Delaware's most interesting beer names (& the stories behind them)
Remember when all it took was a hard-partying dog named Spuds MacKenzie or a catchphrase like, "Tastes great, less filling," to snag the attention of beer drinkers?
The craft beer boom has not only made past advertising campaigns by beer giants like Budweiser and Miller look even dated, but they have also found their own keen marketing methods.
Eye-catching beer names and offbeat packaging by independent brewers have injected a sense of lightheartedness in the industry nationwide, as well as locally.
Milford's Mispillion River Brewing revels in giving its beers fun names, ranging from a jalapeno-flavored Hefeweizen called The Little Dictator to their most popular beer, the Reach Around IPA, which is named after a, uh, well let's just leave it there.
We researched Delaware's craft beer offerings and picked 10 brews with some of the more interesting or straight-up weird names.
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So whether you're curious about the inspiration behind Blue Earl's When Doves Cry or Mispillion's Not Today Satan, here are the stories that sparked some of Delaware's most fun-loving brews.
Argilla Brewing Co. at Pietro's Pizza, 2667 Kirkwood Highway, Milltown. argillabrewing.com
Beer name: Sin City Stout
Beer type: Stout
ABV: 5%
Behind the name: In 2014, Mojo Main in Newark closed and the traditional Monday night shows by the Sin City Band went with it. It didn't take long for the veteran honky tonkers to bring their Monday night residency to Argilla, where they have played each week for more than two years now. Owner Steve Powell heard from a few Sin City fans that they like darker beers, so he got to work and created Sin City Stout -- a beer named for a band and created for their fans. If you're looking to try the specialty beer, here's some good news: a batch was brewed this week and Sin City Stout will be available at Argilla again beginning this weekend.
Big Oyster Brewery at Fins Ale House and Raw Bar, 19269 Del. 1, near Rehoboth Beach. bigoysterbrewery.com
Beer name: Solar Power
Beer type: Belgian-style white ale
ABV: 5.6%
Behind the name: Made with peels from organic oranges, Big Oyster brewer Andrew Harton and others were brainstorming names for their new white ale -- a day-drinking-at-the-beach beer. "It kind of gives you the power to get through the day," Harton says of the inspiration behind the name. Big Oyster is also home to a beer named Resistentialism, a light-hearted term used by some to describe "seemingly spiteful behavior manifested by inanimate objects.'' While brewing the 9.3% ABV double IPA, just about anything that could go wrong for Harton and his crew did go wrong: "Everything was fighting against us," he says, hence the name.
Blue Earl, 210 Artisan Dr., Smyrna. blueearlbrewing.com
Beer name: When Doves Cry
Beer type: Vienna-style amber lager
ABV: 4.7%
Behind the name: When visiting Smyrna's Blue Earl brewery, it doesn't take long to realize that owner Ron Price is a big music fan. Price, who has played the blues in acts such as Dr. Harmonica & Rockett 88, not only had the word "blue" in the name of his beer company, but his beer list shouts the blues louder than Howlin' Wolf. Brews named after blues tunes include Blues Power, Walkin' Blues IPA, Trouble in Mind and You Shook Me. It was last month, the day after Prince died, when Price found himself stumped as he tried to come up with a name for his new Vienna-style lager. As he scrolled through Facebook, he decided he would pay tribute to Prince with a beer called When Doves Cry. "After he died, I watched a video of him doing 'Purple Rain' live from 1983 and I swear to God, it just about brought tears to my eyes," Price says. When Doves Cry is currently available in Blue Earl's tasting room and will soon be in restaurants and bars across the state via NKS Distributors, Inc.
Crooked Hammock Brewery, 36707 Crooked Hammock Way, Lewes. crookedhammockbrewery.com
Beer name: Wilbon
Beer type: Belgian-style Tripel
ABV: 7.5%
Behind the name: As Crooked Hammock was preparing to open, the new restaurant started a March Madness-styled bracket last year to name one of their first beers. ESPN "Pardon the Interruption" co-host Tony Kornheiser, who vacations in the area, submitted "Wilbon" as a nod to his co-host Michael Wilbon. Not only did Wilbon win, but it was the only beer that the brewery has ever bottled. The one-time-only brew won the contest thanks in part to a video Kornheiser made on the "PTI" set asking people to vote for Wilbon. So did Kornheiser mimic his on-air personality and gloat about his winning beer? Unfortunately not. "He was actually rather humble about it," says Matthew Frey, Crooked Hammock's assistant general manager.
Dogfish Head Brewery, 6 Village Center Blvd., Milton. dogfish.com
Beer name: Beer To Drink Music To
Beer type: Belgian-style Tripel
ABV: 9%
Behind the name: When Dogfish Head first became the official beer of Record Store Day last year, the beer company curated a limited edition, 12-song compilation album called "Music To Drink Beer To." With the partnership still in place this year, Dogfish unveiled a new Record Store Day-themed beer and the name sounded familiar: Beer to Drink Music To. It's a name that perfectly fits with Dogfish's "off-centered" theme. "We know it doesn't really make any sense, but at the same time, I haven't met anyone who doesn't get the joke. Everyone gets it," says Neal Stewart, vice president of marketing for Dogfish Head. Stewart says there are also hidden nods to some of their favorite acts and albums in the beer. Orange peels were used in honor of R.E.M.'s "Orange Crush," there are peppercorns for fans of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and the spice cardamom is in there since it's referenced in the Phish tune "Mock Song."
Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company, 1284 McD Drive, Dover. fordhamanddominion.com
Beer name: Double D Double IPA
Beer type: Imperial IPA
ABV: 9%
Behind the name: The brewery's best-selling brand, Double D Double IPA, is part of the brewery's pin-up series, which was inspired by their close proximity to the Dover Air Force Base. The beer's label tells a fictitious story about a female military member named Deanie Davis, known as Double D. And, yes, they are aware that Double D also refers to a bra size, but they don't market the beer with cup sizes in mind, says Ryan Telle, vice president of marketing for the beer company. "If people have those types of imaginations and want to go with that, then so be it," Telle says.
Iron Hill Brewery, 147 E Main St, Newark. ironhillbrewery.com.
Beer name: Mahalo, Apollo!
Beer type: American pale wheat ale
ABV: 6.2%
Behind the name: Maholo, Apollo! is not only one of the more fun names for an Iron Hill brew, but it's also the first to be canned when the company began the practice last year. It's a Belgian witbier made with American hops, lemongrass and grains of paradise. The light, summery beer's name came out of a brainstorming session where they paired maholo, the Hawaiian word meaning thanks, with Apollo, the sun god. "We thought they sound good together because they kind of rhyme. It's as stupid as that," jokes Iron Hill co-founder and co-owner Mark Edelson. "It's a mash-up beer with a mash-up name."
Mispillion River Brewing, 255 Mullett Run St., Milford. mispillionriverbrewing.com
Beer name: Not Today Satan
Beer type: American IPA
ABV: 7.3%
Behind the name: Of all the Delaware breweries -- and we now have plenty -- no brewery revels in creating fun beer names quite like Mispillion. Not Today Satan has its origins at Firefly 2015, actually. A friend saw a sign that someone was carrying around that read, "Not today Satan, not today." Owner Eric Williams, says, "We said it the entire weekend because we thought it was funny." The gang also threw an image of a platypus on the Not Today Satan beer can to add to the ridiculousness. Other eye-catching names include Holy Crap!, an imperial red ale, and their best-known brew, Reach Around IPA. "It makes people laugh. Everybody deserves a Reach Around," Williams jokes. "We have fun with the names because we want people to feel our fun, positive vibes."
16 Mile Brewing Company, 413 S Bedford St, Georgetown. 16milebrewery.com
Beer name: Responders Ale
Beer type: American blonde ale
ABV: 4.1%
Behind the name: 16 Mile's first hire was Mike Pfaffenhauser, who at the time was a 21-year-old member of the Memorial Fire Company in Slaughter Beach. While at 16 Mile, he was elevated to chief of the fire company and his two worlds came together in 2011. The brewery decided to create Responders Ale with $3 for every case and $5 for every keg donated to the National Fallen Firefighters Fund, says owner Brett McCrea. Pfaffenhauser is now a deputy fire marshal with the state and no longer works at 16 Mile, but the beer lives on and is served each year at the Georgetown Oyster Eat.
3rd Wave Brewing Co., 501 N Bi State Blvd, Delmar. 3rdwavebrewingco.com
Beer name: Beach Juice
Beer type: Berliner Weisse
ABV: 3%
Behind the name: 3rd Wave's beers have plenty of beach-themed names, such as Shorebreak Pale Ale, Big Reef Porter and 1st Wave IPA. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Beach Juice followed suit. The easy-drinking day beer got its name with the future in mind. When 3rd Wave begins to can their beers, co-owner Lori Clough says Beach Juice's can will be deigned to look like a juice box. "It will even look like it has a straw on the side of it. It's basically going to be the adult version of a juice box," she says.
Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier), Twitter (@ryancormier) and Instagram (@ryancormier).