Dogfish Head – Off Centered Ales for Off Centered People
By: Mike Kivowitz, LeafyGreen.info
Most companies don’t let you get to know them and relate to them. Dogfish Head is not one of these companies. Dogfish Head is a craft brewery from Delaware and their beer is amazing but that is not the only reason I love them.
Many breweries practice in an eco-friendly way, but what Dogfish Head does is unique. They recycle the spent grains used in the brewing process to a local farm in Delaware. These grains are fed to the cows to eat and play in and once those cows are slaughtered, they actually buy back the beef for their brewpub in Rehoboth Beach, De. They also provide a local baker with some of the grains to use in creating dog treats. That’s pretty freaking cool. But DFH does a lot more than that.
They recycle their water that cools the wort also. That doesn’t seem that impressive, but ask a homebrewer. That water is usually wasted unless you have a ton of space to store water.
Dogfish Head is known for off-centered beers and wacky and surprisingly amazing flavors. Below are some of my favorites and what they do that makes them so different.
60/90/120 Minute IPA‚ Hops, More Hops, MORE HOPS!
Punkin – Organic brown sugar and spices and pumpkins. It tastes like pumpkin pie, but better.
Ancient Ales – They have a series of ancient recipes reconstructed. These beers are unreal you need to try them all. Some of the ingredients include chai tea, wildflower honey, grapes, organic juniper berries, cacao nibs (antioxidant-rich energy) and even quinoa (gluten-free grains).
Black Thai Brewpub exclusive – Thai basil, soybeans (locally sourced from the Delmarva Region) and real blackberry puree.
DFH is not just a brewery. It’s an experience. You must go down to Delmarva and take a tour of the ever expanding brewery, play some bocce ball, buy an organic cotton or bamboo shirt and then travel the 20 minutes to Rehoboth Beach to eat lunch or dinner.
The brewpub is loaded with fun and great beer. Sam put his heart and soul into the pub. They have a distillery upstairs that you maybe able to tour if they let you. The menu is well thought out with that local beef in the form of hamburgers, sandwiches and they even have Leafy Greens.
We headed over there for New Years Eve‚ 15 Beers for 15 Years Beer Dinner. It was amazing!
This is the menu below.
The best part was the dessert. A World Wide Stout and Chocolate Milk Shake paired up with World Wide Stout and a Fort Creme Brule paired with a Fort. Oh my!
I’ve posted a bunch of random drunken pictures from the event below. We were fortunate enough to sit upstairs in the larger private room with a small amount of people including Sam Calagione, the founder and president of DFH. I spoke to Sam and tried to get some info out of him about what else is coming down the pipe but he wouldn’t reveal any secrets.
The people at Dogfish Head really know how to have a great time. The dinner, the drinks and the entertainment were all great. Overall, it was an amazing party and I wish I could book my trip for next year already.
If you’re looking for an alternative to that boring beer, pick up a 6 pack of 60 Minute IPA or if you’re a stout guy, go for the Chicory Stout and know that you’re enjoying a beer that not only is eco-friendly, but has heart and soul.
Thanks for reposting!!
Nice write up Peter. I had no idea that Dogfish Head did all that. I’ve been wanting to get some of their brews I have the 60/90/120 but would love to get some of their other more interesting brews. They are a little bit of a victom of their own success as they can’t ship out here until they expand their capacity. I hope at that point we will see some of their stuff out here on a regular basis.
Sounds like a great time. I’d love to visit someday, and you are right that DFH seems to ‘get it’ above and beyond most other brewers. Now you have me thinking about buying some DFH I haven’t yet tried this week!
Lisa and I are such big fans of Dogfish Head. I love that they continue to push the envelope and try unique taste combinations in their beers. Not every one works for me, but I appreciate their efforts.
I love their stuff. Simply great. Thanks for putting this up.
I knew I missed out on that New Years Eve dinner! Ugh… it sounds better than I imagined it to be!
Does sound like a whole hell of a lot of fun, especially after talking to Mike about the fun he had!
Man, I really wanted to go to that New Year’s event. My wife and I spent a fair amount of time in the brewpub this past summer, and after having dealt with the DFH crew for years I was still impressed by the service and atmosphere in Rehoboth. Planning on many free weekends up there this summer.