Sen. Chris Coons takes part in Taste of Delaware

Ever since he became a U.S. senator in 2010, one of Sen. Chris Coons’ favorite events has been hosting his annual Taste of Delaware event in Washington, D.C.

“I love the Taste of Delaware. It’s a great way to profile Delaware breweries, distilleries, wineries and restaurants. I have to go vote tonight, so this is the best part of my day,” he said.

Put on by the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, the event has brought together the best of Delaware’s food and beverage scene.

The event was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and when the idea of bringing it back came up, Coons and the chamber decided to take the 10th Taste of Delaware on the road, traveling up and down the state Dec. 13. 

One of Coons’ stops was Mispillion River Brewing in Milford, where Coons and chamber members were allowed to tour the brewery and sample some of the merchandise. Other businesses included Dogfish Head, Nassau Valley Vineyards, Painted Stave, University of Delaware Creamery and The Starboard

Mispillion President Eric Williams said this is the seventh year the brewery has taken part in Taste of Delaware, so he was excited when it was announced that Mispillion would be a stop on the tour.

“It is an honor for us. It’s fun, and this is a lot easier than having to pack everything up and take it to D.C.,” he said.

Coons agreed that doing the event as a tour through the state rather than in D.C. was easier logistically for the establishments taking part. The downside, he said, is having fewer people sample the product, as the last Taste of Delaware in The District drew 800 people. 

Coons said he is amazed at the growth of Delaware’s craft brewing industry. One of Coons’ newest colleagues in the Senate is Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, who co-founded the first craft brewery in Colorado, Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver, in 1988.

“We’ve been doing a lot of talking about how brewing in America has been transformed in the last four decades. It’s still overwhelmingly controlled by a few very large conglomerates by volume, but today you can go up and down the state of Delaware and go to a dozen different breweries, wineries and distilleries and have a great time,” Coons said. 

Williams added, “When we started, we were the sixth brewery in Delaware. Today there’s 30. There’s a great brewery community in Delaware. People can come to Delaware for four or five days and just go from brewery to brewery. And there’s good beer all across the state.”