Dogfish Head brewpub named Business of the Year

Nearly 20 years after its founding, Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats in Rehoboth Beach was named Business of the Year by the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione accepted the award Feb. 4, a recognition of Dogfish Head’s rise from a small local brewpub to one of the largest breweries in the country.

Presenter Chris Weeks said Calagione told him the roots of Dogfish came from the idea that Calagione, a creative writing student and homebrewer, wanted to write the story of a company that didn’t exist. A native of Massachusetts, Calagione had worked for another Business of the Year winner, Terry Plowman, at Plowman’s old Front Page restaurant in Rehoboth.

In 1995, Calagione opened Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats on Rehoboth Avenue, and the brand has not looked back. The Business of the Year award winner is selected not only for longevity but for community impact and the chamber recognized the brewpub’s support of ventures such as the Rehoboth beach Jazz Festival, Lewes-Rehoboth Canal Improvement Association, Epworth Skate Project and the Village Improvement Association among many others.

In his acceptance speech, Calagione said, “I’m very proud to be part of this business community. Tonight’s a night I’ll never forget. No award means more to me than the recognition of this local community that gave us our start.”

For more information go to www.dogfish.com.