The Quest for the Holy Grain - Best Brew Pubs
Delaware

 

 

 

16 Mile Brewing Company
413 S. Bedford Street
Georgetown, DE 19947
302.253.8816

The 16 Mile Brewery is not a brew pub, but a microbrewery with a tasting room. Located not far from the beach in rural Georgetown, Delaware, 16 Mile is so named because Georgetown is "16 miles from anywhere" in Sussex county.
16 Mile makes three ales...a golden, an amber, and a darker American-style which actually tasted British to me. All three were clean and well-crafted, and are marketed locally in their state-of-the-art 22-ounce lined aluminum bottles. You can also get growlers filled at the brewery.
16 Mile is a brewery well worth visiting and a beer well worth drinking. Make it a stop on your next trip to the shore.

 

Iron Hill Brewery
147 East Main Street
Newark, Delaware 19711
P: 302 266.9000  

Iron Hill in Newark is among the eight (for now) locations in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey for this popular brew pub chain. The square bar seats at least 20, with lots of tables and outdoor seating. They feature 10 of their own beers on tap, and 1 cask. The staff was friendy and glad to help and make suggestions. Iron Hill was a pleasant respite on a hot day in this bustling college town.

 

Stewart's Brewing Company
219 Governors Square
Bear, DE 19701
302-836-BREW (2739)

Bear, DE is about 10 minutes off I-95 and a nice stop on the way to Philly. Stewart's Brewing Co. offers 9 draft selections of their own beer, 3 of which are seasonals. The brew works are visible and the aroma was stimulating. Brewer Ric Hoffman explained that while Stewart's always strives to satisfy the general beer-drinking populace, they have been diversifying of late, brewing more higher octane beverages, such as Belgians and barley wines. They brew about 30 beers per year. The staff was very helpful, both with beer info and directions.

 

Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats
320 Rehoboth Avenue
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
302-226-BREW

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
6 Cannery Village Center
Milton, DE 19968
302-684-1000 or 1-888-8dogfish



Dogfish Head is known throughout the Mid-Atlantic for making beers that are "strong, out-there, and over-the-top." At the time of our visit, the Rehobeth restaurant featured about 7 taps, including the 60-and 90-minute IPA's, Indian Brown Ale, and Aprihop. They offer no bottles. The restaurant is family-oriented, but the bar patrons know their brews. A visit to any of the DelMarVa resorts warrants a side trip to Dogfish Head.
All of their beer is made in their brewery in Milton, DE. They also have an outlet in Gaithersburg, MD.

 

 

Iron Hill Brewery
and Restaurant

710 South Madison Street
Wilmington, Delaware 19801
phone 302 658.8200

The Iron Hill Brewery is situated on Wilmington's scenic Christina River in the midst of many interesting attractions. Of course, the prime attraction here is the beer. Iron Hill was carefully conceived and constructed to be both modern and comfortable. The beer menu features 6 regulars and two seasonals. Those we tried were fresh, clean-tasting, and delicious. The friendly staff went out of their way to be helpful, knew a great deal about their beers, and showed great pride in their workplace.

Check out their website to view Iron Hill's impressive list of awards.

If you can't make it to Wilmington, don't despair; Iron Hill has brew pubs in Newark, West Chester, Media, and North Wales, and even other locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.