Dogfish Head has been distilling spirits nearly as long as its been brewing its iconic beer, but is now looking to ramp up production with a new in-house facility in Milton.
The company is launching three new spirits in November that they’re looking to sell outside of the First State for the first time. Delaware Public Media's James Dawson visited Dogfish Head this week to learn more about their plans.
Restaurateurs and liquor store owners from across the state flocked to Milton Monday to enjoy a night of free drinks, food and tours of Delaware’s most iconic brewery.
But there’s a new leg of the tour at Dogfish Head that stands out from the rest of the stainless steel vats dotting the facility that reach dozens of feet high into the rafters.
"What you're looking at here is a 500-gallon pot still, the pot being the kettle part and it's a big, copper, bulbous, round, almost onion shape," said Graham Hamblett, the company's lead Distiller and part of the brain trust behind their new line of spirits.
"It goes up into the helmet section of the still where it's a round, almost flying saucer-like [shape] with a window on the front of it."
In their typical off-centered fashion, Dogfish Head is launching two gins and a vodka later in November, but they’re anything but neutral or generic.
One gin is distilled with citrus notes and the other is continually hopped like their flagship beer – the 60-Minute IPA.
As for the vodka, Hamblett uses the same yeast included in that beer, as well as with barley – a grain not typically associated with the spirit. He says that gives it a unique characteristic.
“A lot of kind of fruity esters come over, some vanillas, some sweetness, almost like a toasted marshmallow kind of undertone – caramely kind of flavors – and it’s got a real rich mouth feel that kind of helps make it stand out a little bit more,” Hamblett said.
Dogfish Head began brewing out of their Rehoboth Beach pub in 1995 and turned to spirits seven years later in small batches that were only distributed locally.
Founder and President Sam Calagione says the move was a way to expand their talents and refresh a new market.
“We saw another opportunity to put our unique, creative thumbprint on certain spirits categories: vodkas, gin, rum, using our sort of culinary cornucopia – spices and herbs and sugars that we use at our restaurant,” Calagione said.
The new commercial equipment and expanded space at their Milton headquarters will allow Dogfish Head to pump out exponentially more product in the midst of a craft distilling boom in the U.S.
A Fortune Magazine report says there are nearly 800 micro distilleries across the country, up from about 50 ten years ago.
“If you can draw a line graph it was kind of level since prohibition, actually, and then in the past five or six years it’s just shot straight up and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to slow down,” Hamblett noted.
Gin and vodkas have lead the way, as they can quickly move from the still to liquor store shelves without needing to age like whiskey does.
Hamblett says he thinks the growth stems from people wanting to support businesses in their backyard.
“There’s a general trend to go back to buying local and I think this kind of micro distilling boom is really supporting that and people have been a lot more receptive to trying new products made down the street from their house as opposed to buying stuff from Scotland or Mexico.”
The uptick can be seen elsewhere in the First State, as Painted Stave Distilling in Smyrna and Delaware Distilling Company in Rehoboth have also been stocked at liquor stores recently.
The buy local mentality has also rubbed off on restaurants eager to offer those items on their menus.
“[They’re] great for making cocktails. We’re ready to do our cocktail menu over. It’s just perfect," said Mark Minchak, general manager of The Reef northeast of Wilmington. "Dogfish Head is great with that. We can be able to incorporate the local flair.”
Minchak says it also won’t just be for drinking, as they’re looking at using the beers and spirits in their cooking as well.
The surge in consumer enthusiasm could also help drive sales, with suggested retail pricing for these three spirits ranging between $32.99 and $38.99.
On par with mid to upper shelf liquors, Calagione says the pricing is proportionate to their beer line, calling it an “affordable luxury.”
Those who might be a little nervous investing in a whole bottle may have some luck as production ramps up.
“We’ve already discussed 375ml bottle – so half the size of a standard [750ml bottle]. It’s something that we would consider for specialties some day in the future,” he said.
Fans of the original Dogfish Head spirits may also find them or a different iteration of them in the distinct new bottles in the coming year.
Delawareans will get their first look at these new spirits before Thanksgiving, with distribution for the wider Mid-Atlantic region expected in 2016.
