
Photo courtesy of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Audio By Carbonatix
The year was 1999, and Dogfish Head had just released its 90-Minute IPA, one of the first imperial IPAs to be distributed in America. At the time, Dogfish co-founder Sam Calagione had crafted a unique device that allowed him to continually feed hops into the brew – a tactic that created a bold, flavorful, 9 percent alcohol IPA that quickly turned Americans into craft beer lovers.
“That invention – which incorporates a vintage vibrating football game, some duct tape, and a perforated plastic bucket – is now in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum and 90-Minute is one of Dogfish’s best-selling beers from coast-to-coast,” Calagione tells New Times.
It’s a story Calagione recalls as part of a publication of his now-famous Delaware-based brewery, The Dogfish Head Book: 26 Years of Off-Centered Adventures, which shares the tales behind the creation and expansion of Dogfish Head, which has since expanded to Miami.
Next month, the founders of Dogfish Head Beer will be on hand at the Miami brewpub in Wynwood as part of a book-signing event. Starting at 6 p.m. on Monday, November 8, Dogfish Head fans can meet the Calagiones for a beer and meet-and-greet for the official Miami release of the book.
The 368-page hardcover book includes a number of snippets highlighting the chronology of the offbeat escapades that propelled Dogfish Head to become the beloved craft brewery, distillery, hotel, and culinary hub it is today as told by Calagione, his wife and Dogfish Head cofounder Mariah, and longtime employee Andrew Greeley.
If you’ve ever wondered about what makes Dogfish Head’s 120-minute IPA unique or how “Punkin” Ale came to be, this bountifully illustrated page-turner provides a detailed account of the brand’s history with a timetable of Dogfish Head’s many beverage releases and a plethora of behind-the-scenes accounts as told by the authors’ coworkers.
“As our friends the Grateful Dead, whom we have had the pleasure of collaborating with throughout the years, once sang: ‘What a long, strange trip it’s been’ – and there’s no better way to describe the awesome voyage Mariah, Andrew, and I embarked on to write and publish this book,” says Calagione, who was largely inspired by the Beastie Boys Book, adopting its design-rich structure to bring his own brand to life through both words and images.
Much like barley is to beer, the foundation of the book is the chronological exposition of Dogfish Head’s iconic beverages, locations, and events – from the brewer’s first homebrew experience in 1993 to the opening of the brand’s newest taproom, Dogfish Head Miami.
Other key ingredients that complete this art-first, business-second book include hundreds of full-color images, renderings of product artwork, quotes from the authors’ favorite musicians, artists and writers, and so much more. Readers will drink in an understanding of the “how and why” behind Dogfish Head’s growth and success while enjoying insightfully humorous and inspirational stories intended to encourage them to pursue their own creative journeys, regardless of how off-centered or out-of-reach they may seem.
Dogfish Head’s against-the-grain approach to traditional brewing practices has allowed it to remain buoyant in a crowded sea of beverage brands.
In 1995, Dogfish Head opened its doors in Rehoboth, Delaware, as the first brewpub – and one of the smallest commercial breweries in America. Over the following 26 years, Dogfish Head experienced exponential growth, blossoming into one of the country’s largest and most well-known independent craft breweries.
“Thinking back to the day we opened Dogfish Head, I would never have imagined we would end up where we are today. As all journeys, ours has had its fair share of ups and downs, and a whole lot of learning and laughter along the way,” Mariah says in a press release. “Throughout the process of writing I’ve been asked countless times, ‘what will the next 26 years bring?’ Honestly, I don’t know, but I’m sure excited to find out.”
The Dogfish Head Book: 26 Years of Off-Centered Adventures is available for preorder. No formal book tour has been scheduled, but the authors will be hosting a handful of book signing events throughout the fall in both Miami and Delaware.
The Dogfish Head Book: 26 Years of Off-Centered Adventures Release Party. 6 p.m. Monday, November 8, at Dogfish Head Miami, 325 NW 24th St., Miami; 305-796-2727; dogfish.com. Admission is free.