Nestled just south of Rehoboth is Dewey Beach, a small, seaside Delaware town that’s home to none-other than Dewey Beer Company. Like many modern microbreweries, Dewey Beer Company boasts a wooden storefront accompanied by a very wooden interior. Fire hazards aside, I found this to be a very comforting environment on the frigid April evening of my first visit to the brewpub.
As it is not yet summer, going to a bar on a week night can be relatively underwhelming in this region. Fortunately my partner Kristin and I were not alone in this brewery. We sat at a high-top table in the center of the main room, while the remaining patrons lined the bar.
It was not long before a man sporting a flannel shirt-athletic shorts combo outfit provided our menus. Kristin ordered a sour beer entitled “Secret Machine.” I have had the “Secret Machine” at beer festivals in the past, and although I admire its vibrant hue, sour beers do not particularly enthuse me. So for myself, I ordered the “Bounce Bounce Bounce Bounce Bounce Bounce Bounce” IPA. Many flavors can accompany many beers, but I always find myself seeking out the succulent bitterness of a good and hoppy IPA. And that is exactly what I found with the Bounce Bounce Bounce Bounce Bounce Bounce Bounce.
Pictured above are our respective beers. The red is, of course, the sour Secret Machine. The khaki-colored beer is the Bounce Bounce Bounce Bounce Bounce Bounce Bounce IPA. So with sports on the television and presumably intoxicated gentlemen chatting away at the bar, we sipped our beers enjoying both the visual and aural atmospheres unique to this environment.
This is truly the ideal setting to enjoy a beer after a day at the plant. Or office. Or TV studio (whichever professional environment best applies — for us, it’s the office and TV studio). Dewey Beer Company is just a chill place.
We arrived in the 7 o’clock hour as the sun began to set. This can be seen in my photographs as the dominant light source is the storefront. The storefront faces west, along Route 1 (Coastal Highway), making this almost the ideal sunset dining destination. I say almost because this would be greatly emphasized if the brewery was located along the bay — but I digress. The storefront is comprised of large window doors, window doors that I would assume are open on nice weather days.
We only stayed for one respective beer each. As enthralled as we were in listening to a conversation from the bar between a 30-something former punk and an Australian businessman about their life choices, we decided we must retreat to our West Fenwick domicile. Each beer cost $7.50. As a young person with a degree in media production, I felt this was somewhat pricey. But considering the demographic of the industry in this region, these prices were appropriate. As we awaited our receipts to sign, I could not help but notice the pattern on the ceiling. I really like the ceiling in this brewery.
In the end, my first-time experience at Dewey Beer Company was a good one. I enjoyed the beer, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the service was reasonable. They seem to be doing things right, especially if they’re able to have regular business hours during the off-season. I look forward to the next time I can sample them at a beer festival. Or, of course, the next time I venture out to Dewey.
