Sam, Thank you for your thoughtful and honest response. I for one (likely not alone) appreciate that!
It's not my favorite, but I still see it widely available and advertised in the Detroit area. There's an obvious following there
Growing up in MD in the 90s I understand and respect the impact they had. Can't remember the last beer I had from them that didn't have fruit extract/puree/syrup/cheap candy flavor. Wouldn't think twice about stopping by the brewpub again, but yeah, they haven't really been a player for 15 years. Never really buy 60 minute, but Im sure it is still an enjoyable beer.
Thanks Sam, for stopping by, & responding. Most of my issues with DFH, aren't really with the brewery, but more issues of location, distributor(s), & trends. I look forward to more DFH brews, when opportunity & freshness allow.
DFH is my old man’s favorite brewery they’ll always hold a special place in my heart. I still grab some 90 min when I’m in the mood and every year I still do drink as much Punkin as I can. 120 min and WWS are still relevant to me as well. now if they’d just bring back Theobroma to make my dad happy haha
I’ve been back and forth on how I respond here. It depends on what you mean by relevant. I certainly drink Dogfish less than I used to. There was a time when they were one of the most radical beers I could get on a regular basis. I have great memories of downing 90 minutes 15 years ago, and knocking down the pumpkin ale every year. These days we have amazing choices all the time and reality is a brewery 3000 miles away with a national distro footprint and an established lineup is going to have a rough time staying top of mind for me. On the other hand, I had some 90 minute a week or two ago and it still holds up as a great beer. Beyond that, Dogfish walked (lopsided, occasionally sideways and always with a weird adjunct) so breweries today can run. They still brew great beer. They still push out stuff onto shelves that challenges the palates of normies. Add Sam chiming in here. All in all, less relevant, but that’s how things go in an industry that’s exploded with innovation in the last 10 years. Still quite relevant though, both to BAs, and the uninitiated masses
Such a brilliant message from this gentleman and it makes me want to pick up some 60 min IPA! What really hit a home run for me here, and reinforces my gut instinct are the notes regarding adult bev growth trends in recent years and how dynamics come into play (sales and interest are hot, cold, and then rebound again). If nowhere else, I have faith in craft beer!
I purchased a mix IPA pack yesterday at $16. Well worth. All beers were good and I have not tried the hazy yet as I don’t really enjoy them. My better half does. Slightly mighty, 60,90 and Haze, solid pack with best by August 2024 dates. Enjoy
Unfortunately for the likes of Dogfish head. The craft beer scene is once again intensely local. I love this but for medium players it's disastrous . I liked their IPAs back in the day. But have not seen much up here on a decade
It's good to know that Sam cares enough about the beer loving community to respond in the way he did. Owning a brewery right now must be very challenging with the economy, changing of drinking habits and the like. With so many breweries struggling, I'm sure they are doing the best they can.
I'm straight down the middle of the road on DFH, some of the best and the worst come from there. First, DFH beers are incredibly hard to find where I live so I'm not an expert by any means, but in the olden times when I traveled a lot I drank quite a bit of DFH. I love the 60 and 90 Minutes, not so much the 120 minutes. I had 3 bottles aging, the plan was to let them sit 2 years, and then open 1 each year. A friend came over while I was still at work, my wife told him to get a beer, and he drank all three before I got home. OTOH Punkin is still the only beer I've opened that I spit out of my mouth and had to rinse my mouth with water to remove the taste. A collaboration with a Czech brewery was slightly better but I gave away all but 2 of the six I had gotten through a mail order beer club. I appreciate all Sam has done for beer, especially in terms of historical and innovative one offs, and I hope he continues to be very successful. Like CaveDave, health issues have changed my beer consumption drastically so I really don't want to venture away from a few proven favorites.
Damn, 3 bottles of 120 Min by himself! He must’ve been feeling pretty good by the time you got home haha.
I’d say most if not all of us on BA understand and are aware of the difficulties breweries the size of DFH have had in terms of distro. A few of the beers mentioned have in recent years been brewed and available brewery only. Many others have been discontinued. But putting “deal with it” in all caps is a bit puzzling. Most people posting that they miss certain DFH beers don’t live anywhere near the brewery, so not making those beers and having them only in the brewery amount to essentially the same thing.
