Dogfish to host Weekend of Compelling Ales & Spirits March 20-22
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s annual, weekend-long celebration of off-centered eats, luscious libations and awesome live music is back, and this year’s lineup of fun-filled events is more compelling than ever.
Sporting a brand-new, more “spirited” name, the brewery’s Weekend of Compelling Ales & Spirits is slated for Friday to Sunday, March 20 to 22, with happenings at each of Dogfish Head’s coastal Delaware properties – the Dogfish Head Tasting Room & Kitchen in Milton, Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats and Dogfish Head’s Chesapeake & Maine in Rehoboth Beach, and the Dogfish Inn in Lewes.
The brewery-based party starts at 4 p.m., Friday with the release of Shadow & Substance, the newest beer from Dogfish Head’s Wooden...it be nice! wild beer program. It was brewed as a dark sour ale base, fermented with Brettanomyces Drei and Brettanomyces Brux, and aged for 18 months in used red wine barrels. After being finished with cherries, figs and cascara, Shadow & Substance was bottle conditioned for a bright and effervescent carbonation. Priced at $10 per 375ml bottle, this uniquely crafted beer is bursting with tart flavors of cherries, dark fruits and cocoa.
At the bar area, DJ 45 will spin a collection of classic vinyl tunes for listeners to enjoy with a pint or keg-conditioned cocktail from Dogfish Head Tasting Room & Kitchen’s off-centered offerings.
The main event, the Weekend of Compelling Ales & Spirits festival, runs from 3 to 7 p.m., Saturday, March 21. It will feature 3oz samples of 16 limited-edition beers, cocktails and spirits, each paired with a delicious bite prepared by the culinary teams from Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, Dogfish Head’s Chesapeake & Maine and Dogfish Head Tasting Room & Kitchen.
Festival-goers will each receive a complimentary tap handle. They can also tour Dogfish Head’s production facility and Steampunk Treehouse. Attendees should sign up on arrival to ensure a tour spot.
For more information including which beers, cocktails and spirits are paired with what food, and to purchase tickets, go to www.dogfish.com/wocaas/buy-tickets.
Dogfish Head and Jolly Trolley are teaming up to offer guests transportation to and from Saturday’s Weekend of Compelling Ales & Spirits festival. The Jolly Trolley shuttle will run from Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in Rehoboth to Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton and back. Tickets are $10 per person each way and must be reserved online prior to the event. Tickets are available at www.jollytrolley.com/pay-per-seat.html until 1:15 p.m., Friday, March 20. The event is for ages 21 and older and dogs are not permitted. Close-toed shoes are required for those touring Dogfish Head’s production facility.
On Sunday, the Dogfish Head Tasting Room & Kitchen will host an All-Day Can Happy Hour featuring $1 off canned beers from open to close.
All weekend, Dogfish Head’s Rehoboth brewpub will host a plethora of original music on its world-class stage. At 10 p.m., Friday, indie-rock band Braxton Hicks from Dover will play upbeat, buzzy, guitar-driven songs with strong pop hooks and a solid new wave influence. No cover.
Saturday’s featured performers make up the Cliff Hillis Duo. Starting at 10 p.m., they’ll offer catchy music that evokes the sunny pop aesthetic of the ‘60s and ‘70s. No cover.
Chesapeake & Maine will host an all-night happy hour Friday featuring half-priced draft beers, half-priced keg-conditioned cocktails, buck-a-shuck oysters and a selection of food specials. Bruce Anthony will play smooth and lively jazz from 5 to 7 p.m.
Guests can enjoy the sounds of the George & Pat Bilenki Duo from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, offering tight vocal harmonies and soulful renditions of covers, along with a couple of originals sprinkled in.
Chesapeake & Maine’s Lobster Party Sunday special features 1.25-lb whole Maine lobsters for just $12 each. This dine-in only offer is available from 12 to 9 p.m., Sunday, while supplies last. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling 302-644-3000.
