Dogfish to debut beer and cheese tours
Tours of Dogfish Head’s Milton brewery draw beer lovers from all over the country, but now, Dogfish is set to unveil a new tour that will add a little cheese to proceedings.
Dogfish will start its beer and cheese tasting tours this summer, but select Dogfish fans were allowed to take part in a trial tour April 29.
Led by Dogfish ambassador Tara Bowden, the tour starts with a short walk through Dogfish’s Brewhouse 1 – the regular tour goes through the larger Brewhouse 2 – and through the barrel-aging area, which currently has barrel-aged 120 Minute IPA, to the research and development wing of the brewery. R&D has its own separate brewhouse, where small-batch beers can be tested before going into larger production. The R&D brewhouse now has a bar area with a cheese fridge underneath. Longtime Dogfish fans will recognize the bar, which has been crafted together out of the bar top at Dogfish’s original brewpub in Rehoboth Beach.
The cheese for the tasting comes from Cabot Creamery in Vermont, with meats – sopressata, pepperoni and salami – and crackers made available. The first pairing was Orne Meadows cheddar cheese with Slightly Mighty, Dogfish’s low-calorie IPA. The Orne Meadows cheese has a light, creamy taste to it, which paired with Slightly Mighty gives a very sessionable experience.
The most popular pairing for the assembled group was Lamberton cheddar cheese with Dogfish’s soon-to-be-released Mandarin and Mango Crush beer. The sharpness of the Lamberton cheese plays well off the fruitiness of the beer, which Bowden said would be released for wide distribution this summer. The beer was inspired by crush cocktails and is sort of a hybrid where it is not as sugary as a sour, but lighter than a pale ale or IPA.
The final pairing was Private Stock cheddar cheese with Blue Hen pilsner, which was the second most popular pairing with the group. The crispness of the pilsner plays off the tartness of the cheese.
A final, surprise cheese was an Everything Bagel cheddar cheese, which gave the flavor of the bagel with a light cheddar cheese.
Bowden, who helped create the tour, said the pairings are subject to change when the tour opens to the general public. The intention is to offer the tour for small groups of no more than seven or eight people.
Weekend of Compelling Ales and Spirits set for May 7
From 3 to 7 p.m., Saturday, May 7, Dogfish will host the return of the Weekend of Compelling Ales and Spirits after a two-year hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Formerly known as the Weekend of Compelling Ales and Whatnot, the event has now added a spirits component to what has traditionally been a showcase for some of the wilder beers in Dogfish’s catalog.
The event will have 13 beers on tap and three cocktail options plus food pairings, music and bottle releases. General admission tickets cost $65 and include a sample tasting glass, and beer and food samples. VIP access is $100 and includes early entry, distillery tastings and a discussion between Dogfish founder Sam Calagione and the team from Gastro Obscura, which collaborated on Fermentation Engastration, which will be released during the weekend.
Tickets and additional information can be found at dogfish.com/wocaas.
Ryan Mavity covers Milton and the court system. He is married to Rachel Swick Mavity and has two kids, Alex and Jane. Ryan started with the Cape Gazette all the way back in February 2007, previously covering the City of Rehoboth Beach. A native of Easton, Md. and graduate of Towson University, Ryan enjoys watching the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals and Baltimore Orioles in his spare time.
