Dogfish Head Brewery - Delaware

General Info

Address: 6 Cannery Village Center, 6 Village Center Blvd, Milton, DE 19968

Phone: (888)-8dogfish

Hours: Mon-Thurs, Sun 11am-8pm, Fri-Sat 11am-9pm

Website: https://www.dogfish.com/brewery

A couple hours away from Baltimore, Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware is a great day trip for the beer lovers out there. Founded by Sam Calagione in 1995. Starting from a kitchen in New York to now a brewery in Milton, Delaware, Dogfish Head is one of the bigger microbreweries in the United States, producing over 200,000 barrels annually. Named after his parent’s favorite spot in Southport, Maine (Dogfish Head Point), the brand is most known for their 60 Minute IPA (named for how long the hops are added into the beer during the process.

When you first walk up to the brewery, you immediately notice the metal treehouse and the large holding tanks for the beers. The treehouse was actually an installation for Burning Man that was then moved to the brewery. Inside, there is a the main bar to the left as well as a small souvenir shop to the right. We got there about ten minutes before the tour to take a quick look around. If you decide to go on the tour, make sure to bring closed-toes shoes, although they do have some clogs available to use in case you forget.

Souvenir glass included in tour

For $20, the Off-Centered tour is probably one of the best bang for the buck tour I’ve taken at a brewery. Not only do you get a well-informed tour, but you also get a flight of beers to try either before or after the tour, a beer in the barrel room, another beer w/ a souvenir glass in the product development room, a taste of their new mixed drink line, and a last beer up in the tree house.

The Brewhouse

You start off in their barrel room to learn the process on how beer is produced. This is also where the guide gives the history of the brewery. The room is capable of brewing 200 barrels in the brewhouse and holds a lot of memorabilia. You then head down to the Yeast Room and past the holding barrels and then the research and development area. The R&D brewhouse only does 10 barrels and those experimental brews can be tried at the bar (written in blue on the board).

Inside the Treehouse

After walking through the warehouse, you get a brief lesson on their distillery, which is a separate tour, before you end up at the treehouse. The paid tour is the only way you can go up into the treehouse, which if it’s a hot day is very hot up there. Only 6 people are allowed up there at a time so you may have to wait to go in. This is also the last beer you get on the tour.

If you get hungry after the hour long tour, you can grab a bite to eat here as well. I didn’t try the food, but it looked like any normal type of bar food. The bar is extremely crowded around lunch time, so you may have to sit outside, which on a nice day is beautiful. Overall, the brewery is a nice stop whether you are in Rehoboth Beach and want something different or want to make a little day trip out of it.