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Delaware breweries and wineries seek to tap into growing market

The growing appeal of farm-to-table dining, artisanal cheeses and backyard gardens shows that more Americans want to eat and drink local. Delaware craft and wineries have tapped into the trend and even made their mark in the industry at a national level. And now, a trail for beer and wine aficionados created by the Delaware Tourism Office, is giving many of the First State’s craft breweries and wineries additional exposure.

The craft brew and wine business that may sound like fun: non-stop tastings, constant interaction with new people and a chance to perhaps follow a dream or a passion.  However, those who have been through the experience say it takes a high level of dedication and a lot of work.

Another challenge: to try to grow and expand, without getting too big.

[caption id="attachment_17736" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Twin Lakes Brewing Company has been filling growlers with beer since launching its first brews in April 2006."]https://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/twin-300x184.jpg[/caption]

Twin Lakes Brewing Company off Route 52 in Greenville sits on property that has been in the same family for generations.  Legend has it that George Washington rested on the property before the Battle of the Brandywine, tying his horse to the tree that used to sit near the entrance as he planned for the battle.  A brewery utilizing the local well water has been operating for five years at Twin Lakes, which has been known for years as a place where Delawareans could come and ice skate during the winter.

Its entrance on Kennett Pike is unmarked, except for a small banner placed by a pair of white boulders which indicates when the brewery is open for tours and tastings.

“This is an amazing business because of the fact that you have the opportunity to interact with many, many different people across different cultures as well as different socio-economic groups – as well as the local community,” Twin Lakes founder Sam Hobbs said.  “We like to think of Twin Lakes as a community brewery because without the local patrons who drink our beer, there would be no Twin Lakes Brewing Company.”

Delaware's Wine and Ale Trail

Local breweries and Delaware Dept. of Tourism officials discuss the craft beer and wine market in the First State.

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At the opposite end of the state, Georgetown’s 16 Mile Brewery has been operating for two years.  The brewery was started by Chad Campbell and Brett McCrea, two Sussex County natives who came back to their hometown after working in the Washington, DC area.  The name 16 Mile commemorates the time when Georgetown was chosen as the county seat due to its easy access, “16 miles from anywhere” in the county.

Since its inception, the brewery had been making its products available in  22-ounce aluminum bottles or in kegs.  Just weeks ago, 16 Mile began bottling its beers in 12-ounce containers and started selling six-packs.

“What’s happening in ‘craft’ is we’re taking percentages of the beer business every year.  We’re taking that from the big guys,” said Claus Hagelman, 16 Mile’s sales and marketing director. “These small breweries, we’re all growing rapidly to try to keep up with it – but, we have to do it all together.”

Also in the growth mode is Fordham/Old Dominion brewing of Dover, formed when a Maryland brewery bought a Virginia brewery in 2007.  Marketing Coordinator Caitlin Cain says the company looks to stay relatively local by marketing its products within a 150-mile radius.

“Every company wants to grow but especially in the craft industry there’s kind of a stigma if you get too big,” Cain said.

Twin Lakes, Fordham/Old Dominion and 16 Mile are part of Delaware’s Wine and Ale trail, along with ten other breweries and wineries.  The trail is a cooperative venture with the Delaware Tourism Office, and was launched in May 2010.

“We have found from our experience that visitors like things easy and simple,” Delaware Tourism Director Linda Parkowski said.  “By connecting all the dots and putting them together, we have found that it’s been really popular.”

More Coverage: Delaware's Wine and Ale Trail

The Wine and Ale trail is built around convenience and flexibility.  Visitors may take as long as a week, or condense a few tastings and visits into a day or a weekend.

“The nice thing about Delaware is that we’re a drive-to state,” Parkowski added.

Katie Connolly, who helps run Fenwick Wine Cellars of Fenwick Island, says the trail has helped put the small, family-owned business on the map.

“We have a lot of returning clientele already,” Connolly said.

The Delaware trail has been featured among the top-ten similar trails in the US in craftbeer.com, a website run by the Brewers Association (BA).  The BA is a craft brew trade group based in Boulder, Colorado.

“Brewers will compete in the marketplace, but we’ll also help each other along the way,” Brewers Association Director Paul Gatza said.

Additionally, Delaware’s popularity as a hotbed for craft brewing grew when the Discovery Channel aired Brew Masters, a reality show centered on Dogfish Head Brewery President and founder Sam Calagione.  Dogfish Head, based in Milton and Rehoboth Beach, was established in 1995 and now sells products in about 30 states.

Hobbs says Twin Lakes is “pleasantly surprised” by the number of people who have come through following the launch of the Delaware Wine and Ale Trail.

At 16 Mile, Hagelman says “we have a great influx of people from DC, from Baltimore, and Philadelphia coming here to the beach.  They’re finding not only tax-free shopping and the beach, but look at all of these wonderful things to do.”

[caption id="attachment_17738" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Fordham/Old Dominion Brewing Company keeps a busy schedule of beer-making in its Dover facility."]https://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/fordham-300x184.jpg[/caption]

Cain says the trail has also brought more visitors to Fordham/Old Dominion in Dover for tastings and tours.  The brewery has also turned to social media outlets such as special promotions through Groupon and Living Social.

“When people come here, it’s a really personal experience,” Cain said.  Visitors can peer into the tanks, handle and smell the grains and hops, and get a taste of what’s on tap, either by reservation during the week or showing up for a tour on Saturdays.

Visitors are starting to find out why Delaware brews are gaining in popularity locally, regionally, nationally – and internationally.

“We have some of the greatest breweries in America right here in Delaware,” Hobbs said.

Proprietors say the trail has also brought the industry together in an initiative designed for their common good.  Parkowski says one place may refer a tour group to another location if for some reason it’s unable to handle a group of visitors on a certain day.

“I look at the other breweries in the state as brethren,” Fordham/Old Dominion  Head Brewmaster Walter Trifari said.  “If they’re in a pinch for raw ingredients we’re definitely there to help out, because they’ve also been there for us.”

Over the summer, industry leaders formed the Delaware Craft Brewers Guild.  The group is working to promote the industry locally and backing a national initiative to reduce the federal excise tax on a barrel of beer paid by small brewers.

Craft brewing and associated industries may have job-creating potential in Delaware.  Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant was recently recognized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) as one of the top 100 companies in the United States that got their start with support from the SBA.  Iron Hill’s first location opened in Newark in 1996.  It now has eight establishments in three states, employing more than 750 people combined.

[caption id="attachment_17737" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The relatively new 16 Mile Brewery has been producing beer in Georgetown for two years."]https://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/16_mile-300x199.jpg[/caption]

16 Mile’s expansion plans include the addition of a tavern at its Georgetown location as part of a project to double the size of its building.  Twin Lakes, meanwhile, recently began putting its products into cans for the first time.

Those in the profession caution:  it takes a lot of work, dedication and passion to be a success.

“There’s a lot of science involved in not only making a great beer but to repeat that over and over again to have that consistency of quality and flavor,” 16 Mile’s Hagelman said.  He adds there’s a lot of cleaning, paperwork, and preparation – and during a production run, it’s “all hands on deck.”

“One man does not start a brewery.  A community does,” added Hobbs of Twin Lakes.

Depending on the size of the operation, the same people who head the brewery may also be the ones attending special events, packing cases, or mopping up.

“It’s an extremely difficult business, but probably the most rewarding business you could ever been in,” Hobbs said.