Dogfish Head Brewery Tours 2014

when did you show up? if the next tour is full, they should be able to put your name on the list for the next one that isn't full - unless they're booked up for that day.

 

Perhaps everyone on the 1:30 and 3:30 tours were more original of a fan than you. Hell, they probably like Korn before you as well.

 

Did you tell them your name was on the list? You should have been gone thru with the 3:30 crowd, they should have written your name down.

 

I just checked the website and WOW is that a bad system. I think they might have tried to cut out a cost, since the old system relied on an outside ticketing vendor (Eventbrite?). I went up around May last year during the construction, so I would really like to go up again since a lot has changed. Also, this time I would like to play some bocce ball or some cornhole. The new food area seems nice as well.

This policy should only be for the slower months. There really isn't too much to do there to keep busy for two hours (at least when I was there), since you probably can't do samples while waiting since you aren't on a tour. However, things might have changed and now they have food. It also depends on who you're with (kids, family or friends that don't really drink at all, which was the case with me).

 

Well look at it this way......if they still did the reservation system and a person found out they were all booked up, chances are, most people wouldn't show up at the brewery on the outside chance they'd get in. On the other hand, if its first come first served people are more apt to show up. Yes you get 4 free samples but there are generally about 14 ( a drunk estimate ) beers on tap that you can hang out and drink. Also, there is the gift shop where folks can spend more money. If it's late afternoon the happy hour deals are great (not sure if they do it during the summer months ). That being said, I'll be there in a few weeks and can't wait.

 

Please. I was guessing at how many beers they have on tap in the tasting room. 14-16-18???? I didn't do a count.

 

I see where you're coming from, but when I went to the brewery there were not that many beer options (5 or 6). I went there thinking that I would be able to sample any of their bottled beers (so I wouldn't have to buy the last few 750s and instead just get to sample them, thus saving some money). I got to sample: 60, 90, 120, Chateau Jiahu, Positive Contact and possibly one other one (those were the beers on tap, including the root beer). My friends gave me their sample tokens, since we were waiting for our tour to start and they don't really drink. The tour overall takes about an hour and a half, we were there about a half hour early.

When I was there last year during construction, you weren't able to order drinks there or get growlers, but I'm not sure where they fill those orders (I'm guessing out of the Bunyan's Lunchbox). I'm not really sure why they fill growlers, since the Brewpub is where all the special releases are. I guess you have to be a local to really enjoy that, but I mean you already have access to the freshest bottled stuff at the lowest price, so not sure why you would opt for the growler (outside of environmental reasons, which I fully support), but it has to be inconvenient to always run up there for growlers.

The first come, first serve only really benefits people that live close, are vacationing there, or don't have a fixed schedule to their vacation. It's hard to justify driving there from Baltimore for say the weekend, if I don't know that I will even get to take the tour. The new rule just introduces too much uncertainty for the destination traveler since they can't actually plan to take the tour, they have to hope to take the tour. I mean everyone will have the same idea of going there early to get it over with, but then you have a ton of people that all had the same idea that will then have to wait around for the second and third tours. It really only benefits people that have a loose schedule, live nearby, or have a lot of time to burn.

Also, are you talking about Happy Hour deals at the brewery? That seems a bit odd to have.

p.s. The shopping aspect is quite short since the room where the tour begins, samples are distributed, the to-go bottled beer, shop and cashier is in are all in one medium-sized room.

 

I was really worried this was gonna go the other way, but I'm glad it didn't . I like to learn, love trying new things, and take great joy in helping others. Max's has expedited my learning exponentially. Thanks to Bruce (I feel like you probably know him), @DrBier, @CaptFrothy, and many other people that aren't on here but were and are instrumental to my love of Max's and beer. I've always met the best, most interesting and generous people at Max's (without whom I wouldn't have had probably half of the beers I've gotten to sample). I feel that MD has a pretty small and close-knit beer community, and becoming a small part of that has been very rewarding and a lot of fun. That also makes it easy to explain and give good advice concerning beer here. My current problem (a good one) is my cellar is growing faster than I can drink it and Max's seems to always have another event (this VSB one on Saturday is going to be awesome). I kind of want to go after the Cicerone thing, but I only really know stuff from the drinking side of stuff (I did quite well on a Sam Adams Blind Taste Test during Baltimore Beer Week though, alongside @DrBier). Thanks a lot man, it means a lot coming from you. I was really hoping to meet you at Belgian Beer Fest this year, but maybe next year. I still am excited, but I've stopped the all-out sprint, starting to focus a bit more, and ease into the long-haul.

p.s. If you had told me all of the stuff I would try and see in the short time that I've been drinking, I wouldn't have believed it (the good and the bad).

I must have missed something while I was there. I really need to head back. Somehow I forgot to take a picture of the On Tap list, but I really don't remember seeing anything about Growlers or Happy Hour. I thought there was only that one part of the building where the tour started. Then, some friends at Max's showed me some pictures they took of Sam Calagione playing Bocce Ball in team uniforms. I think I need to head out either by myself on a day trip or find a beer friend to go with me that is up to wandering around the brewery. I went with like 6 or 7 others, so there wasn't much wandering to be had, since I had organized the excursion and was kind of trying to corral everyone. The brewpub is awesome though, with great food and some great special beers. The vintage cooler is great, but I wish they were to-go. I need to go back and grab some more liquor.