You know summertime is right around the corner when American Craft Beer Week rolls into town. Last week, the Brewers Association held its annual celebration of independent craft brewing right here in the U S of A. Locally in the 302, breweries got the party started with the return of the Keep The Pint program.
If this is your first time, let’s break it down. As the name implies, customers buy a beer served in a beautifully decorated glass. After polishing off their pint, customers get to take it with them and add it to their collection.
This event kicked off May 14 and was coordinated by the Delaware Brewers Guild, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advocates in government and community affairs on behalf of Delaware craft breweries.
This year marks the third year of Keep The Pint, and it’s starting to gain quite a following.
“This event has become a popular annual tradition here in Delaware,” said Jon Schorah, president of the Delaware Brewers Guild and head brewer at Dewey Beer Company. “The last two releases were incredibly well received. With this year’s design leaning into the upcoming semiquincentennial, we think fans are going to love it just as much.”
The Delaware Brewers Guild worked with local artist Lauren Lee (@studio_leefromde on Instagram if you want to check out her work) on the design. With America’s birthday knockin’ on the door, she wanted to lean into some love for the red, white and blue.
“Creating this piece brought back that feeling of being a kid making art, with hopes of bringing a little joy to our community. With 2026 marking the USA’s 250th birthday, this glass is meant to celebrate unity and the moments that bring people together,” Lee said. “Nothing is more American than beer, and nothing brings people together better than beer. A little unity goes a long way, and we could all use a little more of that in our lives.” I’ll cheers to that.
Participating breweries included Apothecary Brewing, Autumn Arch Beer Project, Bellefonte Brewing, Bethany Brewing, Big Oyster Brewing, Crooked Hammock, Dewey Beer Co., Dogfish Head, JAKL Beer Works, Lewes Brewing, Twisted Irons Craft Brewing, Volunteer Brewing and Wilmington Brew Works.
Word on the street is some breweries have already sold out, but treat this like a little Easter egg hunt. Worst-case scenario, you show up and the brewery is sold out. But … you’re still at a brewery, so we can chalk that up as a win.
