Dogfish Head Brewery Tours 2014

Discussion in 'New England' started by CraftBeerTastic, Jul 17, 2014.

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  1. CraftBeerTastic

    CraftBeerTastic Initiate (0) Jun 22, 2011 Pennsylvania

    Has anyone else noticed that the current first-come first-serve tour scheduling makes it super difficult to get a tour at the Dogfish Head brewery in Milton, DE? Granted the old online system always seemed booked up, but atleast a guy could schedule a month or two out and have a chance at a tour. Instead I wasted an entire day of my vacation waiting around for an open spot, and still ended up getting turned away.
     
  2. cryme

    cryme Crusader (413) Jun 29, 2011 Delaware

    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.
     
  3. CraftBeerTastic

    CraftBeerTastic Initiate (0) Jun 22, 2011 Pennsylvania

    Was there at 1:00 for 1:30 tour on Tuesday. It was full so put name in for next tour at 3:30. Showed up for that and was greeted with a big sign that said all tours were full for remainder of the day. Checked with a couple staff members running around in tasting room, they said somebody would be with me...talked to another party who was told the same thing. Waited around for half hour and then just left. I get the feeling Dogfish is becoming so commercialized they may start neglecting the original fans who got them started. It's just the impression I'm getting here. I never had trouble getting a tour in the past with thier online registration.
     
  4. atothesquiz

    atothesquiz Initiate (0) May 2, 2011 New York

    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.
     
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  5. CraftBeerTastic

    CraftBeerTastic Initiate (0) Jun 22, 2011 Pennsylvania

  6. cryme

    cryme Crusader (413) Jun 29, 2011 Delaware

    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.
     
  7. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Out of curiosity, when did they change their tour policy? The website simply notes that they've changed their system to acccommodate as many guests as possible (which makes no sense to me; why would switching to a first come, first served basis accommodate more tour goers). As I recall, even when there were last minute cancellations, you still usually had a number of folks dropping by to see if there might be some last minute opening for a scheduled tour.

    I'm glad they had the old system in place when I visited, as I'd have been really, really pissed if I drove all the way up to Milton from Baltimore for nothing. In fact, having the current system would have been a deal killer for me, as there is no way I'd want to spend all that time on the road without some guarantee of doing the tour upon arrival. At least from my standpoint, the current system is very "unaccommodating."
     
    #7 John_M, Jul 17, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2014
  8. CraftBeerTastic

    CraftBeerTastic Initiate (0) Jun 22, 2011 Pennsylvania

    I feel your pain as I drove close to 200 miles for a tour. I believe this is the first year with thier new antiquated tour scheduling system. And I was so looking forward to seeing the new DFH brew house and bottling facility. Oh well. I am super pissed!
     
  9. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Living on the East Coast, doing the DFH tour was something I felt I practically had to do before moving back to the West Coast. While I'm not the biggest DFH fan, I have to say they really do a very nice tour. It's informative, not too long, and the tour guides are knowledgeable and funny. So I really hope it works out that you're able to go on the tour at some point.

    Maybe they'll reconsider the current policy at some point, or maybe at least start taking reservations again during slower months.
     
    drtth likes this.
  10. gillagorilla

    gillagorilla Pooh-Bah (2,691) Feb 27, 2013 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah

    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).
     
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  11. CraftBeerTastic

    CraftBeerTastic Initiate (0) Jun 22, 2011 Pennsylvania

    Yeah...I feel the second a world renowned craft brewery starts trying to cut costs...that's when it stops being about the craft, and becomes more about product volume and sales. A guy may as well go tour AB-Inbev.
     
  12. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    According to the website, they still give out free samples (max of 4), even if you're there just waiting around for a tour (or even if you wait in vain and can't go on one). That still wouldn't make me feel any less pissed off if I missed the tour, as I'm fully capable of purchasing my own beer. Also, unless things have changed at the new facility, it's not as if they pour anything at the tasting room that you can't find back home (unlike the brewpub, where they typically have 3 or 4 experimental batches from the on premise brewery there).

    I agree. I really wish they would revisit this "new and improved" tour system, and go back to allowing at least some limited number of reservations each day. Can you imagine someone coming out from Oregon (just as an example), and learning that he was unable to include a DFH tour in his plans because of this new policy? He might never buy DFH beer ever again. :-)
     
  13. CraftBeerTastic

    CraftBeerTastic Initiate (0) Jun 22, 2011 Pennsylvania

  14. emandrisdad

    emandrisdad Devotee (366) Sep 30, 2002 New Jersey

    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.
     
  15. CraftBeerTastic

    CraftBeerTastic Initiate (0) Jun 22, 2011 Pennsylvania

    Not sure where us non-drunk beer geeks fit into this reply...please elaborate.
     
  16. emandrisdad

    emandrisdad Devotee (366) Sep 30, 2002 New Jersey

    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.
     
  17. CraftBeerTastic

    CraftBeerTastic Initiate (0) Jun 22, 2011 Pennsylvania

    Oh I got you bro. Yeah well I had a couple non-drinking DFH fans with me (more into the brewing process that is) so the number of samples on tap would not have helped matters. Plus I think it's interesting that DFH recently opened thier new Inn / motel in Lewes and suddenly changed thier tour registration policy to cater to people who have some disposable time within a close proximity of the Milton brewery.
     
  18. gillagorilla

    gillagorilla Pooh-Bah (2,691) Feb 27, 2013 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah

    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.
     
  19. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I've probably had too much to drink tonight (a visit down to Caldera brewing in Ashland Oregon can lead to that), so I hope this doesn't come out wrong.

    What happened to you dude? I remember when you first joined BA barely more than a year ago, and you were almost like a puppy. You were excited and pleased by everything, and it seemed like you were just learning about craft beer and you were excited by everything that involved beer. Now you're this smart, savvy, knowledgeable guy who dispenses good advice and smart recommendations left and right. You have learned much grasshopper. :slight_smile:

    Anyway, I completely agree with your observations, and you pretty much echo my own thoughts and feelings about the new policy. I don't think there's really any up side to having DFH fans mistakenly driving long distances for a tour, just so out of frustration they decide to hang out and buy more beer and/or schwag. One thing I will say though... I think emandrisdad is right about happy hour in the tasting room. At least that was the case when I last visited (which admittedly, was several years ago). In addition to the free samples, you can buy glasses and growlers of beer, and I'm pretty sure I recall them having special prices during happy hour (which were a very good deal). In fairness, I actually think it's great that Sam has all these policies in place that appear to support locals in the area, especially as I don't (or didn't) get the impression there were a whole lot of other decent craft beer options in Milton. That being said, DFH obviously has a national presence now (I even bought a glass of Palo Santo Marron on tap at the local BWW here in Medford yesterday), so why wouldn't you be cognizant of that fact and encourage folks from out of town to come by and visit (which IMHO, this new policy clearly doesn't do).
     
  20. gillagorilla

    gillagorilla Pooh-Bah (2,691) Feb 27, 2013 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah

    I was really worried this was gonna go the other way, but I'm glad it didn't :grimacing:. 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.
     
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