Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton Tops the List for Breweries in the U.S. You Must Visit Before You Die

Dogfish Head Brewery tops Buzzfeed‘s ’29 Breweries In The U.S. You Must Visit Before You Die’ list. Rounding out the top 5 for the Northeast:

1. Dogfish Head Brewery – Milton, DE
2. Allegash Brewing Company – Portland, ME
3. Brewery Ommegang – Cooperstown, NY
4. Stillwater Artisanal Ales – Baltimore, MD
5. Magic Hat Brewing Company – Burlington, VT

According to Slate.com, Americans now buy more craft beer than Budweiser. What is a craft beer you ask? A craft beer is made in a traditional or non-mechanized way in a small brewery. Craftbeer.com describes craft beer as “happiness in a glass” and that each glass displays the creativity and passion of its maker.

Dogfish Head Brewery

Dogfish Head began in June 1995 when they opened Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Sam Calagione is the founder of Dogfish Head. The first batch of beer they brewed was called Shelter Pale Ale. Dogfish Head started out by brewing 12-gallon batches of beer for the whole restaurant, which proved to be a task in itself.

Since Dogfish Head was the smallest commercial brewery in America, one plus was that they could try out many different recipes. Calls from all over came pouring in because everyone wanted Dogfish Head in their own homes. So, Dogfish Head began bottling their Shelter Pale Ale in 1996. The reputation for Dogfish Head beer was growing and so was their brewery. They separated the packaging operation from the restaurant in 1997.

In 2002, Dogfish Head moved their entire brewery to Milton, Del. into a 100,000 sq/ft building. Dogfish Head continues to grow with almost 20 styles of beer that is sold in more then 25 states.

Dogfish Head BrewPub, Bunyan’s Lunchbox, & Alehouses Beer-Centric Food

It’s not just about the off-centered ales at Dogfish Head Brewery, they also have great eats!

The BrewPub in Rehoboth Beach is where Dogfish Head Brewery was started. Now, the Brewpub has a wide selection of ales, spirits, and a full menu. The BrewPub is open at noon, 7 days a week, year-round. They also have live entertainment.

Bunyan’s Lunchbox is a food truck that is adjacent to the tasting room at the Milton brewery. The truck is open from 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. You can get a beer-infused brat or a bowl of chowder and then walk to the tasting room for a pint or a growler.

Dogfish Head has three alehouses – Gaithersburg, Md., Fairfax, Va., and Falls Church, Va. The menus are the alehouses are filled with specialty Dogfish burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and something for the kids too, and of course Dogfish Head ales. The alehouses also have many events planned throughout the year.

Dogfish Inn

The Dogfish Inn is located in Lewes, Del. The inn has 16 modern style rooms with beer-centric amenities. The rooms also include balcony views, a minibar, Tivoli radios, screen prints of beer labels, and Dogfish Head hand soap. The inn also allows dogs so you can bring Fido with you.

There are plenty of things to do outside near the inn such as kayaking, walking the trails at Cape Henlopen State Park, biking, paddle boarding, and boating. At night, you can gather around the fire on the patio with your friends and family. Make your reservations today!

Check out Dogfish Head on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Some Local Breweries on Delmarva:

• Dogfish Head – Milton, DE
• 3rd Wave – Delmar, DE
• Burley Oak – Berlin, MD
• Evolution Craft Brewing – Salisbury, MD
• OC Brewing Company – Ocean City, MD
• Fin City – Ocean City, MD
• Eastern Shore Brewing – St. Michael’s, MD
• Fordham & Dominion Brewing – Dover, DE
• Chesapeake Brewing – Crisfield, VA
• RAR Brewing – Cambridge, MD
• Tall Tales – Parsonsburg, MD
• 16 Mile – Georgetown, DE
• Backshore Brewing – Ocean City, MD