Get into the spirit of the (second) season

Dining influencers such as the James Beard Foundation, the Wine Spectator, TripAdvisor, Food Network and the National Restaurant Association have all paid tribute to our Cape Region’s well-established culinary culture. And bubbling (or perhaps brewing…) right along with it are our craft wineries, breweries and distilleries luring even more food and drink aficionados to the beach.

As the 30th anniversary of Dogfish Head’s startup brewery on Rehoboth Avenue approaches, that pocket-sized pub has grown not only into a bustling dining and sipping complex on Rehoboth Avenue, but a fully equipped, large-scale brewery in Milton. Moving from the oldest to the newest, we expect the fledgling Lewes Brewing Company to finally turn the key at 11 a.m., Monday, Sept. 23. LBC is one of the smallest breweries around, giving a whole new meaning to “microbrewery,” and is located on Savannah Road across from the Auto Gallery. For now, it will be open until 9 p.m. every day. Locals brewing locally. Love it.

Revelation Craft Brewery is yet another resident operation that started small in Rehoboth Beach and has since expanded westward to Georgetown with a line of delicious core brews and a major event space. And that space is not without its history; it was the former home to upstart 16 Mile Brewery.

Nassau Valley Vineyards in Lewes produces a wide variety of distinctive wines. During the summer, the winery joins the farmers market trade with its wildly popular Sunday browse-fest. If we trek northward to Marydel, it’s all about Harvest Ridge Winery, known not only for its patriotic support for our service members and veterans, but also for the fact that it’s one of the only vineyards to be located in two different states! Still thirsty? Head south to Salted Vines Vineyard & Winery. Fourth-generation oenophile Adrian Mobilia has built Salted Vines into a 26-acre destination in nearby Frankford.

Jumping back north to Milford, you will find Zack and Marissa King’s EasySpeak Spirits, an upbeat pub with tasty grub. Its artisanal spirits are available for on- or off-site consumption. A bit closer to the Atlantic, Greg and Mary Christmas of Beach Time Distilling have been cranking out tasty rum, vodka, gin and seasonal spirits since 2015. Their canned cocktails are one of the highlights next door to Old World Breads in Lewes.

In 2015, three restaurant-based breweries opened in rapid succession, and each one has earned a name for itself. The biggest is Crooked Hammock Brewery on Kings Highway just outside Lewes, where the 7,000-square-foot complex sports a large brewery and an array of dining areas. This La Vida Hospitality brand has now extended north into Middletown and waaayyy down south to Myrtle Beach, S.C.

The name Fins is synonymous with fresh oysters, seafood, a long list of craft beers and spicy bloody marys. But Jeff Hamer dreamed of Big Oyster Brewery, and that dream came true. The first is located within Fins Ale House & Raw Bar on Coastal Highway, and the second is a welcoming food and entertainment destination on Kings Highway in Lewes.

Rumor has it that locals and vacationers sip a beer or two in Dewey Beach, so it only seems right that Dewey Beer Company claims its beers travel “30 feet or less” from their tanks to your glass. The owners just kicked up their food program by adding talented chef Alisha Knosp to the kitchen. They have not only extended into Harbeson, but even farther to Delgany Street in Denver, Colo.

In 2013, Milford was treated to Mispillion River Brewing. Proprietor Eric Williams states unequivocally that the beers are “for all drinkers, from noobs to nerds, from hopheads to stoutfaces.” (Did I mention that brewing has a language all its own?) Williams and brewmaster Ryan Maloney teamed up with longtime beach chef Kevin Reading at Brick Works in Long Neck and Smyrna, each of which sports a shiny brewery cranking out foamy treats.

Speaking of Smyrna, Painted Stave Distilling has certainly come into its own over the last few years – even adding a taco truck to its lineup of tasty comestibles and potables. One of its core distillates is the Off the Hoof scrapple vodka. Step away from your email! Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it: The savory pepper and sage overtones make a beautiful bloody mary.

Since 2017, one of the newest kids on the block isn’t a winery, a brewery or a distillery. It’s a meadery! Brimming Horn Meadery partners Jon Talkington and J.R. Walker will happily fill your favorite flagon upon request. Their second location recently opened in Seaford. At both locations, they ask that you please leave your steed and jousting gear at home.

Leave it to SoDel Concepts to bring its talents to cookin’ up tasty brews. Thompson Island Brewing Company in Rehoboth Beach offers an extensive menu alongside on-site brewing and is bolstered to the south by Ocean View Brewing. Both installations are operated under the new umbrella of Southern Delaware Brewing and headed up by celebrity chef Dru Tevis.

Bethany Brewing is yet another tiny brewery in Ocean View that just recently opened. It features food from neighbors Tom & Terry's Seafood Market and the new Munchies Grill takeout restaurant.

I have no doubt that 2025 will bring even more tasty spirits to the beach, so keep an eye on my column here in Cape Gazette. In the words of our friends at Southern Delaware Tourism, when it comes to the Cape Region, “Beaches are just the beginning!”