Dogfish Head Book chronicles 25 Years of Off-Centered Adventures

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is celebrating their 25th anniversary with a new book release now available for pre-order - The Dogfish Head Book: 25 Years of Off-Centered Adventures. Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione went from producing just 12 gallons of beer at a time, to the recent merger with Boston Beer Co. and producing nearly 250K gallons of beer per week that is available in all 50 states.

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Debuting on Tuesday, September 1, this design-centric page-turner is a colorful and storyful account of the brewery’s 25-year history, written by Dogfish Head Founder and Brewer, Sam Calagione; Dogfish Head Co-founder and Communitarian, Mariah Calagione; and longtime co-worker and Dogfish Inn INNkeeper, Andrew C. Greeley. 

Since its start in 1995, Dogfish Head has grown exponentially. What began as a small, homespun brewery selling food and beer exclusively within the walls of its Rehoboth brewpub has blossomed into a coastal Delawarean mecca for beer lovers and adventure seekers alike, with Dogfish Head Craft BreweryDogfish Head Distilling Co.and the Tasting Room & Kitchen in Milton; an off-centered brewpub, Brewings & Eats, and geographically enamored seafood restaurant, Chesapeake & Maine, in Rehoboth; and a canal-side hotel, the Dogfish Inn, in Lewes. From The Dogfish Head Book: 25 Years of Off-Centered Adventures, readers will gain an understating of the “How & Why” behind the brewery’s growth and success through heartfelt stories of Sam, Mariah and Andrew’s trials and accomplishments. Chock full of wisdom, entertainment and a whole lot of timeless lessons learned – everything from memorabilia and co-worker-told tales to the brewery’s business philosophy and “Rules of Thumb,” The Dogfish Head Book: 25 Years of Off-Centered Adventures is a living guide to both work and play, done the Dogfish way.

Sam Calagione


“Writing The Dogfish Head Book: 25 Years of Off-Centered Adventures alongside Andrew and my wife, Mariah, was an amazing experience – and props to our Creative Director, Paul Thens, and the rest of the design team for making the book’s photos look as tasty as our beers,” said Sam. “We shared so many wonderful memories about our journey together to create and develop Dogfish Head into what it is today, and I could not be more thankful for their help bringing this new book, and the brand as a whole, to life. When we first opened Brewings & Eats and were hand-bottling all our beers, I never imagined that Dogfish Head’s off-centered ales would one day be distributed to all 50 states, let alone that our name would be known by craft beer and spirits aficionados world-wide. It is astonishing and truly humbling.”

Dogfish Head Brewery exterior

From day one, Dogfish Head has been committed to brewing the majority of its recipes outside the Reinheitsgebot using all-natural, culinary ingredients sourced both locally and from around the world. Pioneers in the craft beverage industry, Dogfish Head built its trailblazing reputation upon its exciting, out-of-the-box concoctions. Just to name a few, there was Raison D’Etre, a Belgian-style brown ale brewed with beet sugar and raisins; Aprihop, one of the first fruit IPAs brewed with apricot juice; Chocolate Lobster, a porter brewed with chocolate and real lobster; and Festina Lente, a groundbreaking fruited sour first brewed in 2002. While not all his creations made it to distribution, Sam’s determination to differentiate Dogfish Head from the rest of the world’s breweries quickly brought awareness to the brand and its off-centered mission. His work not only led him to receive the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine, Spirits or Beer Professional in 2017, but it drove Dogfish Head to produce a portfolio of unique, top-notch products, including today’s best sellers:

  • SeaQuench Ale – The number-one selling sour beer in the world,* SeaQuench Ale is a session sour thirst-slayer brewed with black limes, sour lime juice and sea salt.
  • Slightly Mighty – The number-one selling low-calorie IPA,* Slightly Mighty is a full-flavored, lo-cal IPA with only 95 calories, 3.6g carbs, 1g protein and 0g sugar per 12oz serving.
  • 90 Minute Imperial IPA – The first continually hopped beer and one of the world’s first Imperial IPAs, 90 Minute Imperial IPA is a historic brew with a pungently hoppy, but not crushingly bitter hop profile. Its original brewing mechanism – Dogfish Head’s first continual hopping machine – now resides in the archive of homebrewing and craft beer history at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
  • 60 Minute IPA – Dogfish Head’s best-selling beer, 60 Minute IPA is a continually hopped east coast IPA brewed with northwest hops, and in celebration of the brewery’s 25th anniversary, it is now sporting a new, more off-centered look.

SeaQuench AleSlightly Mighty90 Minute Imperial IPA60 Minute IPA … all are great beers for those looking to raise a glass to Dogfish Head’s last 25 years. But for folks local to coastal Delaware, Dogfish Head has something even more special in mind – Shelter Pale Ale. That’s right, folks! In honor of its 25th anniversary, Dogfish Head returned to where it got its start – its Rehoboth brewpub – and brewed a limited-edition batch of Shelter Pale Ale. First brewed in 1995, Shelter Pale Ale is Dogfish Head’s original pale ale brewed with northwest hops and a solid malt backbone for an approachable, versatile and quaffable drinking experience. Fresh off the brewpub’s new, state-of-the-art canning line, Shelter Pale Ale is NOW available at the Off-Centered EmPOURium storefront for just $17 per 4pk/16oz cans.

“I’m very proud that we as a community of co-workers have achieved this 25th anniversary milestone, and I’m especially happy because I get to spend this exceptional day doing what I love most – hanging out with our brewers, trying experimental beers and spirits together, and saying hello and thanks to customers who have ventured to our brewpub here in Rehoboth.” said Sam. “Without all our passionate and talented co-workers, both past and present, and our customers who have championed our cause alongside us, Dogfish Head would be nothing more than a dream. Yes, we could still brew ‘Off-Centered Ales’ in a little corner of a beachside restaurant, but without having ‘Off-Centered People’ to enjoy them with, there would really be no point. So, grab a beer … cheers to 25 years past and many more to come!”

For more information about The Dogfish Head Book: 25 Years of Off-Centered Adventures, or Dogfish Head’s 25th anniversary celebrations, please visit www.dogfish.com.

*Source: IRI Total US MULC, Latest 13 Weeks Ending 05-17-20

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