Beers to You

A Trip to the Delaware Shore Turns Up a Microbrew Treasure

AMONG THE many charms of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, is its status as the birthplace of Dogfish Head, one of the country's younger and very best craft breweries. Dogfish has enjoyed sufficient success to move its main operations to a larger facility inland, but the place on Rehoboth Avenue still operates, as a brewery, distillery, and restaurant. And so, in addition to picking up a six of the insanely smooth and very drinkable Shelter Pale Ale to fill our hotel fridge last weekend, I quaffed a couple of pints of DH's 60-Minute IPA at dinner on the brewpub's deck one night. Delightfully dry and hoppy, it was a terrific complement to the tasty thin-crust pizza I had it with. A big part of the appeal of the microbrew renaissance, I think, is the stark contrast it presents to traditional American corporate brewing. While Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors employ vastly more accountants and marketers than brewers, the beers really worth drinking got their start in the not-too-distant past in guys' basements and garages. From well-known brands such as Sam Adams and Pete's Wicked to up-and-comers such as Dogfish Head, Flying Fish, and Yards, the focus is on crafting a drink with character and taste, not manufacturing benign enough to move lots of it. It makes a beer geek and would-be entrepreneur wonder.

Comments

[Mark]

I agree with you 100%, and nothing beats drinking them right where they were made. Props to Dogfish Head for not being afraid to try some pretty daring brews. So, are you ready to move up to the 90 Minute? 120?