My First Delaware Beer

     When I got married in September of 1995, my choice of beverage was beer however my preference depended on the cost of the case. This usually meant I was drinking an inexpensive light beer. Beer was typically the generic term for a light pilsner. At that time, I was not familiar with the different styles of ales and lagers such as Stouts, IPAs and Bocks.

     So it was no wonder I was drinking the same light beer exactly a year later when my wife and I took a road trip to Michigan the week of our first anniversary. This was our first road trip and we stayed at our friend's parent's home in a small town called Grand Marais. There were only three places to dine and one was a  small brew pub. I wasn't sure what to expect from my first brew pub but I was game. I do not recall the entire beer menu but I do remember ordering my first ale. I believe it was their pale ale. As I was brought this new beer up to my lips I caught what I perceived as an herbal, tea leaf like aroma. Wow! I didn't expect that. So I took my first sip and what was that bitter sensation? Hops? Bitterness is sometimes perceived as a negative trait but this wasn't negative at all. This was an explosion of taste and mouth feel. Before I finished my first pint,  I was anticipating the next one. Needless to say, we went back several times before we came home. 

     I couldn't have had better timing. Popping up in Delaware in the early and mid 90s was Dogfish Head, Iron Hill Brewery, Stewarts Brewing Company and Brandywine Brewery. 

One of my first hand crafted six packs was the Chicory Stout from Dogfish Head. This was one of their first beers brewed when founder and President  Sam Calagione  got bored with using only four ingredients. This stout has Organic Mexican Coffee and Roasted Chicory. Chicory in beer? The only thing I knew about chicory was that it was another name for Curly Endive, the leafy green vegetable found in most produce departments. So I quickly looked it up in my food dictionary. I was not online at that time so no Wikipedia. Oh, the early days. The root of the common chicory is baked, ground and used as a coffee substitute. Chicory Coffee is commonly found in many cafes in New Orleans, served with traditional Beignets. Not only was the Chicory Stout my first stout, it was also a very unique stout. I wanted to enjoy this beer just based on the description. DFH has a way with describing their beer as if it were an entree on a fine dining menu. Instantly, I was hooked. Not only did I want to try every hand crafted beer I could get my hands on, I wanted to try every DFH beer I could find. From that point on, I drank only craft beers. A beer geek was born.

Listen to Sam Calagione describe the history behind his Chicory Stout