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Owner Sam Calagione celebrates the brewery’s milestone with a book of adventures from the last 25 years.
While Dogfish Head Brewery’s silver jubilee came and went this June, they’re still finding a way to keep the celebration going.
This November, the company will release The Dogfish Head Book: 25 years of off-centered adventures!
What started as the small craft brewing hot spot in southern Delaware in 1995, has now grown into the nationally recognized brewing company. Its founder and owner, Sam Calagione, decided that the best way to celebrate the occasion was to share the brewery’s adventures from the last 25 years with its “off-centered” consumers.
The book was originally set to debut in September, but ran into complications related to the coronavirus pandemic. The new release date is aimed at mid-November. Calagione describes the book as a colorful depiction of working at the brewery over time, a history of the business’ forthcoming and the unique experiences that came along with it. He emphasizes it’s meant to be read with a beer in hand, much like how a beer accommodates a meal.
“The voices in it are reflective of those who have contributed to the business over the years,” he explains. It also includes “a chorus perspective driven by so many contributors.”
With over 500 employees, Delaware’s not-so-small brewer has grown to add a tasting room with tours of their facility in Milton, two restaurants located in Rehoboth Beach, an Inn along the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal and a soon-to -e new location in Miami, Florida.
Calagione remembers his original goal in mind from 1995, “we know we’re going to start small – but we do aspire to sell our beer from coast to coast one day,” and 25 years later, that is exactly what they are doing.
Calagione took inspiration from music group the Beastie Boys to celebrate a birthday milestone with the publication of a book, as they did in 2018 when they published their own.
Fans of the brewery can expect a national release of a new brew to also commemorate 25 years (locally, it sold out almost immediately). The new brew called Hazey-O will be sold coast to coast as of February 1, , 2021. Hazey-O incorporates oat milk with 7 percent alcohol content, a smooth silky finish and no following heartburn bite.
Besides this, Calagione plans to continue giving back to the community that has given him the support to make it as an entrepreneur for 25 years.
Dogfish Head has upheld its First State legacy by contributing to the community through a donation of time and hard work with the Sussex county Habitat for Humanity as well as support local record stores by sponsoring Record Store Day Nov. 27th in recent years.
Looking forward to the next 25 years, Calagione says “we will continue on our authentic journey – still making beers with culinary ingredients – helping nonprofits by giving back to the community and giving us our sustainment.”