As Dogfish Head swims into our fourth decade as a nautical-themed brand, I couldn't be more excited for the work we have in front of us. This includes new collaborations with the Grateful Dead, Hop Butcher For The World, Creem Magazine and more, so stay tuned to Dogfish Head’s social channels to learn about these exciting new creative partnerships moving forward.
Something I was thinking about on the 60-minute paddle board I took this morning to earn my 60 Minute IPA calories at dinner this evening is that I believe it's not coincidental that the earth is mostly water, the human body is mostly water, and beer is mostly water, too. As the Japanese poet, Ryūnosuke Satoro wrote, “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” I'm proud to share that I was recently inducted into the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame. Once I got the news and saw the list, I immediately sent out congratulations to all my friends and peers who were also fortunate enough to make this list, just as I did to the winners last year, when the inaugural class was announced.
The craft brewing community has always been altruistic and mutually supportive, as the nautical-centric saying goes: a rising tide raises all ships. So, as I paddled this morning, I thought about last year's and this year's winners, which have been the most influential on my journey as a craft brewer and who I have been so lucky to do collaborative projects with. For those who may not know of all these collaborations with these hall of famers, I thought I'd briefly touch on each of them with fond recollections of the projects we brought to life together alongside my intrepid co-workers at Dogfish Head.
Michael Jackson, Famed Beer Writer –
In 2004, I took an epic journey to the Czech Republic with famed beer writer Michael Jackson to brew a dry-hopped Imperial Pilsner named Golden Revolution at the historic Herold Brewery just outside the city of Pilsen. Michael taught me as much about Britain Rugby and American Boxing during that trip as he did about the long proud history of lager brewing in this country.
Ken Grossman, Sierra Nevada –
I'm proud to say that Dogfish Head was the first brewery ever to do a collaboration with Sierra Nevada Brewery in 2009. It was called Life and Limb. We brewed a big, strong, beautiful dark ale designed to hit its peak when each of Ken’s and my youngest children hit 21 years old, that would be my daughter Grier, and we've gotten to enjoy this beer together with two generations of Grossmans and Calagiones on multiple occasions.
Charlie Papazian, Founder of the American Homebrew Association, the Brewers Association and the Grateful American Beer Festival –
Charlie came to Dogfish in 2012 and we brewed Goat Scrotum Ale together … as delicious of a beer as it sounds. 😊
Jim Koch, Samuel Adams and The Boston Beer Company –
Jim is certainly Dogfish Head’s most existential collaborative partner ever, since we merged with The Boston Beer Company, maker of Samuel Adams, in 2019. But I'm also proud to say that Dogfish was the first American craft brewery Sam Adams ever did a collaboration with for a beer called Savor Flowers. It was during our Savor Flowers collaboration, when I went to Boston to make the beer with Jim and the brewers, that I gained meaningful insights into the way Jim and his co-workers brought beers to life, how they took brewing so seriously but didn't take themselves too seriously, and how they built a culture of people first, products second – all moments that influenced the decision Mariah and I made to merge Dogfish with The Boston Beer Company.
From this year's class of my peers …
Carol Stoudt, Stoudts Brewing Company –
I've got fond memories of the first time I got to collaborate with Carol Stoudt on a beer we brewed with Sierra Nevada called Pat-Rye-Oat. Carol deserves a lot of credit for introducing high-end beers in wine bottles designed to be awesome partners for food, and selling them herself door-to-door in the finest fine dining restaurants in Philadelphia, as an early inflection point for craft beer to be taken seriously within white tablecloth restaurants up and down the East Coast.
Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewer –
And lastly, my great friend Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, with whom I was lucky enough to have dinner last night in NYC, where we shared many laughs and memories over many beers. Mariah and I have been really proud to work with Garrett and collaborate on multiple events and projects with him and the Michael Jackson Foundation, which he chairs, and also with the National Black Brewers Association, which Dogfish was lucky enough to host their first board meeting at our production brewery in 2024.
One of Dogfish Head’s most sacred beliefs at our brewery is this: We collaborate and innovate as coworkers because the status quo sucks. We are one team. We embrace teamwork and use the power of working together creatively to fight the status quo. We constantly seek ways to improve our skills and how we do our jobs, and we know by pushing each other there are no limits to what we can accomplish as a collective.
I am so proud of the community of craft brewers here in America, which has welcomed Dogfish Head into its ranks with open arms and frosty pints. We have created something beautiful together and we are continuing to collaborate and write the next chapter of the American Brewing Dream together. Thanks to everyone who supports their local brewers one pint or one six pack at a time!
- Sam