New destinations demand new travel options
It was in 1995 that the first brewpub opened in the First State, when Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats opened in Rehoboth Beach.
It was quite the novelty back then, in Delaware and the Cape Region: craft beer, brewed in small batches, right on the premises.
Dogfish started with imagination and entrepreneurial spirit, and two decades later, the company now brews nearly 20 styles of beer, distributed in 25 states from its Milton brewery.
It’s a Cape Region success story, and it’s one that appears to have inspired an entrepreneurial explosion featuring craft beer.
Some new eateries brew their own, while others offer a changing variety of beer, on tap and in bottles.
From Dewey Beer Co. in Dewey with its own brew, to Forgotten Mile Ale House and Pickled Pig Pub, each with a wide variety of craft offerings.
Beachfire Brewing Co. is set to open a tasting room in West Rehoboth, with plans for a restaurant and craft brewery near Five Points; Fins is brewing on Route 1, with a major new location planned on Kings Highway in Lewes.
Add Crust and Craft and Crooked Hammock, and the Cape Region has emerged as a destination for enjoying new beers in comfortable, laid-back settings. And that doesn’t include beer destinations in Georgetown, Milford and Berlin, Md.
These businesses also spur a new need: a safe way to get from one great location to the next.
With the same entrepreneurial inventiveness, our region should develop new transportation options to provide entertaining, affordable ways for people to get to our great destinations – and safely back to hotels or homes. And why limit transportation to highways? The future is bright for safe travel by road, water and even trail.
Our region is vibrant and growing, with abundant beer and dining destinations. Let’s ensure those who enjoy local libations – and those who don’t – always have a way to arrive home safely.
