Home Brew

I grew up in Delaware – Wilmington, Delaware to be precise.

It’s not a well-known state. Although our current vice president is a Delaware politician, he’s not a native. When I tell people I’m from Delaware, they usually say, “Oh yeah, I‘ve been through there on 95.” The swath of Interstate 95 that cuts through northern Delaware actually runs right behind where I went to elementary school.

Fortunately, my home state can now boast a distinction other than being someplace you pass through while running drugs to New York. It’s also the home of Dogfish Head.

Okay, Dogfish Head is in Milton, which is to Wilmington what Sagaponack is to New York City, but it’s still in the same state.

And, Dogfish Head is one of the best small breweries in the entire country, along with being a brewpub and, most recently, a distillery. Sam Calagione, the founder, is a certified madman, passionate brewer and marketing genius. If you love beer, you know about Dogfish Head.

Since it’s not available here in South Carolina, I’ve been bootlegging it in from Charlotte. Well worth the effort, I might add.

On my last run, I picked up a some of the India Brown Ale. Wow. This is the perfect example of their irreverent take on beer. It’s a three-way cross between a Scotch ale, a brown ale and an India pale ale.

Here’s a link to some info from the brewery and a quick video of Sam himself talking about it.

I’ll just say it’s currently one of my favorites. The balance between hops, malt and sweetness is sublime. The flavors lean towards coffee, dark chocolate and caramel malt without being cloying, and it finishes very clean and refreshing.

Go Delaware.