Welcome! We’re launching a (hopefully) new series spotlighting some of our favorite Delaware hotspots and events and giving all our Delaware Enthusiasts the need to know for their own planning! Our first Spotlight Series subject is the Tilton Mansion, home to the University & Whist Club.
A little late, but never lacking! We promised to give you a rundown of all the book recommendations from Sara & Nicole, librarians at the New Castle Public Library, and here they are!
Hellooo, everyone! Since we’re not putting out a podcast episode this week, I thought I’d bring you something a *little* different! If you listened to our recent episode featuring Delaware brew talk, you heard some of the buzz surrounding Wilmington Brew Works. What you might not know is that WBW has started doing intimate ticketed Flights of Discovery events to give people a taste of the brews ahead of the official opening.
Anticipation of WBW is so real that their Flights of Discovery events were selling out within 30 minutes of being posted, but y’all know that I set an alarm to ensure I was ready to swipe my tickets right at the launch! Full disclosure: I missed round 1 and had to get tickets in round 2.
Even though I only had to wait a week between buying my ticket and tasting those cool, crisp and refreshing brews, I could barely contain my excitement. When Sunday afternoon hit, I was practically skipping all the way from my house to WBW.
I had a fab beer-drinking Dela Dude join me for a beer tasting, tour, and even a little history lesson with a quiz at the end. (Stacey, you bested me! But we’re coming for you next time!)
The site has such an interesting history and I love that the five owners are invested in sharing it with the public. I don’t want to steal the fab five’s thunder and give it all away, but let’s just say it has ties to the DuPont family (is there anything in DE that doesn’t?) and was passed over time and again until they spied it as a diamond in the rough.
Speaking of the owners, this behind-the-scenes event introduced me to…
Craig comes up with all the beer! He has a tough job because throughout the process he has to consistently taste test to be sure the brew is up to standards. (If he needs an assistant, I bet there are a number of people who are willing to apply.)
Keith handles all the money, which of course is an important job, but I was more interested in discovering he is a fellow podcaster! You can hear him on Movies, Cigars & A Brew.
John is the guy responsible for that awesome WBW logo I’m in love with. He also has a T-shirt company and is a member of the band Double Down.
We have Dan to thank for making sure all of the WBW beer and cider meets high standards of quality. Dan is the guru of all things yeast. From someone who has a black thumb, I’m thoroughly impressed!
From what I understand, Derek makes sure operations keep trucking along and everybody’s got their stuff under control. I think he also handles a lot of the janitorial duties. It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it, so I’m glad Derek’s there!
I know what you’re all thinking, though: “Emily, you haven’t told us anything about the BEER.”
Right, right, I guess that’s why you’re still reading. I’ll give you a peek at the five beverages currently on tap.
Traditional cider, 5.0% ABV. I enjoyed the cider, but I’m not the cider expert of the duo, so we’ll have to report back once Dara has a chance to partake.
Favors a Belgian witbier with an NE IPA bias, 4.2% ABV. Those who dare challenge me in giant Jenga at Constitution Yards know that a Blue Moon is my go-to summer pick, and I can easily make the comparison here. Throw an orange twist in and this is the perfect beer for side-sipping while playing cornhole.
Modern pale ale, 4.8% ABV. This is a fairly light beer that goes down smooth. For an APA, I deem it worthy of being in my glass.
Slightly darker Belgian dubbel, 6.68% ABV. You guys, the color on this was gorgeous, just absolutely stunning. It’s that perfect caramel color and was described as “almost dessert like.” After tasting, I can’t argue with that.
Belgian Rye Stout, 5.0% ABV. I love this beer, because the world has finally been blessed with a low ABV stout and I, for one, am here for it.
Cider – 12 oz. $5.00
Beer –
5 oz. $2.50
9 oz. $3.50
16 oz. $6.00
20 oz. $7.50
32 oz. $10.50
3×32 oz. $30.00
Something that I loved about this event was the chance to get the inside scoop on how a brewery works. A licensing tidbit I learned is that in order to continuously host both beer and wine/cider production, you have to get three different licenses/approvals in the state of DE, which just seems crazy to me!
For those who aren’t as interested in partaking, WBW also has FDA approval for production of other beverages, like a white peach lime habanero Italian soda, or a Sonic-reminiscent cherry lime soda. (FYI, the Italian sodas will come in WBW souvenir cups that you can take home.)
With so much still to try, I hope to be back soon with my fellow DelaBrew enthusiasts! The venue is beautiful, the beer was delicious and the company couldn’t have been better. If you get the chance to attend a ticketed event before they open, take it! If not, they’ll be opening soon and rumor has it there will be pizza.