There was a celebration at the brewery the other day. It was the annual Dogfish Head Mug Club party. Several hundred people, including three busloads who boarded at the brewpub, enjoyed the festivities. Partygoers enjoyed a dozen or so beer choices, a DFH Vodka Moscow Mule cocktail at the distillery, and a spread that featured BBQ chicken, burgers and brats; dessert was make-your-own s'mores!
The event is an opportunity for Sam and Mariah Calagione to say thank you to DFH's core supporters. And it's a chance for members to catch up with each other, many of whom traveled significant distances to participate in the evening. A great band from Lancaster, Pa., entertained everyone.
As the evening began to wind down several speakers offered their thoughts on the off-centered concept that is a lot more than craft- brewed beer.
You could feel the spirit of this movement, because that's what it is! People expressing their thanks to the Calagiones and the DFH organization for its generosity; numerous nonprofits in Lewes, Rehoboth and elsewhere are beneficiaries of thousands of dollars - just the day before, more than $100,000 was raised for the Nature Conservancy at the Dogfish Run. But it was Sam who made the most meaningful statement.
He reminisced about the development of Dogfish Head and more recently Chesapeake & Maine, the new restaurant next door to the brewpub. Then, with obvious great pride he said, "Every beer, every beer we ever made started in Rehoboth."
Do you know what that means? I'm addressing you - the Rehoboth Beach commissioners. Can you appreciate the significance of that statement? Actually, it's more than a statement; it's a commitment! You, we all, have a treasure here. When some restaurant owners are broadening their economic base by opening places on the highway, the Calagiones are expanding in town. That's commitment! That commitment comes from the spirit that is Dogfish, the spirit that was reflected by the mug clubbers.
Appreciation doesn't imply influence, and it doesn't suggest bending the rules. What it means is being open to innovation and the creativity that flows from that spirit.
Hoyte Decker
Rehoboth Beach
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