Readers, rejoice! The official start of beer season is here. American Craft Beer Week kicked off on Monday, May 13th, and runs through Sunday, May 19th. Beer drinkers far and wide will be raising their glasses to independent craft beer and to the brewers and breweries who are making the beverage we all know and love.
While this sudsy celebration is going on across the country, I’m diving into what is happening locally. Which makes sense, because if you’re reading this, you’re likely sitting (or standing, if that’s your vibe) in Delaware wondering what the coming days will bring and looking for fun things to do. But I digress. Where was I? Ah yes, Beer Week by the beach…
If this is your first rodeo, I’ve got you covered. Bars, breweries, and restaurants all over will be featuring happy hours, specials, and promotions this week. Here are a few you won’t want to miss. If you’re looking to pair your brew with a beautiful view, head over to Grain On The Rocks, where all craft beers will be $5 from 3-5 pm this week. Want a bite to go with that beer? Lewes Oyster House will be offering $2 off select local drafts from 3-5 pm. If you’re in the mood for a dive bar, find your way to Dewey’s finest. Gary’s will be taking $1 off all draft beers from 4-6 pm, including beers brewed right in-house by 38º-75º Brewing.
If you’re still thirsty after all of that, the pièce de resistance for the week comes with some hardware. Okay, you got me, it’s glassware, but I would argue that is more practical in these trying times, all things considered. Starting on Thursday, May 16th, multiple breweries in the area will be doing a Keep The Pint program where customers receive a super limited, super fresh, first state-inspired pint glass (pictured on right) with their purchase.
Once you finish perusing the rest of the stories within this issue, slide on those sunnies, pop on your flops, and swing by one of the following breweries to snag your glass: Big Oyster Brewery, Crooked Hammock Brewery, Dewey Beer Co (both Dewey and Harbeson locations participating), Dogfish Head (Milton Brewery only), or Iron Hill Brewery. As previously mentioned, there are only a handful of these vessels available so I wouldn’t dilly dally, dawdle, or delay… they’ll be gone before you know it. FOMO is not how you want to go into the weekend.
Zeke has been working in and around beer for the last decade. As a Certified Cicerone® (think Sommelier but for beer), he has covered all things craft from coast to coast, from sunny San Diego to the laid back Lower Slower. Zeke is the owner of Otter Craft Consulting, where he specializes in supporting craft breweries in their branding and marketing efforts.
