Craft beer is becoming synonymous with Delaware, but that isn’t stopping young brewers from getting in the game. Cody Hoffman prepared his first batch of beer with a home brew kit with his dad John at the age of 16. Who knew his hobby would lead him to his lifelong passion?
Cody and his family opened Dew Point Brewing Co. on Thursday, Aug. 19, in Yorklyn, two years after they signed a lease at the historic Garrett Snuff Mill. It is not a brewpub because there is currently no food, but the Hoffmans plan on bringing in food trucks. (You can easily have food delivered, says Nick Matarese, who handles the creative and marketing side.)
But there is beer. Right now there are five beers on tap, all brewed by Cody: Hopworts Express (an American IPA); Nit Wit (a traditional Belgian white beer); Dubbel Dip (a traditional Belgian dark ale); Yorklyn Yak (a French Saison) and 1901 Saison. I sampled all but the Dubbel Dip, with one of their $8 flights (a sampling of four). My personal favorite was the 1901 Saison—it’s light, crisp, perfectly mild and refreshing. Cody’s goal is to brew up to 10 beers at a time, but to have at least one or two beers that stick.
Pints are $5 apiece. The family plans to sell growlers in the future.
More information:
2878 Creek Road, Yorklyn (look for the smokestack once you cross the bridge on Yorklyn Road)
Current hours: Thursday, 4–9 p.m.; Friday, 3–11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
www.dewpointbrewing.com
What’s in a name?
Where did they get the name Dew Point, you ask? “One day brew master Cody Hoffman picks up a beer and it’s sweaty from the condensation and he says, ‘It’s the dew point,’” Matarese says. “It’s also a Delaware joke. If you say ‘Dew Point’ fast, it sounds like you’re saying ‘du Pont’.”
