New Year's Eve eve: Dogfish, Notting Hill and DMV

DECEMBER 30, 2015 - Renewed my Delaware registration today for my pick-up. I call her Sweetheart. She's a 2004 Toyota Tacoma with 150,000 miles on her and a few more. On the way home, passing by the Sussex County Airport and wondering when the runway extensions will be complete, I tapped her a few times on the steering wheel. "Two more years Sweetheart. Jan. 7, 2018."

I've loved all my trucks and buses. And my Becky too. This year - January 3 - makes 46 years she's put up with me. I often think of that song by The Band: "Up on Cripple Creek, she sends me; If I spring a leak she mends me; I don't have to speak, she defends me; a drunkard's dream if I ever did see one."

When our parents went in to talk to the priest before he agreed to bless our vows - Becky, 18, and me, 19 - he asked them: "Who's going to take care of these children when love flies out the window?"

Our love's done a lot of flying over the years but it's never made it out the window. Many blessings.

That's a long way of saying how impressed I was at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Georgetown. It was plenty busy, but the system there works efficiently, the employees were friendly and there were nice people to talk with while I was waiting for the overhead speaker to announce my turn. The lady at my counter said it was busy all afternoon, the man in the inspection lane who told me to hit my brakes wished me a happy new year, and I was in and out in 45 minutes.

Collaboration and Coffee

This morning I was thinking about collaboration when I saw a sack of coffee in Amy's Notting Hill Coffee Roastery - by the roasting machine - labeled with a Dogfish address. Amy has been providing freshly roasted coffee for Dogfish's Chicory Stout for many years. It's one of Sam's many collaborations and more evidence of the positive spirit that has been a steady part of the Dogfish brand in its first 20 years.

When Trish and I started the Cape Gazette - also 20-some years ago - we worked out a deal with Sam where he would provide us with six packs of his Shelter Pale Ale which we in turn offered as a premium for new subscribers. Promotion for Dogfish, promotion for the Cape Gazette. Positive collaboration. Cripple Creek.

All was well and good until someone stopped in from Delaware's Alcohol Beverage Control Commission one day and told us we couldn't give away Sam's beer any more. It was an illegal promotion. They were nice about it and everything. "Okey dokey," we said. "We'll stop." We did, moved on. Still enjoying Dogfish's various brews and the residual positives from the collaboration.

Amy wrote a piece on her nottinghillcoffee.com site in mid-December while she was brewing up this year's coffee for the Chicory Stout.

Here it is. But before I turn it over to Amy, let me wish you all lots of love and a Happy New Year!

Take it away Amy:

"Another annual project is nearly complete! I'm sitting - yes, actually sitting - writing this long-awaited (that is according to my office manager, Robbin) newsletter. I'm roasting the last 260 pounds of Fair Trade, Organic, Smithsonian Certified bird-friendly, dark Mexican coffee here at the coffee shop in Lewes. Sam Calagione and his team of Brew Masters use this coffee alone, roasted exclusively by me, for Dogfish Head Craft Brewery's Chicory Stout. I have to roast over 1,600 pounds of green, raw beans to yield the roasted amount they need.

"One of their first yummy concoctions, Dogfish's seasonal dark stout is a combination of fabulousness that evolved when Sam began adding non-traditional brewing ingredients into his beer. Very creative and lucky for all those who love their coffee and love their beer! I love it and I'm proud to be a part of its production.

"So I'm sending out a sincere thank you to Sam for another opportunity to provide an ingredient. Thanks to Chad, the Purchasing Manager, for communicating so well with me during the last 6 weeks, and for saying that our 'Wild Delaware coffee is flat out banging'!'"