Instead, I’d like to reflect on how being on vacation for an entire week with no commitments made me feel:

Really, really good.

I cannot remember the last time I felt total relaxation. While I did have to complete schoolwork, I didn’t take any textbooks to the beach. I read a trashy magazine and a novel. On a day when the surf was too rough for me to swim, I moved my chair down to the water and watched the waves break. The ocean moved like poetry; the tide seemed to wash away so much of the negativity I carried to the shore with me.

Surprisingly, Dan and I handled living together for over a week pretty well. It was a big test for us as two people in a long distance relationship that normally don’t put up with each other for more than a few days. We slept 11 hours on one of our first days in the condo, and the following day we woke up in time to see the sunrise over the ocean.

It was a wonderful experience because in the shoulder season, the beaches aren’t as crowded and the town is quiet and sleepy. People can bring their dogs to the beach and we watched all the different breeds and how happy they were in the waves. By the middle of the week, we both felt a lot like Peter Gibbons in Office Space. Completely relaxed. Sometimes I felt as happy as the dogs.

I tried to bring the relaxation back with me. For the first time since starting grad school, I turned in an assignment late because I wanted to go to bed at a decent time and refused to stress out about deadlines. I am continuing to relax a bit this week, since yesterday was my 26th birthday and I am still working part-time at Hershey on Sundays and Wednesdays. I need to clean up my office and get my life organized before subbing picks up so that I can keep school, subbing and Hershey straight. I hope that I can keep this positive attitude.

Perhaps someday soon I’ll write a post about all that we imbibed whilst in Slower Lower Delaware. Hopefully with some pictures from Dan’s Nikon rather than my cell phone.

Dogfish Head Beer is easily one of my favorite beverages. I am a fan not only because many of the brews are tasty, but also because the story of these craft brewed Delaware delights is so intriguing. The founder of Dogfish Head, Sam Calagione, was an English major who started a brewpub in 1995 at the age of 25. His brewpub grew exponentially since then, and now DFH is a mid-Atlantic empire, even seeing expansion in the face of 2009′s recession. DFH has built a culture around their ales, or perhaps the beer has evolved around the off-centered culture; the off-centeredness is seen not only in the taste of the ales themselves, but also in the employees and avid fans of their craft brewing, of whom my father may be #1. My Dad, Dan and I rang in the new year in Rehoboth Beach, DE at a dinner celebrating DFH’s 15 years in the brewing business and toured the brewery (with its new and improved visitors’ center) before we headed back to PA. Though I’ve done the brewery tour before, I was especially struck by the knowledge of our guide John and convinced that I do, in fact, need to evangelize this fabulous company’s off-centered ales to other off-centered people around the world.

I’ve been eating at the Rehoboth brewpub since before I could legally drink, and long before I liked the taste of beer. The food I tend to choose is gourmet pub grub, but it turns out that many of the ales DFH creates pair well with true gourmet dishes. I learned this at the He Said Beer, She Said Wine dinner that Dan took me to in September. My Dad is actually the one who first introduced me to DFH. As a loyal Delaware Beach visitor, he’s been drinking 60 Minute IPA basically since its creation, and his appreciation for craft brewing has only increased as the DFH line expanded. My own taste in alcohol only grew up include beer within the last few years, starting toward the end of college when I could tolerate Blue Moon and other “girlie” beers. One of DFH’s claims to fame is their continuous hopping of certain beers (60, 90 and 120 Minute IPAs, which are continuously hopped for the amount of time specified in their names); unfortunately, I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of hoppy beers as I tend to prefer sweeter flavors. One thing I’ve learned from the brewery tours I’ve witnessed is that there are two types of beer: lagers and ales. DFH makes off-centered ales, whereas many of the beers I tended to enjoy when I started drinking beer are lagers (i.e., Yuengling, which is apparently more of a PA thing, or Sam Adams). Over time, curiosity has led me to trying many types of DFH, and even the hoppier flavored 60 Minute IPA has become something I enjoy. It’s very rare that I drink DFH without a food pairing, though, because the flavors are so strong to me; therefore, I’m very happy to go to beer dinners where I can pair the suggested beers with bites of delicious foods.

Ushering in the new year at the Dogfish Head brewpub had been one of my father’s top priorities since the beginning of the summer season of 2009. He was so intent on accomplishing this goal that he began emailing about it long before it was announced. He was probably one of the first ones to book a reservation once the event was announced, and he encouraged his friend Mike from work to attend as well. Dan and I also followed the DFH Twitter and Facebook with dedication, hoping we wouldn’t miss our chance to attend what promised to be a unique dining experience. As more details emerged about the event, we grew more excited. The night was being hailed as Fifteen Beers for Fifteen Years to celebrate 2010 as the fifteenth year of business for DFH, and fifteen beers would be paired with various courses culminating with a champagne toast at midnight. DFH’s website listed the dress as “off-centered black tie,” which let our minds roam to decide on the perfect outfit. As it turns out, not many people took the dress all too seriously, but Dan and I showed up in our attempt at SteamPunk fashion, and I think that we looked stellar. I donned an antique fur coat and decked out a black clutch with tiny metal gears; Dan sported a paisley vest, a top hat and carried an antique cane that belonged to his late grandfather. If the two of us were more outgoing (see: drunk enough to get out on the dancefloor), we would have been the envy of anyone who thought it prudent to wear jeans to such a lovely event.

We were greeted with a soft pretzel in a Gruyere cheese sauce served with a 60 Minute IPA. I eagerly downed both of these, and they complemented each other delightfully. The salad course was an arugula salad with prosciutto, Parmesan, walnut, white grape and roasted pear péche vinaigrette served with Pangaea and Black and Blue, the latter of which I later purchased at State Line Liquors. I’m not really the biggest fan of arugula, and I found the prosciutto to be a bit too salty to work with the earthy flavors, but the vinaigrette was something I could use all the time. The appetizer course was probably my favorite, and the hosting manager informed us that this offering was on the original menu at the brewpub many moons ago. They served us a wood grilled duck egg roll and cane sugar shrimp with roasted peanut sauce and Asian slaw with Sah’tea, Raison D’Etre and Chateau Jiahu. Raison is not one of my favorite DFH beers, but all three did pair well with the food. Chateau Jiahu is one of the ancient ales that explores a historic recipe for a beer that is part adventure and part science fair experiment. Sah’tea is another beer with an exciting background, as it involves boiling the wort with hot river rocks; it was also my favorite of the three served with this course. For our main course, we had some of the spiciest mac and cheese around! Our course was an ancho glazed pork tenderloin with chipotle mac and cheese and poblano sauce served with Theobroma, Black Thai and Immort Ale. I couldn’t finish my mac and cheese it was so spicy (but delicious!), and Dan cleaned his plate. Theobroma is one of my DFH favorites and with chilies and Aztec cocoa powder as some of its ingredients, it paired well with the pork.

Dan was a fan of the ancho glazed pork loin and chipotle mac and cheese

Our palate cleanser—a pomegranate granita served with Festina Peche—was completely refreshing after two hearty, rich courses. I passed my Festina Peche over to Dan, though, because while I adore my Festina Peche flavored chapstick, I’m not keen on bitter Weisse style ales. By the time the cheese plate arrived, I as starting to feel full. (I would also like to point out that unlike when we attended the beer/wine dinner, I was truly sampling my beers and not downing the whole glass; I realize that it was New Year’s Eve, and drinking is acceptable, but I find it difficult to get drunk in public, especially when my father is present!) I tried each of the three cheeses—Midnight Moon, 5-year vintage Gouda, and Carles Roquefort—with the bread and small sips of the three beers, which included a 2008 Red and White, Punkin Ale and a 2006 120 Minute IPA. The two vintage beers they chose with this course are similar to wines in that they age well and have more alcohol than your average beer. Punkin Ale is one of my favorites, too; I think it taste likes autumn in a glass. Finally, for dessert we received a beautiful plate containing a Fort Crème Brule and World Wide Stout chocolate ice cream milk shake served with a 2008 World Wide Stout and a 2007 Fort. Again, these two beers age well and are high in alcohol. It was my first time trying Fort, a beer in which the raspberry flavor is present but doesn’t overwhelm like some other fruit-flavored beers, and I thought it was delicious! I know that at some point, I will buy myself a bottle of it.

Overall, I would have to rate the food and drink combinations set forth by the brewpub as spectacular. Though I didn’t finish all of my beers, I tasted them and appreciated the attention that went to their creation. The myriad of flavors in the different beers worked in combination with the food. Some of the layers were complex, and I wish I had the talent to analyze things like the judges on Iron Chef America. However, all I have is my opinion and this blog, so I state—for the record—that this event was one of the most fun things I’ve done. As they cleared our last plate, champagne was handed to us to prepare for the impending change of the decade. The entertainment, Nate Myers & The Aces, played up until the countdown. They had a bluesy style and are actually from my home area, so I really enjoyed them. I especially liked the funky covers of different songs (like when they went into “Gin & Juice”) that played while we dined. As we rang in 2010, it was a flurry of horns and hugs and clinking of plastic champagne glasses. By this point in the evening, everyone was feeling friendly. The founder of Dogfish Head, Sam Calagione, had made his way downstairs to ring in the new year and made his way to the dancefloor. As for Dan and myself? We stayed about 15 minutes into the new year, but chose to head back to the hotel to relax in some New Year’s peace and quiet with our bellies full and happy. My father stayed with his friends and danced while having a few more beers, and I picked him up shortly after last call. To me, it was the perfect way to ring in the new year; I was with people I love, eating delicious food and drinking delicious beer and just generally in good spirits.

New Year’s Day was spent mostly relaxing, and eating. Dan and I checked out a restaurant we had always thought about trying, but that’s a different post for a different time. Friday night, we headed back to the brewpub to try a few brews that we hadn’t had on our beer tasting adventure the previous night. I made the mistake of sucking down two PG-13s (DFH Beach Beer with DFH Blue Hen Vanilla Vodka) at a record pace, but I managed to try a sip of my Dad’s Squall IPA, Dan’s Olde School barleywine and Son’s Love Hefe. I also tried a sample of the Life & Limb, something I wanted to try for months, even though I couldn’t possibly hold a full glass. (Life & Limb is a collaboration between DFH and Sierra Nevada. It’s delicious, but higher in alcohol content. I had the small beer from their brewing, Limb & Life, in November, and apparently that beer is the rarer find. Dan also bought me a Life & Limb t-shirt for Christmas because the artwork is beautiful.) We thought it was important, since it would be awhile until spring and visits to the brewpub, that we enjoy our last night in Rehoboth with these delicious drinks.

Saturday was bitter cold and windy, which made it less regrettable that we had to leave the beach. On our way home, we stopped in Milton, DE for a tour of the Dogfish Head Brewery. My father has taken the tour over ten times, and this was probably my fourth or fifth time. My only visits to the brewery have been during the construction of the new visitors’ area, so I’m not sure what it looked like before the remodeling began. However, this visit, the new section was open. The space to wait for the tour, shop for off-centered merchandise and–most-importantly–taste the beers is much more open and has floor-to-ceiling windows that let tons of natural light inside. Previously, the room with the bar and merchandise was between the warehouse and the brewery, with no natural light. I think this new set up will be great for those in charge of giving the tours and selling the beer and merchandise; it’s vital to give light to flowers, and to off-centered marketing staff. Perhaps the most stunning facet of the remodel, however, is the outward appearance of the building. The new entrance reminds me of a ski lodge, but that may have been the cold weather talking. It looks very natural, which I would expect from DFH since being green and working toward sustainability is considered by many politicans to be an off-centered goal.

Dan's stunning picture of Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, DE

The tour has three stops in which those on the tour learn how Dogfish Head made and makes their beer. The first stop is to see the original brewing equipment. Sam started the brewpub at age 25, after taking a few years to find himself (and working at other breweries) after graduating with an English degree. Opening Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in 1995, Sam’s goal was to bring original beer, food and music to Rehoboth. He was trying to do this with a system that brewed approximately 12-gallons at a time. So the brewing production increased from every other day, to every day to three times a day. They expanded to keep up with the increasing demand by renting a warehouse space and purchasing some larger equipment, but by 2002, even that was not enough and the brewing aspect of Dogfish Head moved about 20 minutes away to a converted cannery in Milton, DE. The second stop on the tour would make sense to home brewers more than me, but it shows where the hops and barley are magically made into wort. It’s at this point of the tour where hops are passed around and my Dad gets giddy like a kid. One of my favorite facts at this stop in the tour is what they do with what’s left after the barley imparts what it can to the beer: it’s put into trucks and given to local farmers to feed to their cows. These cows turn into the burgers and steaks at Dogfish Head. Also, the excess water from the brewing process goes through a cistern system and is given to the farmers as well. All of this explains (at least to me) why I cannot go to Rehoboth Beach without eating a burger at Dogfish Head. The final stop on the tour showcases where the delicious beer is aged. In addition to traditional barrels, there are two oak barrels for certain beers and a barrel made of Palo Santo wood from Paraguay to age the Palo Santo Marron. What really makes the tour interesting are the random facts that the tour guide can throw out. He knew exact figures of the brewery’s growth over the past few years (and it’s pretty impressive), how much beer they make by the hour and the varying lengths of time it takes to make certain beers. I can’t even begin to capture all I heard unless I start taking a tape recorder with me, but I’m always very impressed. I recommend that if you are anywhere near Delaware and love craft breweries, that you make it a point to stop in. If it’s summer, there’s a beach you can visit, too, so it’s a win win situation.

Sam Calagione is an inspiration to me. He started his beer empire at 25—the age I am now—and though he hit a few stumbling blocks at the beginning (which you can hear about on the tour or read about in Sam’s book Brewing Up a Business), he rang in 2010 in style. We did too. If you asked me two years ago if I thought I’d be celebrating 2010 with craft brewed beer, my boyfriend and my Dad, I probably would have laughed in your face, but I can’t imagine a better way to wrap up 2009. This year, I discovered the joy of trying new things and going on adventures. I’ve learned to appreciate more than just the pub grub, and I’ve learned to appreciate how well a nice beer can go with some good food. So thank you Sam, for creating a great American business. Thank you Dad, for financing this adventure. And thank you Dan, for the past year and the upcoming one! And yes, that’s my corny conclusion—blame it on the beers.

I’m a pub grub kind of girl; the idea of a fancy dinner with good wines and beers intimidated me slightly, but I was excited because I have been trying more new things lately. The staff at Caffé Gelato seemed a bit overwhelmed at first, but as the night progressed, the process began to move smoothly. In some ways, I feel we got shoved into a table in the back because we were younger, but because we had this table for two to ourselves, it added a romantic aspect to the dinner. Whatever the case may be, it took us a bit longer to get served our first drinks. We actually got the food before the beverages, and I didn’t want my pan-seared scallop to get gross, so I ate most of it before my 60 minute IPA was poured. With this reception course, I immediately noticed how well the 60 Minute IPA worked with my last bite of scallop.

Sam and Marnie came back to our section of the restaurant to introduce themselves and the evening as we finished our “warm up” course. My impression of Marnie Old was that of a sophisticated elementary teacher. I’m not saying that because I felt like she was condescending or anything like that, but because she was very good at projecting her voice and addressing the entire room. Sam Calagione, on the other hand, was a bit more timid; he was modest and funny, but mostly he reminded Dan and I of one of our friends in his demeanor. This dinner was on the larger side for the duo, and the layout of the restaurant proved to be a bit of a challenge for them as well.

Our first voting course was served as Sam and Marnie wrapped up their introductions. I may or may not have had a slight buzz from the sparkling wine and sheer giddiness leftover from the initial surprise of the date. That slight buzz may or may not have fueled my description of the mixed greens as “grass” and the eggplant as “baby food.” I was also chewing pine nuts for the first time ever. Dan and I agreed on this course; he said beer, she said beer. The Indian Brown Ale, which I’d never tasted prior to the evening, had an almost nutty flavor that complemented the pine nuts of the salad. The wine, while delicious and fruity, was basically too flavorful and overpowered the lightness of the salad. Perhaps it worked better with a mouthful of eggplant, but it resembled squid or brains or a mix of both, and my experience wasn’t going beyond that first hard-to-swallow bite.

He said beer for our second voting course, and I say that he was completely wrong. However, a few people I chatted with later in the restroom line actually agreed with him on this fact, and they were self-proclaimed wine aficionados. I attribute this fluke in their initial reaction to Midas Touch. As Sam explained, Midas Touch is based on a recipe supposedly found in King Midas’s tomb. It’s a good beer, and I’ve had it before. Following this logic, though, one could argue that my preference of the pinot blanc was due to its novelty to my tastebuds. I maintain that the wine brought out the Parmigianno-Reggiano and fresh basil while the beer overpowered it. The effects were similar to the prior course, but with wine being the proper complement.

Problems arose with the third voting course. I feel that I didn’t give it fair judgment because they ran out of Raison d’Etre and I already had quite the buzz. The pairing of the pinot noir rose with the cider brined pork belly was delicious, and I feel that even if I’d had Raison as I first tasted this delectable hunk of fatty pork goodness, I would have voted wine. Raison is another Dogfish Head brew that I’ve tried on the brewery tour. I believe both times I tried it, I’ve made a face. That should be some kind of sign. The wine, though, expanded the flavors of the pork and the butter beans and joined forces with the mango slices to provide a small party for my mouth. And since the waitstaff came across the Raison after already giving us some extra Indian Brown Ale, I think this might have been the point in the party where I donned the lamp shade.

At this point, I understood the placement of the sorbetto. Unfortunately, what should have served as a breather for us probably just let my blood alcohol content increase. I suppose time was also needed for the preparation of our entrée, and during this period, Sam and Marnie came to talk to our room while Dan was MIA in queue for the restroom. I wish I remembered more of what was said! Apparently some in our room were “upgraded” to a pinot noir because there was not enough pinot noir rose, and Marnie asked them to please disregard the mangos in combination with the darker wine. Sam discussed the creation of Palo Santo Marron, the beer that was to be served with our entrée. For those of you who haven’t been on the tour of Dogfish Head’s brewery multiple times, they age this beer in a very unique, dense South American wood. In a way, it is a bit like wine. It’s very dark, delicious and rich. It was up against a cabernet sauvignon, though, which I have been drinking like grape juice lately. Honestly? The last thing I really remember is cutting my lamb with Dan’s knife since mine disappeared with my pork belly plate. I do not know how I voted other than “OMGSOGOOD!” Perhaps Dan can fill me in on that one.

At some point during the dinner, I made two restroom trips. During both of these, I managed to talk to (annoy?) the people in line on either side of me. On my first trip, it was the aforementioned wine aficionados who were very impressed by this sweet surprise from my boyfriend. The second trip was someone who worked for the brewpub in Rehoboth Beach who apparently shares my birthday (September 20) and strongly believes that I would enjoy the limited edition brew they currently have on draft, Chicha. After this last trip, I returned to my seat to find my chocolate cappucicino cheese cake, my 18% ABV glass of World Wide Stout and a port that I believe I described as a wine lollipop. I sincerely hope that I did not finish my glass of World Wide Stout, though I found this formerly intimidating beer absolutely delicious.

While I may not know who won the wine vs. beer battle, I feel that the dinner was so unique for me that it is almost indescribable. Not to get sappy, but it was a damn good surprise that shows how well Dan knows me. It definitely falls under adventure because I tried a bunch of new foods and opened my mind (possibly a little too far) to the concept of pairing wines and beers, which was something I’ve obviously heard about as a Food Network addict but never thought I’d experience. Furthermore, it was educational. I learned that even if the waitstaff does not pour you a “tasting portion” of an alcoholic beverage, you don’t need to consume the entire sample provided to you. Doing so is a great way to black out slightly and spend a Monday with a slight hangover. All in all, this is probably the coolest birthday present anyone has ever given me.