Mariah and Sam Calagione outside the new Miami taproom, Dogfish Head Miami.
over two decades. I was the chairman of the board of the Brewers Association, which is the trade group that represents the vast majority of the now over-8000 American indie craft breweries. And as a fellow indie craft brewery owner, Jim Koch was on that board with me. We became great friends; we did collaborative beers together. And we could just tell — Mariah and I — when we hung out with him and his co-workers, that it was just a really similar vibe to our company culture, meaning “people first, product second,” a love for innovation, and a love for pushing ideas outside the box, whether it was beer, spirits, or hotels or seltzers. So we shared all of that, aligned our forces, and away we went! Our collective company, Boston Beer, grew double digits last year. We’ve invested more and more in our Delaware properties since the merger, [creating] dozens more jobs in Delaware, [investing] millions of dollars in more expansion in our breweries, and, as of a month ago, even opened Dogfish Head Miami. So, I’d say the ride has been intense and fun! O&A: Both companies have been staunch supporters of the craft beer industry, but the personality of each is a little different. Also, the founders — you and Jim Koch — have two different personalities. Can you tell me a little bit more about that friendship with Jim Koch? Calagione: Well, I think we’re complementary. And there are actually lots of leaders in our midst: David Burwick, our CEO [of Boston Beer Company]; Mariah Calagione, my co-founder, and now a very important leader as well at the Boston Beer Company. We all kind of have our unique and complementary superpowers. And I guess like you said, we are a little different than each other. I started out of college as an English major and went from waiting tables to opening this culinary-centric, off-centered brewery, whereas Jim got his multiple degrees at Harvard and worked for a short time as a business consultant. So, yes, he comes from the more buttoned-up beer world, but he grew up in a family of brew-masters in Ohio and [became] a homebrewer. We both essentially started with a homebrewers’ passion. And now we’re just kind of homebrewing on a much larger scale. ►
FRIDAYS Bringing you fresh, local, and seasonal produce and honey as well as some of the best local artisanal food and handicraft.
BELLEVUE, 3-7 PM 510 DUNCAN ROAD NORTH WILMINGTON
BEHIND BELLEVUE COMMUNITY CENTER THIRD FRIDAYS MUSIC, FOOD TRUCKS AND MORE!
CAROUSEL, 2-6 PM 3700 LIMESTONE ROAD PIKE CREEK
GLASGOW, 3-7 PM
US 40 & DE 896 NEWARK/BEAR/GLASGOW RAIN OR SHINE NEWCASTLEDE.GOV/FARMERSMARKETS NEW CASTLE COUNTY EXECUTIVE MATT MEYER DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES
JULY 2021
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