Daydream Playbook Entry #13

My journey to Dogfish Head did not begin in Milton. It began in 2006 while tailgating outside a Jimmy Buffett concert in Pittsburgh. A friend who was from Delaware handed me a beer, 90 Minute IPA, and said, “You’ve gotta try this.” One sip later, I had no idea that moment would eventually lead me to an entirely new life. I only knew I had discovered one of the most delicious beers I had ever tasted. I was hooked.

At that point in my life, I was working for a hotel company in West Virginia in Food and Beverage and preparing to move back to Florida to start working again for The Walt Disney Company. Hospitality had already become a big part of who I was, and the combination of hotel operations and the excitement of returning to Disney gave me a strong sense of direction. Living in Florida also meant I had access to some really great craft beer bars in my area, and I kept exploring new brews whenever I went out.

As I settled back into life in Florida, I eventually started homebrewing and joined a local club called The Boil Over Boys of Sebastian. That community played a big role in deepening my love for craft beer. We got together often, shared our experiments, learned from each other, and pushed ourselves to create new and interesting brews. Those sessions were fun, creative, and inspiring and they sparked something in me that I could not ignore.

Around 2013, the idea of working in the beer industry started to pull at me. It felt unpredictable. It felt like a big leap. But it also felt right. A friend of mine had just started working at Dogfish Head, and suddenly the idea did not seem so impossible. Around that time, I kept coming back to one of my favorite Mark Twain quotes:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Sam often talks about his connection to Emerson. Twain has always been that same kind of voice for me, reminding me that the safe route is not always the right route. And Buffett’s lyrics from “Take Another Road” pushed me too, always nudging me toward choosing adventure over routine.

So, I listened.

Leaving Disney and Florida was a leap of faith. But in 2015 I found myself in Milton, walking in for my Dogfish Head interview. The interview was going great. I had already met so many fantastic coworkers, and I knew right away that this was a place filled with genuine people and real passion. Then I was invited to join the all company team meeting. That is where I met Sam, who handed me a sample of the newest release, American Beauty, the Grateful Dead Imperial Pale Ale collaboration brewed with granola and organic almond honey. I remember standing there thinking, “This is it. This is where I am supposed to be.”

Looking back, I truly feel like my path with Dogfish Head began with the Grateful Dead that day. It is something that still excites me. More than ten years later I am able to talk with fans about our continued beer partnership and how these music inspired releases keep evolving. It feels like a full circle moment every single time.

Dogfish Head has meant many things to me over the years. It has been a dream, a direction, a community, and a chance to build a life shaped by creativity, hospitality, and off centered experiences. More than anything, it represents the moment I chose possibility over comfort. The moment I decided to throw off the bowlines.

I am still exploring, still dreaming, learning, developing, and still discovering. And I am grateful every day that the trade winds carried me here.