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Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Hazy New England IPAs—once hard to come by—are getting a boost from local brewers, including West Chester’s Levante

My wife and I have a game we play. Perhaps there’s someone in your life with whom you play it, too. It’s called “can I have a sip of that?”

It’s usually played when I’m drinking beer and she’s drinking wine. She asks for a sip from my pint or bottle, hoping what she finds might be to her liking. Since I am invariably drinking an India pale ale, I usually warn her: “You won’t like it. It’s pretty hoppy.”

Nine times out of 10 she agrees, after scrunching up her face at the upfront bitterness and handing the vessel back.

It’s not an unusual scenario in the beer world. Maybe it’s a non-beer drinker looking to branch out, or someone who started his beer drinking at college keggers with fizzy, soda-like pilsners. Either way, that first hoppy slap in the mouth of an IPA was off-putting and perhaps dissuaded someone who was honestly trying to broaden his or her taste from expanding further.

It was almost as if brewers, for the longest time, were issuing a challenge, with each IPA coming out with more of a hops punch than the last. Drinkers, it seemed, were being dared to take a bitter hit, say thank you and then get up for more.

The hazy appearence, with creamy and tropical flavors, are characteristic of New England style IPAs.

But along the way, brewers in Vermont were taking a different tack. In 2011, at The Alchemist brewery in Waterbury, there emerged a new brew called Heady Topper, which flipped the script on an IPA’s typical hops flavor. It was a brew that, while still technically an IPA, presented something far different from what most craft beer drinkers were used to. Instead of a clear amber color, crispness on the tongue and bitter bite, this new IPA, which poured cloudy, proffered front notes of floral, fruit and citrus, and a creamy, dessert-like mouth feel.

Once word got out, the lines started to form. Drawn by murmurings in the beer world, fans of the new IPA—who, seeking to distinguish it from its more bitter West Coast version, began calling it Vermont or New England IPA—lined up for the hard-to-get canned releases. Nearby brewers got wind and reverse engineered their own versions of this new variation on the venerable IPA.

Picking Up on the Trend

With the emergence of what has come to be known as the New England IPA, however, those reluctant beer drinkers who up till now suspected the craft beer world was a hop lovers-only affair might change their minds. And fortunately for those who’ve already discovered the creamy, cloudy delights of this evolution in the beer world, local breweries and beer drinkers are picking up on the trend.

Beer aficionado Dana Dillon is a perfect example. The resident of Lincoln University, Pa., just over the state line from Newark, grew up in Ohio as a drinker of wine and “crap beer—mostly because wine was too expensive,” she says. Later, she moved up to more flavorful—but still corporate—beers like Killian’s Red and Blue Moon. But it wasn’t until she moved to Pennsylvania and discovered Downingtown’s Victory Brewing that she fell in love with craft brewing.

“Victory was my gateway,” she says. “I was like, ‘There are good things?’”

As she worked her way into craft beer culture, it didn’t take long for her to get word of Heady Topper and—because it has never been sold outside of a 25-mile radius from the Vermont brewery—its almost forbidden delights. Fans formed queues for canned releases like they were camping out for Springsteen tickets, traveling across states and trading for cans when they couldn’t make the journey, turning the pursuit of a true New England IPA into something akin to Jason and the Argonauts chasing down the mythical golden fleece.

Levante Brewing Company’s Cloudy & Cumbersome IPA has been so popular that they brew it almost weekly.

But in the early days before Heady Topper became such a commodity, it met with something of a marketing problem. It was cloudy.

“People are used to clear beers and [the brewery] didn’t want you to pour it in a glass if you hadn’t had it because it was cloudy,” Dillon says. “But then people got used to that cloudy thing and it’s sort of taken off from there. They’re very drinkable, and I think that makes it a little more accessible to people who think they might not like IPAs. It can have such a variety of flavor—you can have coconut, citrus, strawberry—and it fits in better with that style than a hoppy West Coast IPA.”

While the quest for home-grown New England IPAs continues (The Alchemist has instituted a three four-pack limit on Heady Topper purchases), nearby brewers have begun their own experiments in the New England style.

Taking It to Its Limits

Along Philadelphia’s Main Line, Ardmore’s Tired Hands Brewing Co. has begun offering a couple of styles that, while not labeled as such, hew to the new traditions of the New England IPA. American pale ale HopHands throws in oats and three kinds of hops with a juicy finish that suggests notes of citrus, honeysuckle and kiwi.

And not be outdone, Tired Hands has, with its Fruit Punch Milkshake IPA, taken the style to its limits, with oats, hibiscus and lactose sugar added in the brewing process. The nearly-finished brew is conditioned with Madagascar vanilla beans and a variety of tart fruit purees, then dry hopped with Mosaic and Citra varieties.

Down the road in West Chester, Pa., the brew masters at Levante Brewing have crafted their own takes on the New England IPA with their Cloudy and Cumbersome, Spring Till and Tickle Parts varieties. 

Even though cans of its New England IPAs typically sell out, Levante Brewing Company usually has them on draft for customers to try in its taproom.

The first batch of Cloudy and Cumbersome, cooked up in the brewery’s one-barrel (31-gallon) brew kettle, was Head Brewer Greg Harris’ attempt to recreate the flavors of a Dark ‘n Stormy cocktail in beer form, says Assistant Brewer Spencer Holm. The original batch started with a wheat-and-oat-heavy malt base aged in a rum barrel, which was then finished with lime leaves, ginger and additional hops.

“It was such a big hit that we scaled up the original malt base, got rid of the ginger and lime leaf and kicked up the hops,” Holm says.

That was the fall of 2016, and the initial demand was so great that the brewery found it impossible to keep up. The variety went into a periodic brewing schedule, but staff noticed that customers in the taproom were enjoying it on tap, in growlers and in on-demand-canned “crowlers.” At the same time, local bars and restaurants that stock Levante’s draft selections were looking for a locally-brewed New England IPA to serve. “It’s hard to find a New England IPA available for production, so since then we’ve been brewing it almost every week,” Holm says.

Low Bitterness

As for its appeal, Holm notes that the first thing that always comes to mind is the low bitterness, despite the IPA’s reputation for the opposite. That’s a result of adding the hops later, preserving the flavor profile while not allowing it to break down over the brewing process. The variety’s signature creaminess is achieved through the combination of specialty grains, such as oats and wheat, and by adding lactose sugar to the boil.

“It may seem like dumping a lot of hops in later would be the golden ticket, but what we’re trying to do is find a balance between the varieties of hops and the malt interaction, so all the ingredients are still noticeable,” Holm says.

“It just seems to hit the spot taste-wise kind of across the board, whether it’s summer and you want something refreshing or whether it’s winter and you want some kind of tropical escape,” he says. “It’s much more approachable. It’s really hard to find an alienating quality of this style.”

The appeal of Levante’s New England IPAs isn’t going unnoticed, with locals and “beer tourists” now forming lines outside the brewery on release days for cans of Cloudy and Cumbersome much like those at the Vermont breweries that launched the trend. Holm says he’s beginning to see cans traded online and in invitation-only beer groups on Facebook.

But waiting in line for canned beer and enjoying a draft in Levante’s taproom are two different experiences, and Holm says the brewery considers keeping on-site customers coming back to relax over a pint or two. So even though canned releases of Cloudy and Cumbersome typically sell out, it and several other New England IPA varieties are usually available on draft.

Asked to theorize about the legs of the New England IPA trend, Holm hesitates, but does note that aspects of the New England IPA style have influenced brewers not just to recreate it, but to take elements and apply them to other styles.

“The style is going to continue to get more refined as the drinkers determine what they enjoy most,” he says. “It’s definitely the drinker that dictates what breweries end up brewing.”

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Fall Beers and Winter Warmers

Here’s a sampling of what Delaware’s best brewers have to offer for the coming colder months

Target recently released a $5 line of wines, fermented malt beverages like hard ciders and sodas continue to sell, and the Paloma—a refreshing Mexican mix of tequila and grapefruit soda—has been randomly popping up on restaurant cocktail lists.

But while those are three distinct trends that speak to a specific type of drinker, craft beer geeks will be happy to know that their suds are safe. As the calendar turns to autumn and, way too soon, winter, those big, malty fall beers and winter warmers are on their way. Here’s a sampling of what some of Delaware’s best breweries have to offer, from north to south:

More than 20 years after it burst onto the local scene, Stewart’s Brewing Co. in Bear continues to churn out a bevy of both flagship and seasonal beers. On tap this fall is the Gourdzilla, a high-octane pumpkin ale that features several yeast strains. According to owner Al Stewart, this isn’t your average pumpkin beer, weighing in at a lusty 8 percent ABV.

Meanwhile, India Pale Ales still rule no matter the time of year, with the Spaced Invader IPA taking up tap space in November. The session IPA (just 5 percent) was originally brewed and named for the ‘80s fans at 1984 in Wilmington. Stewart says they’re currently (mid-October) a bit low on tank space, but if they can brew a double batch again this year, they’ll be sending another 10 kegs to the Fourth Street bar that features classic arcade games and pinball machines.

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant’s most award-winning beer just received its 13th medal in October—this time Silver—at the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado. Courtesy of the Newark location, the vaunted Russian Imperial Stout is a robust 9.8 percent that ages well into the winter months. Four-packs will be available by can for $22 by Nov. 22.

Up the road a piece, the Wilmington location is preparing to release the second iteration of its Last Alarm IPA, which commemorates Delaware’s fallen firefighters with a donation of $1 per pint sold. The beer—which was brewed with the help of local firefighters—will be available at both Delaware restaurants, benefitting the I.A.F.F. Local 1590 (Wilmington Firefighters Assn.) and Aetna Hose, Hook & Ladder Co. in Newark.

Despite the change in location from Greenville to Newport, Twin Lakes Brewing Co. is up and running with its new tasting room, featuring German beer-garden-style tables, a 20-seat bar, darts, board games, and an 18-foot shuffleboard table. They’re currently featuring seven beers on tap, including some nano-brew one-offs, and the 8 percent Jubilicious come late November.

Twin Lakes has been brewing this malt-forward holiday ale for years, and they recently learned it ages particularly well in oak barrels. The initial brew features seven specialty (and secret) grains, Belgian yeast, and imparts flavors of caramel and dried fruit. If you venture out for a taste, Twin Lakes is in the same building as the Delaware Tile Market, but on the side of the L-shaped building that faces the railroad tracks.

At Bellefonte Brewing Co., bigger is better. They’re now featuring a regular rotation of 32-ounce cans called “crowlers” (basically a play on merging cans and growlers), and will be featuring a combo Saison-cider spiced ale, as well as the new EZE IPA, a session beer made with American-grown Ekuanot hops (think more citrus than pine) and reduced gluten, for those watching their figure or suffering from allergies.

As the colder weather approaches, though, get ready for the Big V Porter. This big buy (8.5 percent) is aged with vanilla beans, making it the perfect pairing for those holiday desserts. Bellefonte is also planning a Fall Fest (because there probably aren’t enough local beer festivals on your calendar) for late November.

Up in Yorklyn, Dew Point Brewing Co. is releasing a collaborative Imperial Black IPA, in which they’re using locally grown hops from Greenview Farm in West Chester. It boasts an ABV of 9.5, and the Dew Point brew team is suggesting a hearty pairing of beef brisket or rack of lamb, as well as sweet desserts like crème brûlée and carrot cake.

And speaking of hearty, hold onto your hats for the brewery’s upcoming barley wine, which will use some undisclosed (but locally grown) herbs for flavor and is targeted to reach an ABV of around 12. A strong charcuterie board—with big cheeses, cured meats and candied nuts—would make a great complement to this one, whether on draft or in the bottle.

Rounding out the hop field in New Castle County is Blue Earl Brewing Co., which begins releasing its Big Earl Bourbon Series in November with the barrel-aged imperial breakfast stout called Dark Star. Distribution will be somewhat limited for this 10-percenter, but 22-ounce bottles will be available just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The series continues in December with I Put a Spell on You, a Belgian dark, strong ale that’s been conditioning for about a year, followed in January by the American barley wine called Big Boss Man. At around 12 percent, the BBM will feature notes of rich dark caramel, licorice, toffee, bourbon, and even fig and plum. Be sure to stop by Wednesday through Sunday and check out The Juke, Blue Earl’s live music series that features a rotation of local bands and acoustic acts.

Heading downstate, Kent County’s crown jewels are following the local trend of spiced ale and stout. Fordham & Dominion Brewing Co. in Dover is putting out a Spiced Harvest Ale that blends a “tea” of nutmeg, allspice, ginger, clove and honey. It won “Best Spiced Ale” at Peco’s Liquor Store’s Great Pumpkin Debate in late September. The autumnal ale will be available in six-packs at Peco’s, Kreston’s Liquors and Total Wine & More, as well as on draft at the Washington Street Ale House.

Also on tap is the Morning Glory Espresso Stout, a sneaky good stout that measures 9 percent but drinks smooth, like a 6. This is the first year the stout makes an appearance as a seasonal, rather than a flagship beer, due to competition from Dominion’s Oak Barrel Stout (a mere 5.5 percent). Morning Glory, being the bolder of the two, makes a better fit for the winter months, and is brewed with nearly 70 pounds of locally roasted Indonesian and South American espresso beans. It will be available at the same liquor stores mentioned above, as well as on draft at Stanley’s Tavern, Ulysses Gastro Pub and Trolley Square Oyster House in Wilmington.

A little further down the road, Mispillion River Brewing will be challenging the notion that dark beers are too heavy and “chewy” to drink with their Seven Swords Golden Stout. This lighter colored stout still features notes of chocolate and coffee, but is easy on the palate and higher in alcohol than your average stout (at 8.6).

Beer drinkers looking for a little energy in their effervescence should try what may be the first “SportsBerliner” ever conceived, with electrolytes (like potassium, calcium, magnesium) added to the brew. The brainchild of brewer Ryan Maloney came about when he found himself mixing his daily sports drink with Mispillion’s Berliner Weiss, or German wheat beer. Called War Kitten, this novel concoction has a slight grape flavor and is available in 16-ounce cans and on draft.

Since most of us have come to expect something “off-centered” from Dogfish Head, diehard fans won’t be disappointed with the Liquid Truth Serum. This IPA unconventionally has three different hops

Dogfish Head Brewery’s Liquid Truth Serum IPA. Photo courtesy of Dogfish Head Brewery

added after the boil (rather than during), but is hoppy without much residual bitterness. The result is balance, with 65 International Bitterness Units (or IBUs, which is low for an IPA) and a finish that leans more toward crisp, zesty citrus, rather than pine or floral notes.

A little less than 10 miles away, 16 Mile Brewing Co. is planning an entire event around its new fall beer, and it’s a pretty creative brew, especially for Fireball fans. Called “Soul Cake,” this English pale ale is brewed with American oak chips that have been soaked in Fireball, the cinnamon whiskey that’s a favorite among bar-goers.

This 9.6 percent spiced ale will be the centerpiece of 16 Mile’s Launch Party on Saturday, Nov. 18, at which the folks from Screams at the Beach will set up a beer-centric haunted maze outside the brewery in Georgetown. Make your way to the middle and get a taste of the Soul Cake, which is a nod to the Old English tradition that commemorated All Souls Day. Before trick-or-treating became popular, the cakes were passed out and eaten as a sign of good fortune and the escape from purgatory.

While a majority (if not all) of the beers featured in this story should still be available after publication, Out & About cannot guarantee how long each will remain in stock, either on tap at the breweries or by bottle or can at liquor stores.

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From Home Brewers to Craft Brewers

The microbrewing craze continues unabated, with four more on tap

At this point, it might seem like everyone has that neighbor (or perhaps you’re that neighbor) who has given home brewing a try in the basement or garage.

In fact, so many of the booming microbreweries around the First State (and pretty much everywhere else) began as garage brewing operations that it’s almost become a cliché.

But you’ve got to give credit to Middletown’s Kevin and Dawn Schatz for taking that “garage brewer” idea and pushing it so far that it goes beyond cliché right back around to cool. The two are the proprietors and brew masters of Volunteer Brewing Co., perhaps the most micro of Delaware’s microbreweries, located in a renovated two-car garage at 120 Main St., behind the Middletown Volunteer Fire Company.

Volunteer is just one of several new microbreweries popping up this year and into 2018, a growth spurt for the local brewing scene that may add as many new brewers during a nine-month period as we’ve seen over the last few years.

The Schatzes were originally attracted to Middletown from Chadds Ford, Pa., 12 years ago, when they went looking for a smaller-town feel and an escape from the traffic of the Route 202 corridor. What they found, they say, was a place that was gradually growing while struggling to retain its small-town vibe.

Crowlers from Volunteer Brewing Co. in Middletown. Photo Jack Pickett

The decision to go with such a small space, says Kevin Schatz, allows them to focus on their motto: “Serve Local Beer,” which also includes an emphasis on local community service and support for other local businesses, along with brewing superior small-batch.

“Local is really where we want to focus one hundred percent of our time,” says Schatz. For example, Volunteer’s Orange Blossom Honey Wheat is made with honey from a local beekeeper.

And while Volunteer has yet to commit to regular hours—beers and opening days are posted each month—their opening during the Middletown Peach Festival was met with long lines of thirsty customers for pints and 32-ounce “crowlers” (cans of fresh beer filled and sealed at the brewery).
“We’re asking people what they’d like to see and drink and putting that together and keeping it local whenever we can,” Schatz says.

Burning the Midnight Oil

Microbrewing, by its nature, often starts as a hobby pursued after spouses and children have gone to bed. And so, Midnight Oil Brewing Co. has taken that work-into-the-night ethos and applied it to its full-time brewing philosophy.

Founder and brewer Mike Dunlap had been brewing for about 10 years, and four years ago he and cofounder T.J. McGrath decided to move forward with a brewery distribution model focusing on a venue space within a tap room, rather than a brewpub model. Two years ago, a third partner, Joe Stickel, joined the team. A brewery/tasting room is slated for a late fall opening, says Patrick Jones, director of sales and taproom operations.

Midnight Oil Brewing Co. founder & brewer Mike Dunlap (top), with (l-r) Joe Stickel, Patrick Jones, and T.J. McGrath. Photo Jim Coarse

That distribution model, thanks to Delaware laws, means a location at 674 Pencader Dr. in a light industrial park outside Newark. The focus on the taproom environment is welcoming to beer lovers. The finishing touches are being put on Midnight Oil’s taproom, which will open in December with 90 seats, eventually expanding to about 120, Jones says.

Above all, he says, the emphasis will be on quality in an area that’s already full of great brewers. “We have great respect for our peers who were here before us. We’ve done our homework and developed communication and relationships with those who’ve already been here, so we’re super excited about working with people around the state who’ve already paved the way.”

A Stitch in Time

In 2016, the building at 829 Market St. in Wilmington was already on its way to becoming a restaurant. Local restaurateur Scott Morrison, who owned Chelsea Tavern and Ernest & Scott, was renovating the long unused industrial property for a new brewpub. Then, in February, Morrison died suddenly from a heart attack.

Not long after, Dan Sheridan, who had already successfully opened Wilmington Pickling Co. and Locale BBQ Post in Wilmington’s Little Italy, was looking for his next venture. Ideally, one that wouldn’t dominate his life the way the two previous openings had. And he thought a brewpub might be just the ticket. The fact that the former Morrison property was available made it seem like Sheridan’s next project, Stitch House Brewery, was almost meant to be.

Looking at an opening late this year, Stitch House aims to be a full-service brewpub with a wide selection of house-made beers and a food menu that will keep the downtown lunch crowd fed while offering a welcoming destination for the dinner and evening crowd as well.

Stitch House Brewery’s logo.

“Obviously, the beer is the focus. But to group it with a nice atmosphere and to be in the city of Wilmington, then couple that with good food? That got us excited,” Sheridan says.

The plan is to have 12 beers on tap always, with a rotating list of specialty and seasonal brews. The food menu will be heavy on cast iron skillet dishes and cassoulets at reasonable price points. Plans are for an opening before the end of the year.

The building itself, which at one time was a linen mart and the pole house for the Diamond Electric Co., informed the brewpub’s name. Work crews have been busy rehabbing the space, which has yielded some treasures, Sheridan says.

“Once all the crews got in there and ripped out everything from people trying to cover stuff up, we really uncovered a lot of cool steel and brick and architectural details that we’re trying to incorporate everywhere we can,” he says.

North of the Border

What’s a Delaware brewer to do when the right space just doesn’t present itself nearby? Head north, of course.

That’s what took Kent Steeves of Braeloch Brewing, soon to open in Kennett Square, out of the Diamond State and into the Keystone State. After he spent nearly a year trying to find the right space in Newark, Pennsylvania eventually beckoned with a building at 225 Birch St., just up from the Creamery of Kennett Square.

Steeves started out as a homebrewer, then got serious about owning his own brewery when his daughters left home for college. After visiting Germany for ideas and inspiration, he began hashing out a business plan with his wife, Amy, and partners Kathy and Matt Drysdale of Hockessin.
Plans are for 12 taps, with a running selection of IPAs, a few seasonals and at least one experimental brew.

Braeloch Brewing’s logo.

“We can and need to offer a broad range,” Steeves says. “For the IPAs, we want to always be highlighting different hops to really try to help customers choose what they want to taste.”

Some of that hops—as well as much of the beers’ barley—will be sourced locally. “There are a lot of barley growers in the region, and a local hops grower wants to be able to expand his acreage,” he says.
As for food, a small kitchen will provide light fare like nachos and flatbread pizzas, with a rotating cast of food trucks—vetted for quality and speed of service—adding variety. The space will also be fitted out for catering and to accommodate large groups.

The building, erected in 1903, will boast a 4,000-square-foot taproom with a 3,000-square-foot beer garden that overlooks the east branch of Red Clay Creek.

“We wanted that large taproom and outdoor space,” Steeves says. “We wanted this to be a place you want to go and hang out and completely relax and enjoy.”

Brewing Up the Perfect Storm

Never mind getting started as a brewer in your garage. Local entrepreneur Craig Wensell started with his own brewery.

One of the founders of Bellefonte Brewing Co., Wensell has since sold his interest to his partners at the Old Capital Trail brewery and embarked upon blazing a microbrewery trail in the underserved northern reaches of Wilmington by creating the first production brewery to be located within the city limits in more than 60 years.

Wensell’s new baby, Wilmington Brew Works, will occupy a former brownfield site at 3201 Miller Rd., just a stone’s throw from Route 202 and, conveniently, in his own neighborhood.

“I wanted to create this synergistic effect between my small business and other small businesses and bring it to my neighborhood to enhance the nightlife in that area,” says Wensell. “My goal was to bring to my neighborhood the things that I wanted to be near.”

The cleaned-up Spanish colonial-style building is the former site of the Harper-Thiel Electroplating Co. The building was where the duPonts are thought to have developed smokeless gunpowder. The renovated space will include a 1,400-square-foot taproom with a second wing that site owners Ralph and Rose Pepe will likely lease to a restaurateur or a group of restaurateurs as a dining room or upscale food court.

Wilmington Brew Works also will feature two outdoor spaces, one patio overlooking Haines Park across the street and the other adjacent to the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail, from which Wensell hopes to draw thirsty bikers and walkers.

Wilmington Brew Works’ logo.

He hopes to create a family-friendly neighborhood spot with live music and excellent beer—from IPAs and lagers to his forte, wood-aged sour beers.

“We’re a neighborhood microbrewery, and the challenge for me at this point is to navigate that brand concept in a way to tie my brewery to the city and the neighborhood,” Wensell says. “I’m really trying to distance myself from the concept of ‘bar.’”

He says he feels he is filling a need in the city and the neighborhood that for too long had been devoid of such amenities.

“I feel like we’re adding the right touch at just the right time to do what the city’s trying to do. It’s kind of a perfect storm of rainbows—everything coming together at the right time.”

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Why Delawareans Should Like Beer

You know, you guys write a lot about beer.

It’s a comment I’ve heard frequently in 29 years of producing Out & About. In fact, it’s an observation our teetotaling editor, Bob Yearick, has pointed out on more than one occasion.

My defense? There is none. I like beer. And as a Delawarean, you should like beer, too.

Since 1997, when Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione put a six-pack into a homemade row boat and “exported” his brew to Cape May, N.J. (a memorable and clever publicity stunt), the craft beer industry in Delaware has been rowing with the current. And, oh, what a current.

Today, there are 19 operating craft breweries in Delaware. That number will expand significantly with the recent announcements of Stitch House Brewery, Midnight Oil, Braeloch and Wilmington Brew Works (See story on page 25). In fact, Wilmington Brew Works will be the first production brewery located in the city since 1954.

Today, craft beer is generating more than $318 million in economic impact for our state, says the nationally-recognized Brewers Association. We’re in the top 20 in the nation in breweries per capita, and Delawareans over age 21 drink about 11 gallons of craft beer per year—sixth in the U.S.
In other words, I’m not the only one in Delaware who likes beer.

What’s not to like? The craft beer industry promotes agriculture, science, creativity, entrepreneurship. It also promotes historic preservation, as abandoned buildings, warehouses and brownfields are popular new homes for aspiring brewers. Case in point: The recently announced Wilmington Brew Works will occupy the former Harper-Thiel Electroplating headquarters on Miller Road, a Superfund site that sat vacant for nearly two decades. The state helped clean it up, Wilmington’s economic development office found a development partner in Rose and Ralph Pepe, and soon beer will be brewed there.

Just five years ago, Delaware breweries employed 200 people directly and another 2,600 in related jobs such as wholesaling and retailing. Those numbers have doubled.

Dogfish Head has become more than a tasty brew; it’s now a brand that helps sell our state, much like the DuPont Co. has done for years. A stretch? Put it this way: On more than one occasion while traveling, I’ve had people respond to me when I say I’m from Delaware: Hey, that’s where Dogfish is from, right?

It’s an evolution not lost on state officials. The Delaware Tourism Office created a special tour—the Delaware Beer, Wine and Spirits Trail—which has doubled in size since its launch in 2010. And just last month the office introduced the Delaware On Tap app, a mobile version of the BWS Trail.

“The craft beverage industry as a part of tourism in Delaware is booming,” says Liz Keller, Delaware Tourism director. “The state has the ninth largest economic impact per capita from craft brewing in America.”

This month, Out & About will raise a toast to the craft beer scene with our seventh annual Wilmington Beer Week (Nov. 6-11). Read all about it in this issue, as well as other fascinating developments for the local craft scene.

Yes, more stories about beer. Hey, we like to paddle with the current, too.