The Dogfish Inn & Brewery
Beach &
brewery tours
= grownup
fun ’
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Par d
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BY GINNY LAWHORN
D ogfish Head has taken crisp, clev-
erly named beers, a truly unique
company ethos, three towns in
Delaware and in all has created
much more than a company: It
has created a culture. One sunny,
off-season morning, I set out to
spend two days immersed in this culture
while staying cozy in the Dogfish Inn in
Lewes, Delaware.

In 2014, Dogfish Head expanded its craft
brewing and spirits kingdom to include this
inn. This unassuming, two-building prop-
erty, formally known as Vesuvio Motel,
includes 14 rooms with a mix of double,
queen and king options. Adjacent to the
main building is a cottage that houses the
Cottage SWEET! featuring a king bedroom,
a separate living room and a kitchenette.

Nearby is the Suite SWEET!, a beach house
that provides expanded amenities for vis-
itors who may prefer a bit more room to
stretch out for their time at the beach.

Once settled, I decide to start with the
obvious fan favorite and head to nearby
Milton to check in for a Dogfish Head Brew-
ery tour. There, I meet Kim Koot, a veteran
guide. We don our safety glasses and dive
into all things Dogfish. Koot starts with an
32 WashingtonFAMILY MAY 2019
explanation of the Eureka moment when
founder Sam Calagoine added unwashed,
over-ripe cherries to a homebrew, adding
extra yeast and amplifying flavor. This happy
accident would pivot Calagoine’s life from
pursuing a writing career to blazing a trail in
the American craft beer industry.

As we walk the halls of the brewery
exploring classic beers and new expres-
sions, Calagoine’s literary background
shines through in all of the puns and
word play that have help define Dogfish’s
“Two days with Dogfish
was a dream trip for
a beverage writer
and business
owner like me.”
identity — and market share. The brand’s
flagship expressions, the 60 Minute, 90 Min-
ute and 120 Minute IPAs, found their names
in the continual hop process, Koot says.

Calagoine found inspiration for this process
while watching a cooking show that taught
viewers to flavor soup through a cycle of
continuous seasoning. He then purchased an
electric football game at a local thrift store
and rigged the board at an angle to shimmy
hops throughout the brewing process.

Inn guests have a few more tour options
available as part of their stay. The Grain
to Glass package opens normally off-limit
parts of the brewery to inn guests, and the
INNclusive package is available Thurs-
day through Saturday for long-weekend
visitors and includes roundtrip transpor-
tation from the inn to the brewery and
later the to brew pub in Rehoboth Beach
for $45 per person.

Other tips
Not a beer drinker? Dogfish Head has spent
the last 16 years cultivating a craft spirit
line as unique as its beer. The base for all
of its spirits is the same 100 percent brew-
er’s malt and its proprietary “doggie” yeast
base used in its beers. This base provides not



only a link to the beer-based heritage of the
brand, but also a unique nose-and-mouth
feel for its spirits. These characteristics are
most prominent in the Analog Vodka, which
makes it an ideal drink for folks who like
other beverages, such as whiskey. The spirits
line also includes a Roasted Peanut vodka,
a Barrel Honey rum, a Compelling gin, and
my unabashed favorite, a Sonic Archeology
bottled cocktail. Cocktail flights and spirit
samples are available in the brewery bar.

There is beer and benevolence here: All
tips contributed to tours and at the tasting
room are donated to various nonprofits
throughout the year. During my visit, the
Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund was
the featured nonprofit.

Later, I head to the Dogfish Head Brew-
ings & Eats brew pub. Brewings & Eats
originated as the smallest commercial brew-
ery in the U.S. The company and the location
would expand and, as of early this year,
employ nearly 500 team members across all
of the Dogfish platforms. The current brew-
pub opened in spring of 2017 and offers a
state-of-the-art house mixer and innovative
concert space. While the focus is on local
music, the venue also hosts national acts
such as the Mountain Goats, who will
perform there in this month.

I implore you to try the “Dogpile” nachos.

While this combination of Flesh & Blood
IPA beef chili, mozzarella cheese, spinach
and artichoke dip, cured red onion, pickled
jalapeño, fired tortilla chips, cilantro crema
and cilantro itself may seem daunting and
muddled, this combination of comfort foods
comes together delectably.

Next door is a finer dining restaurant
experience, Chesapeake & Maine. Sourcing
seafood exclusively from the waters of the
Chesapeake Bay and Maine, this Dogfish
restaurant features a raw bar, seasonal sides,
decadent desserts and 1¼-pound lobsters
every Sunday for just $10. As a James Beard
Award semifinalist nominee for Best Bar
Program, the bar is a destination for locals
and visitors alike.

Exit through the gift shop: Waggies
by Maggie and Friends makes all-natural
dog treats with Dogfish’s spent grain and
employs persons with intellectual dis-
abilities. Also on tap: beer soap and all
the Dogfish-branded personal items and
homewares you could want.

Two days with Dogfish was a dream trip
for a beverage writer and business owner
like me. My only wish is that it hadn’t gone
so fast and that I could work for Dogfish
when I grow up. Maybe one day. ■
Off-Season Awesome
What else can you do at the beach when it’s not July? A lot, as it turns
out. The boardwalks in Rehoboth Beach and Ocean City remain open
year-round, although some stores are only open in the summer. However,
cyclists can bike on Rehoboth’s boardwalk in the off-season, something
strictly forbidden from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Cape Henlopen State
Park is also open for hiking and cycling and offers beach scenery like no
other Delmarva locale. The Seaside Nature Center has limited hours in the
off-season but is open.

Still want more outdoor time? The Cape May-Lewes ferry is one of
the oldest operating ferries in the U.S., and offers excursion trips and the
chance to see dolphins in the Delaware Bay.

How about shopping? Rehoboth’s main drag has plenty of boutiques
and shops that remain open, including the ever-popular Browseabout
Books and nearby Bella Luna. Need more? Check out the shops in
Bethany Beach and Berlin, Maryland, which is also known for
its antiques.

In Ocean City, many restaurants are open, including Crab Bag, The
Greene Turtle, Fager’s Island, Hooked and Pickles Pub, among others. In
Fenwick Island, Harpoon Hanna’s has year-round hours, as does Twilley’s
Willys, the hot dog joint with the funniest name. The owners of popular
farm-to-table restaurant One Coastal took some time off in January but
reopened last month.

Finally, the Ocean City Life Saving Museum is open year-round. ■
— WF STAFF
Cape Henlopen
State Park
The Cape
May-Lewes ferry
The boardwalk at
Rehoboth Beach
FACING PAGE: COURTESY OF DOGFISH HEAD BREWERY
ISTOCK/GETTYIMAGES — BOARDWALK: JOE_POTATO; STATE PARK: MDGMORRIS;
CAPE MAY-LEWES FERRY: VISIT DELAWARE
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