Mispillion wins big at Beer Drinker’s Choice awards

On Feb. 17, hundreds of eager drinkers came to Lewes to take in concoctions with names like Biggie Smalls, Smokey, Bandit, Tropic Lightning and Dirty Girl.

These beers and more were part of the third annual Beer Drinker’s Choice awards, held at Crooked Hammock brewery. The event brought together nearly 20 Delaware breweries each with two of their own unique beers in the hopes of taking home the championship belt for Best Beer as voted on by those in attendance.

The winner, for the second time in the three-year history of the event, was Mispillion River Brewing of Milford, for their War Llama sour. Second place was won by Blue Earl Brewing of Smyrna’s Clockwork Orange Pale Ale - this writer’s personal favorite.

Crooked Hammock Owner Rich Garrahan said the event was a sellout, with a $35 ticket buying a glass, scorecard and unlimited samples.

“We had this idea about creating an event that celebrated the brewers,” he said. “A way for us to celebrate Delaware breweries. Our thank you for being part of an awesome community.”

Prior to the event, the brewers all took part in a brewer’s brunch. Brewers were encouraged to dress up in costume, Garrahan said, because the event fell right around the time of the Academy Awards.

“How do we make sure it’s ridiculous, and never gets serious? That was the start of it,” he said.

The award for best costume was won by Marc Arcidiacono and Pete DiSabatino of Argilla Brewing Company of Newark as they paid homage to the 1987 Mel Brooks comedy “Spaceballs.” DiSabatino was the half-man, half-dog Barf, while Arcidiacono was the Darth Vader parody Dark Helmet from the movie’s “comb the desert” scene, where the villainous Spaceballs search for the heroes by literally combing the desert with oversized combs.

The event featured breweries both old and new, big and small. Volunteer Brewing Company of Middletown may have been the smallest brewery, operating in a 500-square-foot brewhouse. It’s small enough that owner Kevin Schatz brought a Lego model of the inside of the brewery. Volunteer started in 2017 and serves the Middletown-Odessa area. Schatz said he started as a homebrewer, which he had been doing for years until he decided to expand his horizons, take over a garage space and make it a brewery.

“It’s good to be part of the Delaware community of brewers. Everyone is willing to share and help out,” he said.

Mispillion Owner Eric Williams said, “We love coming out and seeing our fellow brewers in a fun kind of event, instead of sitting there pouring beers. We look forward to this event. It’s a strong industry here in Delaware. It’s kind of cool to be somewhat of a destination for good craft beer.”

Mispillion won the inaugural event with a sour called Vote For Pedro. Williams said the awards offer people a chance to discover breweries in Delaware they may not have known.

That was the case for Robert Haig and Krista Carlson of Fenwick Island, who happened upon the awards after getting tickets in a four-pack of Crooked Hammock’s Banana Hammock.

“We know about Fordham; we know about Dogfish, we know the big ones,” Haig said. “I’d never heard of Stitch House, of Argilla, of 38 75, so it’s cool because you get the ones you know, but to find these other ones is cool.”

Haig said his favorite was 3rd Wave’s Surf School New England IPA, while Carlson said she liked Argilla’s Key Lime IPA.

Like the brewers, Alvin and Cindy Atkinson of Smyrna got into the spirit of the event - Cindy was covered head-to-toe in stickers from the various brewers, while Alvin wore a steampunk-inspired hat.

Alvin said his favorite was Blue Earl’s Clockwork Orange, while Cindy singled out the event’s most controversial entry, Wilmington Brew Works’ Mango Habanero sour. For some, the spicy notes from the habanero were a bit hard to take, while others liked the double shot of mango flavor on the front and habanero spiciness on the back end.

“I loved it,” Cindy said. “I was a little scared, but I liked it a lot.”