website


Growlers, bike jerseys, t-shirts and more, stop by the Twin Lakes Brewing Co. tasting room to pick up some goodies to check off a few more peeps off your list! 

Photo credit: Warlock's FB page
Warlock Brewing Company may not be open yet, how about giving someone an I.O.U. for an afternoon at the brewery with a tasting and a growler fill?





Want a little throwback Delaware beer gift? Take a look at the Blue Hen Beer t-shirts now available!









Now Open: Trolley Tap House!

Walking up to Trolley Tap House, it's hard to believe that just two months ago this spot was CR Hooligans. The yellow and blue exterior is gone, leading way to a toned down gray exterior (though you may notice the baseball bat door handles that once belonged to Hooligans are still there). 




As we stepped into the doors of the Tap House, we were welcomed into a warm and comfortable, super inviting area, filled with a collection of high and low top tables, a bar and the two signature garage doors leading to the outdoor seating. Deciding to take full advantage of such a gorgeous night last night, we opted to sit outside on the patio where our wonderful server, Joel, took care of us. Right off the bat it was tricky narrowing down what we wanted to try on our first visit to the Tap House. General Manager Patrick Jones did a fantastic job at creating a nice balance of options available on tap. It's not too heavy on one style, offering some nice options for the craft beer novice that might wander in off of Delaware Avenue. 

After mulling the menu over a few (dozen!) times, I landed on the Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Extra and Eric went with Evolution Lot #3. Our friends Sam and Jackie sipped on two local brews, 16 Mile Soulful Ginger and Twin Lakes Route 52 Pilsner. 
Once we settled in on the drinks, we needed to pick what was going to be our post-work day snack. The menu is extremely tempting, and it was pretty darn hard landing on what we went with! We ended up trying their Pub Fries, topped with Porter onions, grated sharp cheese, fresh herbs and a malt aioli. On Jackie's suggestion (who had already been to the Tap House on Tuesday night during their quiet soft opening) Sam went with the Fried Green Bean, which are served with a lemon herb aioli. Both were so, so tasty! 

For round two we opted to take advantage of the smaller, 6-ounce pours that Trolley Tap House offers. This time around I went with cask-conditioned Mispillion Double Chin and Eric went with Brooklyn Blast. By this time our friend Erika joined us for a drink. She picked a big one, Sierra Nevada Narwhal! 


To tell the bartenders what's on tap, the Tap House has hand written in what's pouring from each tap. We loved seeing that the glass type for each beer was written below each name as well. Such a great training tool! 

As Trolley Tap House is looking at day # 3 of service, we have a feeling this spot is going to make a great impact on the craft beer scene in the state. Before the doors even opened yesterday, there were a few people waiting for them to open for the evening. Patrick mentioned the crowds on Tuesday night were exciting and they were pretty full not long after opening the doors at 6:30pm. Last night they opened at 5:00pm for dinner and it's pretty easy to say that within the hour they had another full house. The enthusiasm and excitement behind the staff is easy to see. We're looking forward to another visit to Trolley Tap House - it's so great to have another strong craft beer location to throw into the mix in Delaware! 

Here are some more (beer!) shots from around Trolley Tap House!











  



Calling All Hop Heads - #IPADay in (and around) Delaware

Photo credit: Untappd.com



Hop Heads rejoice - it's IPA Day! It isn't quite Christmas in July, it's Christmas in August for folks like us who to gravitate towards the beloved IPA! Delaware has embraced this day and there is some serious celebrating happening around the state today:

  • All three Two Stones Pub locations are dedicating a good portion of their taps to IPAs today. Here's what each location will have on tap:
    • Two Stones Pub Newark:
      • *Yards IPA
        *Victory HopDevil
        *DFH 60 Minute
        *Green Flash White
        *3rd Wave Wave Ryed'r
        *Lagunitas Night Time
        *Elysian Savant
        *New Belgium Rampant
        *Stone Go To
        *Stone Cali-Belgique
        *Stone RuinTen
        *Stone Unapologetic
        *Stone Double Bastard
        *Stone Saison
        *Stone Imperial Russian
        *Stone Arrogant Bastard
    • Two Stones Pub Naamans:
      • *DFH 60 Minute
        *Victory HopDevil
        *Yards IPA
        *Evolution Lot #3
        *DuClaw Neon Gypsy
        *Lagunitas Night Time
        *Green Flash White
        *Sierra Nevada Torpedo
        *Stone Go To
        *Stone Cali-Belgique
        *Stone RuinTen
        *Stone Unapologetic
        *Stone Levitation
        *Stone Saison
        *Stone Imperial Russian
        *Stone Arrogant Bastard
    • Two Stones Pub Kennett
      • *Troegs Perpetual
      *Victory HopDevil
      *Yards IPA
      *Evolution Lot #3
      *Ithaca Flower Power
      *Bells Two Hearted
      *Stone Collective Distortion
      *Stone RuinTen
      *Stone Go To
      *Stone IPA
      *Stone Smoked Chipotle
      *Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard
      *Stone Quadrotritocale
      *Stone Matt's Burning Rosids
  • Hooray for IPA Day! at the Dogfish Head Brewery
    • Special IPA Day tasting Flights
      • Sensory Flight 
        • 60 Minute – classic IPA
        • 60 Minute through Palisade – Earthy, Floral, Fruity
        • 60 Minute through Simcoe – Citrus, Piney
        • 90 Minute – note malt backbone 
      • Graduated Flight 
        • 60 Minute – 6% ABV / 60 IBU’s / continually hopped for 60 minutes
        • 75 Minute – 7.5% ABV / carbonated naturally
        • 90 Minute – 9% ABV / 90 IBU’s / continually hopped for 90 minutes
        • 120 Minute – 15-20% ABV / 120 IBU’s / continually hopped for 120 minutes 
      • IPA Spinoff Flight 
        • Sixty-One – IPA fermented with syrah grape must
        • 75 Minute – cask conditioned with maple syrup
        • Indian Brown Ale – first dark IPA with organic brown sugar
        • Burton Baton – 90 minute blended with an English strong ale aged in oak 
      • Dueling Randalls 
        • 60 Mintue through Palisade – Earthy, Floral, Fruity 
        • 60 Minute through Simcoe – Citrus, Piney 
      • IPA trivia with giveways 
      • Hop Pickle relish at Bunyan's Lunchbox for their brats and their hop-pickled chip dip 
      • Plus it's Vintage & Vinyl Happy Hour starting at 4:30pm. This week they're pouring: 
        • 2010 Burton Baton
        • 2011 Hellhound On My Ale 
        • 2011 120 Minute 
        • 2012 120 Minute 
      • Can't make it to the Dogfish Head Brewery or Brewpub, keep an eye on their web store - they're going to have some one-day super IPA Day specials.
  • Argilla Brewing #IPADay Celebration 
    • Argilla is celebrating this day with brews inspired by the Beastie Boys. They're going to be pouring 
      • MCA IPA (mosaic, citra & amarillo hops 
      • ADROCK IPA (admiral, mt. hood, mt. rainer & cascade hops) 
      • MikEL D. (el dorado IPA) 
      • FLUTE LUPLIN (Double IPA brewed w/honey) 
      • LIVE @ PJ'S (farmhouse ipa) 
      • JOHNNY RYEALL (black rye ipa) 
      • TO THE 33 BURROUGHS (NITRO) (English ipa) 
      • MANGO KANGOL (mango ipa) 
      • PAUL'S PALE 
      • I LIKE SOME COFFEE WITH MY BARLEY & GREEN (coffee ipa) 
      • GRAND ROYAL RED (red ipa) 
      • BOOMIN GRAINIES (dry hopped pale ale) 
      • THEY ALL CALL ME ADAM YAUCH BUT I'M AN IPA (session ipa) 
    • They'll also have some random quizzes with prizes as well as a 50/50 - with half the winnings going to the winner's charity of choice. 
  • 16 Mile Brewing IPA Day Celebration 
    • 16 Mile is celebrating IPA Day with special prices on Inlet IPA, Bridge Brown IPA and Made in the Shade Black IPA 
    • They're also releasing their newest beer, Baby's Lunch Double IPA 
  • Mispillion River Brewing IPA Day Celebration 
    • Mispillion will be pouring 7 IPAs today: 
      • Great White Buffalo White IPA 
      • Oecagon Imperial IPA 
      • Z.J. Imperial IPA 
      • Big Earl Black IPA 
      • Reach Around IPA 
      • Anglo Saxon Double IPA 
      • Double Chin IPA 
    • They'll also have a Firkin of Double Chin conditioned on Seville Oranges 
    • Food will be available from Mr. Bar B Que and there will be live music with Slinging Daisies. 
  • UPDATE: 
    • Chelsea Tavern: 
      • All of the following IPAs are half price today: 
        • Dogfish Head “Bottle-Conditioned” 75 Minute I.P.A. 750ml. 21
        • Dogfish Head Rhizing Bines Imperial I.P.A. 750ml. 28
        • Dogfish Head Robert Johnson’s Hellhound on My Ale, Imperial I.P.A. 750ml. 27
        • Elysian Avatar Jasmine I.P.A. 22oz. 14
        • Elysian Savant I.P.A. 22oz. 16
        • Elysian “The Immortal” I.P.A. 22oz. 13
        • Harpoon “100 Barrel Series, Session 50” Citra Victorious, A.P.A. 22oz. 15
        • New Belgium Rampant Imperial I.P.A. 22oz. 14
        • New Belgium Ranger American I.P.A. 22oz. 12
        • No-Li Empire No. 8 I.P.A. 22oz. 12
        • Rogue Brutal IPA 22oz. 15
        • Rogue Juniper Pale Ale 22oz. 14
        • Stone IPA, Double Dry-Hopped I.P.A. 22oz. 13
        • Stone R&R Coconut I.P.A. 22oz. 15
        • Stone Ruination I.P.A., American Imperial I.P.A. 22oz. 14
    • Home Grown Cafe:
      • On tap: Sam Adams Rebel IPA
      • Bottle specials: Abita Spring IPA and Otter Creek Fresh Slice White IPA. They still have Green Flash Palate Wrecker and Sixpoint Resin as well. 

We'll keep updating this as we find out more IPA Day love happening around the state!

And don't forget, when you're social media-ing it up for #IPADay be sure to use #CraftBeerDE and #BeerDE to show your Delaware Craft Beer love!

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! 


Win Tickets to the American Beer Classic in Washington, DC!

Who's up for a little road trip to DC next weekend for the American Beer Classic happening next Saturday, July 12th at RFK Stadium?! And maybe our latest giveaway...keep reading... 


The folks behind Firefly, Red Frog Events, have shared the details of the Beer Classic with us, and it sounds like a pretty darn good way to spend a Saturday afternoon in DC!

Here's what to expect:
60 breweries with roughly 135 different brews to sample
Access to RFK Stadium
A chance to chat with (and donate to) their partner, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Discounted prices on tickets are available until next Thursday, July 10th (to purchase, click here: http://bit.ly/1mbZt9Z) or...you can win a pair right here!

Here's how you can win: Red Frog is partnered with St. Jude's for the American Beer Classic. For a chance to win a pair of tickets, direct message us on either Facebook or Twitter or email us at delawarehopscene@gmail.com with your answer to the following question:

Who is the spokesperson for St. Jude's?

A winner will be drawn, at random, on Tuesday, June 8th, at 5pm.

Good luck! 

#ACBWinDE

As if any of us really need an excuse to celebrate, it's American Craft Beer week starting today! Here's a brief run-down of what's going on around the state all week long. Check it out!



Monday, May 12th:
- Dogfish Head Celebrates American Craft Beer Week: Folks at the brewery will be wearing gear from their favorite brewery, and they're encouraging you to as well! Plus, American Beauty will be on sale in the tasting room shop and on tap at the tasting room bar.
- Stewart's Brewing is celebrating ACBW with their Hoppy Hour every day this week from 3pm til 6pm
- Fordham & Dominion Brewing are celebrating ACBW with a Tasting Beer Class at the brewery from 5pm til 7pm
- Kid Shelleen's is kicking of ACBW with the tapping of Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down

Tuesday, May 13th:
- Dogfish is all about collaborations today for ACBW. They'll have Rhizing Bines and Saison du Buff on sale in the brewery's tasting room shop and on tap the tasting room bar.
- There's a Delaware Brewers Guild Tap Takeover at 33 West in celebration of ACBW
- Fordham & Dominion Brewing ACBW Crafting Homebrew Recipes Class at the brewery
- Tyler's is featuring New Belgium Brewing tonight with their Summer Helles and a special keg of Lips of Faith Gruit. Plus, buy a pint, keep the glass.

Wednesday, May 14th: 
- Members of the Delaware Brewers Guild are invited to Dogfish Head brewery tours, plus with any book purchased from the tasting room shop, you'll receive a free curved pint glass.

Thursday, May 15th:
- Dogfish is hosting the MidAtlantic Wine & Food Festival Brewery Luncheon, plus Happy Hour Vintage & Vinyl to celebrate ACBW
- Good Libations Tour ACBW Kick Off Party at Restaurant 55 with Fordham & Dominion Brewing, Mispillion River Brewing and Harvest Ridge Winery

Friday, May 16th:
- Dogfish is all about the Red, White and Blue at the Brewery for ACBW. Sport your red, white & blue while sipping on Red & White and Black & Blue - both will be on tap and for sale in the tasting room and the shop, and Randall is coming for Happy Hour - Namaste through strawberries, blueberries and a secret ingredient.
- Fordham & Dominion Brewing Celebrates ACBW with Craft Beer 101 at the brewery
- Stewart's Celebrates ACBW with a Prix Fixe Brewer's Menu both today and tomorrow, Saturday, May 17th


Saturday, May 17th:
- Fordham & Dominion Brewing Celebrates ACBW with a Picnic at the Brewery
- Dogfish Head ACBW Tasting at Total Wine Claymont
- Fordham & Dominion Brewing Celebrates ACBW with Pinups and Airplanes at the Air Mobility Command Museum

Hop Heaven - AHopEclipseNow! Beer Dinner at the Dogfish Head Brewpub


We like the simple things in life (in no particular order) - sunshine, the beach, palm trees, family, friends, live music, good food, beer and those glorious hops. We're definitely hopheads - we’ve yet to meet a beer that was too hoppy for us! So when we got to attend Dogfish Head's AHopEclipseNow! Beer Dinner a month ago, we were in hop heaven!




Before we headed upstairs for the dinner, Sam invited everyone outside for a little show. And that's when we got a chance to see little hop mobile in action! We weren’t quick enough to grab a video (it may have been the pre-dinner brew we decided to have!), so you have to check out Sam and his buddy Ken Marino is this hysterical video to see how cool this car really is!

Now, back to the dinner! How can things go wrong when the first beer you're welcomed with is this year's release (with new, awesome bottle art!) of Aprihop? It was a gorgeous night down at the beach, and this beer was perfection for such a warmer wintery night. The Dogfish Head crew paired Aprihop with the Welcome Chartcuterie Platter of Serrano Ham, Soppresatta, Lardo & Apricots, Beemster XO, Cabot Clothbound Cheddar and Buttermilk Blue. In addition to all of those goodies, on the tables were sharing plates of Esplette Popcorn, Smoked Marcona Almonds and Mixed Nuts. We loved that this was how the night was starting out!

After the Welcome Reception was over, we got to hear from Sam, who welcomed us to what was going to be a very cool night, giving us the lowdown on what to expect, before turning it over to the Chef, who walked us through what we were going to be indulging in, making us even more hungry than we already were!

Things were a bit different with this beer dinner, and in a very fun way. We've done several beer dinners at the Dogfish Head Brewpub over the years and most of them have followed the traditional beer dinner format - several amazing courses paired with several amazing brews. But AHopEclipseNow! switched that up - attendees decided what beers they thought paired best with each small plate within each course. Everyone was given smaller pours of 6 different beers:

· 60 Minute
· Constellation Funk
· 75 Minute on Cask
· Indian Brown Ale
· Burton Baton
· 120 Minute


And now, the fun began. The beers came pretty quickly which rocked so we could kick off the pairings and start tackling our ideas of what paired best together. Plus, for each of the "danger caps" we could request another smaller pour of a few beers, and with the redcap, we got a full pour of the beer of our choice. Fun stuff, right?
Okay, now moving back onto the dinner. It was broken down into three courses, 1st Course, 2nd Course and Desserts. Check it out...

1st Course:

• Korean BBQ Wings & Kimchee – we loved how this paired with 60 Minute and Constellation Funk. The subtle heat of the wings was so good with both of the brews. The Asians flavors really pulled together with the 60 Minute.
• Braised Bacon & Black Truffle Egg Salad – the smokiness of the bacon went well with Indian Brown; and the nuttiness of the black truffle rocked and rolled with the Burton Baton.
• Crab Salad and Watermelon with Chili Threads – this salad was delicate and amazing, so we wanted to go with a beer that wouldn’t overpower the flavors. Our favorite beer with this course was the Constellation Funk. Want to make a similar salad? Check out this Dogfish Dish recipe!

2nd Course:• DFH Spicy Espresso Sausage and Chili Mustard – the spiciness from the sausage and the chili mustard complimented all of the beers, in our opinion, which was kind of fun.
• Lamb Chops and Parmesan Frites – the 120 was the clear winner with this course, but we also like how the lamb and parmesan frites paired with the 75 Minute and Indian Brown
• Venison Stew – Indian Brown was one of our favorite pairings for this course. It really seemed to pull out the flavors of the stew. 75 Minute was another brew that we thought worked well with this part of the 2nd course.

Desserts: (yes, that is supposed to be plural)
• Ancho and Belgian Chocolate Truffles – here’s another course that we loved pretty much every brew we had throughout the evening. The spicy flavor from the ancho was a great compliment to the rich Belgian chocolate. Oh how we love chocolate and beer!
• Chocolate and Bacon Cheesecake – although we may love chocolate and bacon even more! We’ve had this cheesecake with World Wide Stout, pairing it with Indian Brown, Burton, 75 Minute and 120 Minute were pretty much out of this world too!
• Carrot and Orange Cookies – for some reason we didn’t expect the 120 to pair so well with these cookies, but they did! This was another dessert treat that we also liked with Indian Brown, Constellation Funk and Burton Baton!

All night long we had such a good time basically playing with our food, trying to figure out what we thought paired best with what foods. We’re thinking we might have to try a little something like this at home with friends!

Feel like you missed out on the Brewpub Beer Dinners? You’re in luck – there’s one more for the season next Sunday, April 27th with a Small Batch Beer Dinner theme! It’s way too easy to get tickets too – all you have to do is click here!

And now we're off to daydream about hops, hops, and more hops! Cheers! 

Craft Beer + Chocolate + Your Sweetheart = Our Kind of Valentine's Day

Whether you celebrate this day of love or not, it's always good to know where to go (and we suppose where not to go!) to include a little craft beer into your Valentine's Day celebration. 

 We're going to keep a running list of who's doing what on this day that Cupid tends to be quite busy! 


Abbott's Grill, Milford and Laurel is offering an a'la carte menu

 Chelsea Tavern is offering a Sweetheart Package 4 Course Pre-Fixe Meal

 Ernest & Scott  is doing a 3-course pre-fixe menu
The Pig & Fish has Southern Tier Chokolat on tap

Argilla Brewing is offering a Valentine's Day 4-course meal with a flight of small batch brews

3rd Wave is tapping Kohana Chocolate Cherry Stout

Two Stones Pub Newark will be accepting reservations for Valentine's Day

Two Stones Pub Naamans will be accepting call ahead seating for Valentine's Day

Two Stones Pub Kennett will be accepting a limited number of reservations for Valentine's Day

Stewart's Brewing Company is releasing Monkey Love, their Stumblin' Monk fermented with raspberries, and Chocolate and Vanilla Stout today 

Iron Hill Brewery Newark released Love Potion #9, their chocolate-coconut stout, yesterday. Hopefully they'll still have some on tap today!

 The Pickled Pig Pub will be offering Valentine's Day Dinner Specials 






New Year's Eve Fun Around The State


Hard to believe another New Year's Eve is upon us! Not sure what you're doing yet? Here's a quick run down of who's offering what tomorrow night!


  • Iron Hill Brewery Newark and Wilmington Celebration Menu from until 10pm
  • New Year's Eve at Argilla Brewing with The Lower Case Blues, with their New Year's Eve menu starting at 5pm and the band's sets starting at 8pm
  • Moo Year's Eve at the Dogfish Head Brewpub. There are two seatings, one at 6pm and one at 8pm. During the 6pm seating Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione will be playing DJ! Stick around for The Bullbuckers going on at 10pm! (We've done NYE at DFH the last two years and it has been a blast! The Bullbuckers will keep you going well past midnight - they're awesome!) They'll open back up at Noon on New Year's Day, business as usual.
    • UPDATE: Both Moo Year's Eve seatings are sold out, but the downstairs will be available for seating for both lunch and dinner.
  • Two Stones Pub Newark, Naamans and Kennett Square each have a 6pm and a 9pm seating for their four course dinner, with beer pairings. Call for availability at each location.
  • Stewart's Brewing Co. is hosting a New Year's Eve Buffet Dinner, starting at 6pm, followed by the DJ Rich Countdown Party at 9pm. A little hungover New Year's Day? Stewart's is running their New Year's Day buffet from 11am until 3pm with $1 monks. 
  • 33 West Ale House is hosting a Masquearde Beer Dinner with Fordham and Old Dominion Breweries, starting at 7pm. 
    • UPDATE: They will be open until 3pm for lunch, then closed until 7pm to prepare for tonight's Beer Dinner. 
  • Mispillion River Brewing is hosting their 2013 Fuzzy Ball at the brewery, with live music from The Fuzzy Snakefoot, food, beer and friends, all happening from 8pm until 1am. There is no cover they'll also be releasing two new brews, Australian Summer and their Hefeweizen, POPO. 
  • 16 Mile Brewing will open at 12pm on New Year's Eve, and stay open until...? They're going to be open late tonight with beer specials, free food at 6pm (while it lasta) and the firepit will be all lit up. 
  • World Cafe Live at The Queen is having a New Year's Eve Party with Delaware's own Spinto Band (we'll be there!) 
  • Home Grown Cafe is hosting two local bands, Mad-Sweet Pangs and Mean Lady,  starting at 9pm. No cover. 
  • The tasting room at Fordham Brewing and Old Dominion Brewing will be open from 11am until 4pm.
  • Painted Stave will be open for bottles sales from 10am until 3pm
  • Ulysses American Gastropub is hosting a New Year's Eve dinner featuring tradition dishes to promote wealth, prosperity and abundance in the New Year. They'll have a few rare brews on tap, a DJ Dance Party from 9pm til close and a champagne toast at midnight. Give them a call for reservations. 
  • Arena's Milford will be open until 1am with various drink specials.
  • Abbott's Grill is having a Black & White Party, with a champagne toast at midnight and DJ Petch in the pub. 
  • The Pickled Pig Pub will have some great dinner specials going on from 5pm til 9pm tonight, with the last seating at 10pm. They'll also have limited reserve bottle and champagne specials (while they last)! Stop back for New Year's Day for The Hangover Cure with brunch style specials, Bloody Mary Randall, and mimosa and Bloody Mary Specials.  
  • If you're planning on heading to check out the Dogfish Head Tasting Room today, keep in mind the last tour will be at 3pm. 
  • Cromwell's Tavern has several New Year's Eve specials tonight as well. Check out the menu here: http://cromwellstavern.com/NewYearsMenu.pdf



We hope everyone has a wonderful, craft beer filled New Year's Eve. Be safe, have fun, and we'll see you in 2014! 


Keeping It Local for the Holiday Season

It's hard to believe the holidays are well upon us already! Are you stumped on what to buy the craft beer lover in your life? Or need to drop a few subtle hints on what you'd like to receive this holiday season? Well, keep it local folks, and look no further than one of our local breweries to help you finish up your holiday shopping! 

 We decided to suggest a few of our favorite items from the breweries around the state again this year. Check them out!  

16 Mile Brewing Company
16 Mile Hoodie, $35, available at the brewery
16 Mile Taphouse Growlers
Whether you're visiting the Tavern at 16 Mile Brewing Company in Georgetown, or the 16 Mile Taphouse, located on Main Street in Newark, here are two ways you can show your love for 16 Mile: the 16 Mile Brewing Company hoodie, which you can purchase down in Georgetown, or a 16 Mile Taphouse growler that you can fill right there on Main Street!  16 Mile has you covered whether your in Northern or Southern Delaware! 

3rd Wave Brewing Company 
Surfboard Unisex T-Shirt, $16
Winter Beanie
3rd Wave has some pretty cool surf-inspired gear for that craft beer lover on your holiday shopping list. Check out their Surfboard Unisex T-shirt rocking their slogan, "Good Friends Good Waves Great Beer" across the surfboard. Want to keep your noggin warm this winter? We're digging the beanies the brewery just got in. Can't make it down to Delmar before the holiday? No worries, just hop on their website and place your order! (Side note: you may need to contact the brewery about the beanie if you're looking for that. When we were on there on 12/12/13 it hadn't been added quite yet).  

Argilla Brewing Company

You have to love when a holiday gift for someone else turns into a little holiday bonus gift for yourself! When you purchase a $50 (or more) gift card from Argilla between now and December 31st, you'll receive a free $15 gift card for yourself, to be used between January 1st, 2014 and March 1st, 2014. Happy Holidays to everyone in this equation! 
Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales
DFH4Life Hoodie, $55
2013 Tap Handle, $40
Thinking about hopping on the DFH site to do some holiday shopping? They're trying to make it as easy as possible for you by suggesting several "Holiday Items." They even went one step further and broke it down to "Under $20," "Under $50," and "Damn! That's Luv!" For under $20 you can't go wrong with a Randall Jr. ($19.99). They're a blast to experiment with. Go a little crazier in the under $50 range with the 2013 Tap Handle which will ring up at $40. If you're feeling even more generous this year, how about the DFH4Life Hoodie for $55? And like we mentioned, no worried if you can't make it down to the Tasting Room in Milton or the kiosk at the Brewpub in Rehoboth; you can order all of these items from DFH's website!                                                                 
Randall Jr., $19.99
  
Fordham Brewing Company/Old Dominion Brewing Company
2014 Pinup Calendar, $10
Save $5 and purchase both for $45
Are you a fan of Dominion's Bomber Girls? Then you might want to check out the 2014 Pinup Calendar, featuring winners from several Dominion-hosted Pinup contests throughout 2013!

Speaking of 2014...did you know that you can already purchase your tickets for R2Hop2 (April 26th, 2014) and Cheesetoberfest (October 4th, 2014)? This is a great gift for a friend...or for yourself! Throw yourself into super rock start status when you buy that craft beer loving gift recipient tickets to both events! Bonus: you'll save $5 when you buy them together! 

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
King of the Hill, $25
Winter Wheat Wine Ale
Gift Package, $35
Iron Hill Brewery is helping make your holiday shopping as simple as possible with their Holiday Gift Menu! If you know someone who visits Iron Hill pretty regularly, you should sign them up for the King of the Hill Rewards Club Program. The $25 annual fee is a loyalty program that earns points for purchases and visits. There are all sorts of perks like a handmade mug, free birthday gift and invitations to exclusive events. Is the craft beer lover on your list already a member of the King of the Hill Club? No worries, why not check out one of Iron Hill's Gift Packages, with prices ranging from $35 - $65. 


The newest brewery in the state has a very unique gift to give this holiday season - a bit of an investment in the brewery by making a pledge in their indiegogo campaign! Pledge $25, and receive a Mispillion River Brewing t-shirt. Go for a $100 pledge, and you're getting a Mispillion River Brewing growler, t-shirt and hat! Have some really special on your list? A $500 pledge will get you a bar stool, always guaranteeing a spot at the bar. A $1,000 pledge? That will get one of the brewery fermenters dedicated to your gift recipient. Oh, and as if that isn't cool, the $1,000 pledge will also give them a chance to design and brew a beer recipe! Major cool points! 

Stewart's Brewing Company

You can't go wrong with purchasing the craft beer lover on your holiday list a Mug Club membership at Stewart's...unless of course you think they may already be one...then just pick them up a gift card and they can spend it on a night out at Stewart's, on a growler fill or two, and if they aren't already a member of the Mug Club, a great excuse to go ahead and finally join!  



Twin Lake's Brewing Company
Do you have a bike riding friend who loves great craft beer? Why not pick them up the Twin Lakes Cycling Jersey? After all, the whole point of riding those long distance rides is the reward of a craft beer at the end, isn't it?! Sometimes I personally like to put together a gift bag or basket and include several smaller similarly themed items. I could easily do that with the Twin Lakes' baseball hat and pint glass. I would throw in an IOU of either a tour of the brewery ($22 per person, held Wednesdays and Saturdays), a growler fill ($12 for a Greenville Pale Ale and $15 for their seasonal brews) - or better yet, BOTH! 


Know that you want to get the craft beer lover on your holiday list a craft beer related gift, just not sure what to get them? Many of the breweries in the state offer gift cards - you can't go wrong with that! Either way you're supporting one of our our fantastic local breweries and you're pretty much guaranteeing that you're going to be giving one of the coolest gift you friend, family member or significant other will get all holiday season long! Nice!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Wilmington Beer Week 2013: 8 Days of Craft Beer Magic...What's In Store!

It's here - it's time for Wilmington Beer Week 2013!



There are A TON of events going on this year! The Wilmington Beer Week site has a great calendar of events you can check out to see what's going on around the Wilmington area. We thought it might be helpful if we break down the events in a quick post, giving you an idea of what events are weeklong and what events are happening each day throughout the week. Check it out...



WEEKLONG EVENTS:
Chelsea Tavern 
Happy Hour Special
Build Your Own Flight – 5 6-ounce pours for $12

Ernest & Scott 
Dogfish Head Tap Takeover

Ernest & Scott
The Big Wheel of Beer
All 25 beers on tap will be represented on the wheel, which will be spun every ½ hour, all week long. The beer that is landed on will be $2 for the following ½ hour

World Café Live at The Queen
Mystery Beer Specials All Week 
There will be a mystery selection of bottled craft beer all week long – large format bottles will be $10 and 12 oz. bottles will be $5. 
Note: this special will run Sunday, November 3rd through Saturday, November 9th

BBC Tavern & Grill
Happy Hour Specials
$1 off all craft beer

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd 

Wilmington Beer Week Kickoff Party
Iron Hill Wilmington
4pm – 10pm

IMPORTS-INSPIRED: Featuring guest beers from around the world, as well as a few worldly inspired brews of their own:

• Munich Dunkel, Iron Hill Brewery
• Celebrator Doppelbock, Ayinger Brewery
• Gold Digger IPA, Iron Hill Brewery
• My New IPA, Stewart’s Brewing Company
• Duvel, Brewery Duvel
• Belgian Tripel, Iron Hill Brewery
• Oatmeal Stout, Iron Hill Brewery
• Fuller’s London Pride, Griffin Brewery

Enjoy a special menu paired with imports-inspired beers.

King of the Hill Rewards Club Exclusive - Preview at 3 pm for King of the Hill members only.


Update: We started off the Wilmington Beer Week at the Kickoff Party - what a fun time!




The Kickoff Party was "Import Inspiried" - both local and from abroad. We started the night off with Stewart's Brewing Company My New IPA and Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock!
The Kickoff Party Beer List

To take advantage of the other beers we wanted to try, we built out own flight of beers from the other great brews Iron Hill had for the Kick Off Party. We went with Punktoberfest, Munich Dunkel, Belgian Tripel, Revoution IPA Gold Digger IPA, Riverfront IPA on cask, and Oatmeal Stout on nitro.


While we were there, we tried a few appetizers to pair with the beers...

Hickory Smoked Wings with a roasted poblano glaze and cilantro lime dipping sauce.

Creamy Southwestern Chicken Dip

And the Charcuterie Plate with bratwurst, pork belly confit, clothbound and
prairie breeze cheddar, dried fruit chutney and spent grain baguette.

Locals Only
Two Stones Pub Naamans  

Join 2SP as they celebrate the best craft beer made in our own back yard. To kick off the week, all 32 of their taps will be pouring brews made within 100 mile of their front door. Look for brews from 3rd Wave, 16 Mile, Dogfish Head, Evolution, Flying Dog, Flying Fish, Fordham, Heavy Seas, Old Dominion, Sly Fox, Stoudt’s, Troegs, Twin Lakes, Victory, Weyerbacher and Yards.

Brooklyn Brewery Tap Takeover
Buckley’s Tavern 

Stop by this historic Centreville tavern for some of Brooklyn Brewery’s brews!


SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd 

Every Yards Counts
Two Stones Pub Naamans

Grab $4 pints of Yards Brawlers, Philadelphia Pale, Love Stout, ESA, IPA and Pynk, then 2SP will donate $1 from each pint poured to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. They’ll also be raffling off a private Happy Hour for you and 20 of your closest friends.

P.S. They do this for all Sunday & Monday NFL games as well!

German Beer Day
Buckley’s Tavern
Buckley’s is all about German beer today, featuring Paulaner and Hacker Pschorr!


MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH

An Evening in Brussels
Two Stones Pub Naamans

2SP Naamans will have classic Belgian and American-brewed beers on tap. 

  • Saison DuPont
  • Rodenbach Grand Cru
  • Chimay Cing Cents
  • Victory Golden Monkey
  • Flying Dog Raging Bitch
  • Ommegang 3 Philosophers
  • Allagash White
  • Flying Fish Exit 4
  • Brooklyn Sorachi Ace
  • Duval Single
  • Weyerbacher Verboten
  • 3rd Wave Sandstorm
  • Dogfish Head Noble Rot
  • Goose Island Matilda Lambicus
  • Weyerbacher Quad
  • Brooklyn Cuvee La Boite

2SP’s Chef Bill will also be creating a menu of featured dishes to pair with your favorite brew!

Ultimate Victory Tailgate Party
Chelsea Tavern
6pm

Enjoy your favorite tailgate grub teamed up with some incredible Victory Beers, including:
• Headwaters Pale Ale
• DirtWolf Double IPA
• Winter Cheers
• Red Thunder
• Storm King Imperial Stout

Chelsea will have Monday Night Football on the Big Screen too!

$25 per person in advance, $30 at the door. Gratuity not included.


TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5th

Firkin Party
BBC Tavern & Grill
5pm

The BBC will have the following firkins on tap:
• Yards Double IPA
• Evolution
• Twin Lakes Oktoberfest
• Abita Turbo Dog 
• Dogfish Head 75 Minute 

Firkins will be $5.50 a pint.

Note: This event is also happening on Wednesday night as well.

Tuesday Taco Madness: Beer Week Edition

Two Stones Pub Naamans

This week’s Taco Tuesday Madness will feature 4 chefs and 4 of their favorite beers for 4 awesome tacos for you. Bonus: their picks will be available on tap and as a flight.

New Belgium Tap Takeover
Buckley’s Tavern

Buckley’s will have 10 of New Belgium brews on tap – with many only being offered for events like this – so they’re only bringing them in once! In addition to getting to trying these unique brews, New Belgium’s rep will be there. Here’s the lineup:
• Fat Tire
• Ranger
• Accumulation
• Abbey
• 1554
• Rampant
• Lips of faith Yuzu
• Lips of faith Coconut Curry
• Lips of faith Cascara Quad
• Lips of faith Heavenly Fejoia


WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6th 

Sam Adams Tap Takeover & Prix Fixe Dinner
Dead Presidents

Call for reservations and more details

Giving on Tap/Dogfish Head Tap Takeover
Two Stones Pub Naamans

Giving on Tap is sold out, but you can stop by 2SP after to take advantage of the Dogfish Head Tap Takeover! Here’s what they’ll have on tap:
• 60 Minute
• Sixty-One
• Black & Blue
• Noble Rot
• Positive Contact
• Bitches Brew
• Punkin
• Birra Etrusca
• 2011 120 Minute
• Midas Touch
• Burton Baton
• Namaste
• Kvasir
• Olde School
• Immort Ale
• Theobroma

Delaware Beer Night
Ulysses American Gastropub

Featuring unique beers from your favorite breweries in the First State

Big Double Red IPA Beer Release
Iron Hill Brewery Wilmington
6pm

Meet Rick, the Brewer from Stewart’s Brewing Company, to celebrate the release of Big Red Double IPA.

Grilled Cheese & Craft Beer Tasting
World Café Live at The Queen
6pm

They’ve taken two of the best things on earth and paired them together in unexpected and delicious ways!

Southern Tier Tap Takeover & Growler Party
Stanley’s Tavern
6pm

Not only is Stanley’s having a Southern Tier Tap Takeover and Growler Party, they’re also offering a Prix Fix Menu to go along with it.

1st Course:
Stanley’s Wings with Southern Tier 2XIPA wing sauce, paired with Southern Tier 2XIPA

2nd Course:
Baby Back Ribs slow roasted and basted with Southern tier Warlock Stout barbecue sauce, paired with Southern Tier Warlock

3rd Course:
Pretzel & Ice Cream, Dried Cherries and Southern Tier Crème Brule Stout


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7th 

Drinkin’ in the Big Apple
Two Stones Pub Naamans

All day and night Two Stones will be featuring great craft beers from New York. Look for brews from Brooklyn, Sixpoint & Blue Point.

Weyerbacher Tap Takeover 
Buckley’s Tavern

Drink some Weyerbacher brews all night long at Buckley’s during the Tap Takeover.


West Coast Flight Night
Chelsea Tavern
6pm

This mix & mingle will feature three of the most well established breweries from the West Coast: Rogue, Stone and Sierra Nevada. They’ll be putting their best flight forward as your enjoy some of the best brews Oregon and California have to offer.

Featuring 15 brews in all, each paired with an hors d’ouvre representing the region or complimenting a brew’s ingredients. 

Brand representatives will also be available to answer questions.

The flights…

ROGUE
Brutal IPA
Juniper Pale Ale
Daddy’s Little Helper
Chocolate Stout
Dead Guy Ale

STONE
Russian Imperial Stout
IPA
Ruination IPA
R&R Coco IPA
Arrogant Bastard

SIERRA NEVADA
Belgian Black IPA
Celebration
Pale Ale
Torpedo 
Narwhal Imperial Stout


FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8th 

Raiding the Cellar
Two Stones Pub Naamans

Gumbo is releasing a slew of beers from their cellar – you’re going to see brews on tap that you won’t see anywhere else! Here’s a preview…
• Evolution Prelude Black
• 2011 Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 
• Sierra Nevada Ovila with Mandarin Oranges & Peppercorn
• Troegs Naked Elf
• Fordham Dhiskey Wick
• 16 Mile Battle of Waterloo
• 2011 Rogue Old Crustacean 

And more! Maybe some very rare bottles popping up?

New Belgium Tap Takeover
BBC Tavern & Grill
11:30am

The tap takeover will happen from open to close and will feature:
• Fat Tire
• Rampant Imperial IPA
• Blue Paddle Pilsner Lager
• 1554 Enlightened Black Ale


SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9th

Bent Over a Barrel 2013
Two Stones Pub Naamans 

It’s back, Two Stones Pub’s celebration of wood. Oak, bourbon barrels, wine barrels, rum barrels – they’ll all be there!
• Dogfish Head Burton Baton
• Victory Red Thunder
• Goose Island Sofie
• Rodenbach Grand Cru
• Evolution Fall Migration 
• Evolution Spring Migration
• Goose Island Bourbon County
• Allagash James Bean
• Weyerbacher Heresy
• Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard

And probably a few more!

Flying Fish Brewery Night
Ulysses American Gastropub

Meet the Flying Fish brewer and try some of his fantastic brews!

All specials for this night will be sourced from within a 100-mile radius of Ulysses.

East Coast Tailgate Party
Dead Presidents

They’ll feature 9 east coast breweries, including Weyerbacher, Yards and Victory.

Classic tailgate grub and games – including a corn hole tournament. 

Plus a special appearance by the Washington Nationals Presidents Mascot!



So, the question is, what events are you going to?!

(As the week progresses, and we attend events, we'll try to update them too!)






Kennett Brewfest: Who's Going to Be There & Who's Pouring What During the Connoisseur Session

I thought I'd take a quick minute to combine the the list of who's going to be there and who's pouring what the Connoisseur session. It's nothing fancy, but I thought it might make things a little easier for you tomorrow! 









You can also view the list here: 

As an Excel spreadsheet: 
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6DbfIPDs3VKQkk0cm9fMnVsNEE/edit?usp=sharing

As a PDF: 
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6DbfIPDs3VKT0RPSzBQT015c28/edit?usp=sharing

As two images: 
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6DbfIPDs3VKM3dLb2NmVTRDdms/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6DbfIPDs3VKZ0ZodmZHNFZVMkk/edit?usp=sharing


We're In The News (Journal That Is!)

Earlier this week we were asked to be part of Ryan Cormier's article, "Delaware Liquor Stores, Beer Lovers and Brewers Tap Into Growlers Popularity," for this week's 55 Hours, a weekly supplement to the News Journal! 

 Check out the article here: 

 http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20130926/ENTERTAINMENT03/309260083/Delaware-liquor-stores-beer-lovers-brewers-tap-into-growlers-popularity

 If you're finding our page from this awesome article, be sure to...

 Like us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DelawareHopScene

 And follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dehopscene

Two Stones Pub Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory Beer Dinner

Monday's are typically our least favorite day of the week, for obvious reasons...that is, until last Monday, when we had the Two Stones Pub Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory Beer Dinner to look forward to!


As you can imagine, Stigz and Gumbo didn't just create a pairing menu, they created a pairing menu based on the children's characters featured in the movie! And if you're a fan of the movie, we think you'll totally get the references and the correlation between the characters and each course of the beer dinner!

I think Willy himself put it best...

"Little surprises around every corner, but nothing dangerous. So don't be alarmed. As soon as your outer vestments are at hand, we'll begin."

Course 1: Charlie Bucket

"Mm, this stuff is terrific."
Farmhouse cheddar, 5-year Gouda, crusty baguette, wild berry chutney, pickled cucumbers, paired with Victory Helios

 What can we say? Vintage Gouda is a favorite of ours, and anytime it's anywhere, life is just good. Oh, and that berry chutney? Stigz couldn't tell a lie, it was good ol' lingonberries from IKEA! Can't beat it! Talk about a great start to the night!


Course 2: Veruca Salt
"Hey Daddy, I want an Oompa Loompa. I want you to get me an Ooompa Loompa right away!"

Grilled filet mignon medallions, elbow poached egg, Shropshire blue, foie gras-buttered brioche, and tarragon beer blanc, paired with Goose Island Pepe Nero.

 I'm not sure what to say about this course other than, oh. my. goodness! It was decadent, amazing and I think we all could have easily eaten at least 6 more of these! And the pairing? I can't begin to tell you how well the flavors of Pepe Nero worked with the creaminess of the poached egg, the richness of the beer blanc and the tangy-ness of the Shropshire! (Can you tell we liked it?!) 

Course 3: Violet Beauregard
"It happens every time, they all become blueberries..."

Seared maple leaf duck breast, wilted elbow farm rainbow Swiss chard, blueberry maple gastrique, paired with Dogfish Head Black & Blue. 

Simply put, I would pour the blueberry maple gastrique on everything I possibly could. It was awesome, and paired amazingly with the duck, without overpowering it. I have to admit, Swiss Chard isn't something I would normally dive into, but of course 2SP prepared it in a way that I made it so good that I couldn't stop eating it...something tells me it wasn't a healthy preparation. But who cares, it was so good! 

 (If we're lucky, we may see something very similar to this course on the new fall menu at 2SP!) 


 Course 4: Augustus Gloop
"Let me in. I'm starving!"
Breaded pork cutlet, shaved brussel sprouts, bacon-horseradish boiled potatoes, lemon-herb brown butter paired with Troegs Troegenator. 


This German girls was loving 2SP's take on this traditional German dish. The pork was fork tender. And the bacon-horseradish boiled potatoes? They were pretty much saturated in bacon fat...for hours...so, as you can imagine, they were pretty much awesome. We don't know that there would have been a better pairing with this dish than Troegenator, Troegs' Double Bock. The spiciness and the deep, rich lager really stood up to the flavors in this dish.





Course 5: Mike Teeve
"It's a TV dinner!"

Veal & wild mushroom meatloaf, Oregon whipped Yukon gold potatoes, peas, carrots & cippolini onions, green peppercorn demi, paired with Sixpoint 3Beans


 You have to LOVE the 2SP's quirky take on how they served this course. Just like Mike Teeve said in the movie, "it's a TV dinner," so this was 2SP's super fancy take on a TV dinner. To take it one step further, the talented and awesome Chef Blair served this course on sectioned plastic plates - and it so worked! If TV dinners were as creative and delicious as Chef Blair's creation, I would never cook!


 Dessert: Willy Wonka
scrumdiddlyyumptious cake, paired with Samuel Smith Organic Chocolate Stout
How can you have a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Beer Dinner without some serious chocolate?! Well, this dessert was about as chocolately as you can get, and the Organic Chocolate it was paired with? Ditto. We have a serious sweet tooth between the two of us, and this couldn't have been any more delightful in ending the meal! The crispy rice in this cake gave a little texture to the creaminess of the chocolate, which couldn't have paired any more amazingly than it did with the beer. I think this may be one of the most perfect endings to a meal.




But wait, there's more!

 What Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory Beer Dinner would be complete without a Golden Ticket? As if it wasn't an already awesome night, 2SP was giving away a bottle of each of the paired beers from dinner.




Guess who had the Golden Ticket for Charlie Bucket? Yup, that's right...me! So not only did we have 5 amazing courses, we were going home with a bottle of Helios to boot! 
So now that your mouth is watering, you'll probably be happy to know that Two Stones hosts a beer dinner every month - check out their Facebook page for updates on the themes for each one! 

Now signing off...

"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men..." ~Willy Wonka

Time to pop that movie in and relive a great childhood memories...

How to Celebrate #IPADay!

If you're a Hop Head, then today is your day - it's IPA Day! And here's how Delaware is celebrating...




$4 IPA All day long, including: 
Heavy Seas Loose Cannon
Dogfish 60 Min
Dogfish India Brown IPA
Bear Republic Racer 5
Six Points Bengali Tiger

2SP will have 16 IPAs on tap from open to close. Look for West Coast IPAs, East Coast IPAs, Belgian IPAs, Double IPAs, and Black IPAs.

Two Stones Pub Naamans:
2SP Naamans will also be tapping some IPAs, DIPAs, Belgian IPAs, Black IPAs, and everything else in between, all day long. They will have brews from Stone, Elysian, Bear Republic, Dogfish Head, Victory, Yards, 21st Amendment, Evolution and plenty more.

 UPDATE: Check out what 2SP Naamans is going to have on tap today:

  • Dogfish 60 Minute
  • Victory HopDevil
  • Yards IPA
  • Stone IPA
  • Elysian Space Dust
  • 21st Amendement Hop Crisis
  • Flying Dog Raging Bitch
  • Bear Republic Black Racer
  • Elysian Konishiki
  • Evolution Lot #3
  • Stone Cali-Belgique
  • 21st Amendment Back in Black
  • Brooklyn Blast
  • Evolution Lot #6
  • North Coast Acme
  • Goose Island The Illinois
  • Weyerbacher Last Chance
Plus, Cask Conditioned Flying Dog Raging Bith


10% off all IPAs on the growler bar - there should be at least 4 to pick from today. Here's what they have on tap: http://www.pecosliquors.com/BEER.html

Argilla will have their Second DIPA on tap today. IPA Day celebrations will continue tomorrow with their one off keg of a unique IPA. This week they will be featuring GIL - a session IPA brewed with Mt. Rainier hops and dry hopped with a hop mixture known as Magic Hop Dust and Columbus hops - 4.7% abv.

Skipjack is offering $1 off Dogfish Head 60 Minute when you let them know you're there to celebrate IPA Day.

Premier will have The Gunslinger Double IPA, Lancaster Black Boar IPA on tap at the growler bar, and will be introducing Lancaster's new (draft only) Boss Hog Double IPA as well. They're also offering $2 off all growler fills and 10% off all large format IPA's for the day.

Stewart's will have their house IPA, Glacier IPA, Lockjaw Double IPA, and Cask-Conditioned Glacier IPA on tap today. They're also doing a special tapping of a reserve keg of IronYardStew IPA, a collaboration between Stewart's, Iron Hill and Yards Brewing Co.  



State Line is offering 20% off all singles, 10% off all packs and 10% off all cases of all IPAs. They are also having their Devils Backbone Outpost Brewery/Troegs Brewing Company Collaboration Celebration tonight as well.
UPDATE: Correction - State Line is doing their sale on IPAs tomorrow, Friday, August 2nd.




Each location will be celebrating IPA Day with a different IPA on tap...

  • Newark: Dela Where? IPA
  • Wilmington: Yippee-Ki-PA, an American IPA
  • Chestnut Hill: Hop Addict IPA
  • Lancaster: Hop Stinger
  • Maple Shade: G-Day IPA
  • Media: Ultimate Warrior American IPA
  • North Wales: Summertime IPA
  • Phoenixville: Simcoe IPA
  • West Chester: Intergalactic IPA

At the brewpub...
Be sure to check out the menu items that feature a little 60 Minute love in them - the beer battered Fish and Chips and the Brined Wood-Grilled Chicken. They'll also have a special Brewpub Exclusive beer just for today: Down Low Double Life. And they're going to tap into some of their vintage stash, plus Randall the Enamel Animal will be at the bar all day long.

At the brewery:
They're going to have a special IPA Day tasting flight including 60 Minute, Sixty-One, 90 Minute and 120 Minute. While you're there, be sure to test your IPA knowledge. Randall will be at the brewery too. He'll be running Burton Baton through fruit and spices. Three words: 120 Minute Picklebacks. Yup. Of course you have to get some Hop Pickles from Bunyon's Lunchbox (and one of the beer infused brats and sausages). Annndddd....Sam will be the guest DJ this for this week's Vintage and Vinyl Happy Hour, where they'll be pouring vintage IPAs.

The Queen is hosting a Homebrew Happy Hour with entertainment by Beth Goldwater

Stop by the tavern for specials on their Inlet IPA. They'll have $3 pints, $1 off growlers and growler refills, and $5 off cases of the IPA. They might even have a few unique versions of the IPA too! 

UPDATE: 
The Pickled Pig Pub:
Check out what PPP will have on tap today: 

  • Dogfish 60 Minute
  • Evolution Craft Brewing Company Lot 3
  • Yards Brewing Compnay IPA
  • Smuttynose Brewing Co. Homunculus
  • Starr Hill Brewing Comp[any Double Platinum
  • Stone Brewing Co. RuinTen
UPDATE:
3rd Wave Brewing Co.
3rd Wave has their 1st Wave IPA and Bombora Double IPA on tap today.

 UPDATE:
33 West Ale House & Grill:
33 West is celebrating IPA Day with $1 off all IPAs in bottles and cans, including local favorites like Old Dominion Double D, Fordham Rams Head and Twin Lakes Greenville Pale Ale.

 UPDATE:
Deer Park Tavern:
Deer Park will have a few IPAs on tap from Stone and Yards, as well as Dogfish 60 Minute, Flying Dog Raging Bitch and they are tapping Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye. The Ruthless Rye pints will be $4.50.


 We'll keep updating the list throughout the day as we find out more IPA fun going on!

Cheers and Hoppy IPA Day!



Who's Open on Fourth of July

What are your plans for 4th of July? Even more importantly, what will you be drinking, and where? Need a few ideas of what to do before and after the BBQs and Fireworks? 



Here's a (growing!) list of what's going to be open around the state on the Fourth of July...

Arena's (all locations)                       ‘business as usual’

Jessop’s                                              11:30am - 10pm

Peco’s Liquors                                    10am - 5pm (growler bar open all day too)


3rd Wave                                             12pm – 5pm

Buckley’s                                             11am – midnight
                                                             Happy hour - $1 off all beers 
                                                             Rooftop bar open @ 4pm, dinner @ 5pm

Two Stones Pub Newark                     11:30am – 1am 
                                                             $1, $2, or $3 8 oz pours

Two Stones Pub Naamans                   11:30am – 1am


Governor’s Café                                  7am – 11pm


Taverna                                               11:30am – close


The Pig + Fish                                      Last seating at 8:20pm; closing
                                                              at 9pm         


State Line Liquors                               9am - 8pm          


Dogfish Head Brewery                         Vintage & Vinyl Happy Hour 4:30pm

 Argilla Brewing Co.                             11:30am - 1am

 Stanley's Tavern                                  11am - 1am
                                                               both the restaurant and the package
                                                               store, including growlers

 Skipjack's                                              11am - 11pm
                                                               keep an eye on their Facebook page for
                                                               food and drink specials.

 Washington Street Ale House               11am - 1am

 Cantwell's Tavern                                 Open at 11:30am, last call at 10:45am

 Whole Foods Glen Mills-Brew & Brau   8am - 8pm

 Frank's Wines, Beers & Spirits             10am - 6pm, growler station too

 Kid Shelleen's                                         11am - 1am

 Aqua Sol                                                  11:30am - 10pm

 Ulysses American Gastropub                 11am - 1am

 Kreston Wine & Spirits, Wilmington      9am - 4pm

 Kreston Wine & Spirits, Middletown      9am - 4pm

 Home Grown Cafe                                    11am - 1am


*Note: this isn't a complete list of everything that is open statewide, this is just what we've found to be open so far. We're guessing most places are open and rocking and rolling during the holiday, but it can't hurt to give wherever you're going a call just to make sure they're open and ready to pour you a beer or two! 

We'll keep updating this list as we find out more!

 Wondering where to check out fireworks? North DelaWHERE Happenings has you covered: http://northdelawhere.happeningmag.com/red-white-boom-4th-july-celebrations-fireworks-delaware

 There's are so many things going on around the state for Independence Day! Take a look at this delawareonline article for ideas: http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20130628/ENTERTAINMENT/306280011/Independence-Day-weeklong-party-Macy-Gray-Wilmington-fireworks-Dewey?sf14575425=1
Have a safe and happy 4th of July! 

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!