These days, just about any craft brewery can pull off a beer and food pairing event, but now Dogfish Head is taking the umami experience to a whole new level.
Last year’s test launch of a 60 Minute IPA-infused “hop-pickle” has evolved into a new line of beer-centric food items developed in collaboration with a range of artisanal producers.
Dogfish Head today unveiled its latest foray into food with the introduction of a line of beer brats and a canned clam chowder, all made with various Dogfish brews. The company also announced the nationwide availability of its Hop-Pickle, a co-branded food item produced by Brooklyn Brine.
The four different varieties of brats — Spicy Espresso, Greek Feta, Heirloom Italian and Bratwurst — are produced by Hans, a division of Coleman Natural. Dogfish Head has partnered with Sea Watch International, the largest harvester and processor of clam products in the world to create its ‘Hard-Tak Chowder.’
Since opening its doors in 1995, Dogfish Head has utilized its brand name for a variety of consumer products. Over the past 18 years, the Delaware-based craft brewery has produced sodas, spirits and even a beer-infused shampoo.
In his 2005 book, Brewing Up A Business, Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione offered his reasoning for extending the brand to non-beer products.
“I’m constantly trying to orient my co-workers toward thinking of Dogfish Head not as a company that sells beer or food or whatever but as a company that sells a significant, valuable, and innovative experience,” he wrote. “When our company was nothing more than a business plan and a logo, the idea of a Dogfish Head Experience sounded like delusions of grandeur. Today it is a growing, albeit still small, reality that is grounded on a continuing theme of innovation.”
You can learn more about Dogfish Head’s beer-centric foods in the company’s latest blog post.