🍒 A Taste of 1993: Dogfish Head Recreates Its First-Ever Brew

To mark three decades of off-centered brewing, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is turning back time with a very special release: Cherry Pale Ale, a reimagining of founder Sam Calagione’s very first homebrew.

Brewed with Delaware wheat, Maine barley, Cascade hops, and a boatload of cherries, this throwback brew delivers a crisp, easy-drinking balance of sweet and tart stone fruit—just like the original batch that started it all in a New York City apartment back in 1993.

📦 Limited-Edition Cherry Pale Ale 30th Birthday Box

Starting Friday, July 18 at noon (EST), fans can snag the Cherry Pale Ale 30th Birthday Box exclusively at GiveThemBeer.com. For just $30 (shipping included), you’ll get:

• 🍺 One 6-pack of 12oz Cherry Pale Ale cans

• 🧲 A retro Dogfish Head magnet

• 🎨 Sticker pack and mini pennant

• 📼 A digital “Post Tape” cassette

• 🧶 And yes—each can includes its own handcrafted “carpet coaster”

Why the carpet coasters? In Sam’s words:

“When I first brewed Cherry Pale Ale, I sanitized the bottles in the oven and cooled them on the carpet … which melted and stuck to the glass. I had to cut a ‘coaster’ around each one. So every can today comes with a lovingly recreated version. Necessity really is the mother of invention.”

🏡 Available Locally at the Milton Brewery

If you’re lucky enough to be in Delaware, stop by the Dogfish Head Milton Brewery to grab a 6-pack of Cherry Pale Ale (carpet coasters and all) for just $16. Limit one per customer—while supplies last.

❤️ A Nostalgic Nod to Dogfish Roots

This release isn’t just about a beer—it’s about honoring 30 years of brewing innovation and the humble beginnings that sparked a craft beer revolution. Every detail of this Cherry Pale Ale has been crafted with care and reverence:

• Ingredients sourced from Delaware and Maine, reflecting Dogfish’s bistate origin

• Label artwork recreated using a hand-carved potato stamp and paintbrush—just like Sam did in 1993

• Merchandise and packaging steeped in 90s nostalgia and Dogfish culture

🍻 From Tiny Brewpub to National Icon

Dogfish Head began in June 1995 as Delaware’s first brewpub, and one of the smallest commercial breweries in America. Thirty years later, it has grown into:

• A Milton-based production brewery and tasting room

• Dogfish Head Distilling Co., creating award-winning whiskeys, gins, vodkas, and canned cocktails

• Brewings & Eats and Chesapeake & Maine, two standout restaurants in Rehoboth Beach

• The Dogfish Inn, a beer-themed, canal-front hotel in Lewes

Through it all, Dogfish Head has stayed true to its mission:

“Off-centered goodness for off-centered people.”

🎉 Cheers to the Next 30 Years

Whether you’ve been sipping since ’95 or just discovered the off-centered world of Dogfish Head, this limited-edition Cherry Pale Ale is a chance to taste the brewery’s story—from the very first batch to the bold innovation of today.

Learn more about Dogfish Head’s 30-year journey at dogfish.com and follow them on social for the latest releases and celebrations.