Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, Part 1: The Brewings

It was a good weekend for myself and food. My husband and I had some semi-unexpected company, and one of our favorite things to do with guests is share the food of Delaware with them. We dearly love Dogfish Head in any iteration, so we brought them to Brewings and Eats down at Rehoboth Beach. Before we ate, we took them to the boardwalk, enjoyed an unusually cool summer day, and fought our way through the crowd.

Most of the beach restaurants, including Brewings and Eats, had a wait due to the high tourist population of the July Fourth weekend. I ran ahead of the group (which included a three year old, much entranced by the idea of sandcastles) to get a spot. We waited a little more than a half hour in total, fifteen minutes of which I waited alone. We made it work for us in order to visit a favorite with close friends. Brewings and Eats does not take reservations over the phone, so keep this in mind if you decide to visit during the tourist season.

The facility itself is spacious to accommodate the high traffic that comes during season. Second floor seating helps relieve some of the wait, but we were lucky enough to sit in some of their window boxes. Our three year old guest loved the circular enclosure we sat in, and he may or may not have used the crayons on the windows. We didn’t leave it for them to clean up, we swear!

To accurately describe to you my experience at Brewings and Eats, my review will be broken into two parts: The brewings and the eats. Today, we’ll have the brewings, what Dogfish Head is known for throughout much of the country.

The Brewings















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For the first time in my beer drinking journey, I ordered a proper beer flight. The brewpub has several beers only available in the building, and the flight is the most efficient way for a self-described connoisseur to try the new and the exclusive. I rarely get out to Rehoboth proper, so I needed to capitalize on the opportunity.

In order of preference:

1. Faithful Companion

The first and favored beer in my flight, Faithful COmpanion, was aptly named. This classic American Ale was first released June 13, 2018, and it is exclusive to Brewings and Eats. It has the taste I prefer in a beer, running a little bitter with caramel flavor in the back. On the upside, it's only 3.5 alcohol by volume (ABV). I knew right away this would come to the front of my rankings. It’s highly drinkable, not too busy, and a faithful companion for the summer.

2. Festina Peche

Festina Peche came in as my second place beer among the flight. Originally released in 2007, it reappeared for the summer season, May to August. It is classified as a Berliner Weisse, a type of beer that I often gravitate to at any brewery. It has a slightly higher ABV of 4.5 compared to Faithful Companion. Given that I had such a small amount, I didn’t notice the ABV difference. It was slightly acidic and fruity comparatively. These are the kinds of beers that got me comfortable with this type of alcohol overall.. It’s a good beginners choice for a first timer to Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats.

3. Midas Touch

This one wasn’t new to me. I had it during my last visit, and back then I thought it perfect. It’s described as ‘an Ancient Ale’, and it clocks in at a heavy 9.0 ABV, twice that of the Festina Peche. They say it’s somewhere between a wine and beer, which I can confirm. It runs a little sweeter than the other beers in the flight. After just six months of growing more and more used to beer, it runs a little sweet for me. I wouldn’t say no to a bottle, but its not my first choice.

4. Fruit-Full Port

I went way out of my box testing this bad boy. Dark beer usually isn’t for me, and I have to tell you, I would have been better served trying something else. It’s a Belgian style beer with a strong 50 IBU, way too much for me. I couldn’t appreciate the berry flavor behind whatever it is that the IBU brought to the table. It’s a new release, part of the reason I grabbed it, and if you like a dark, strong beer, it might be worth checking out.

Coming later this week: The Eats.

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