Nearly every Delaware brewery is gathering under one roof. It promises to get goofy
The seventh annual 302 Beer Drinkers' Choice Awards will once again be held this weekend in Lewes.
Nearly every brewery company in the state ― 23 out of 29 ― will be under one roof with two of their brews to taste at the goofiest beer festival in the First State.
What is the 302 Beer Drinkers' Choice Awards?
Both beer brewers and craft beer lovers can be a silly lot. And this beer festival is especially made just for them.
Sure, the festival allows Delaware beer drinkers to vote for their favorite First State frosty, but the costumed, fun-filled event is more than that.
Awards also include Most Creative Beer, Best Brewery Costume, Best Brewery Booth and Best Drinkers Costume. The beer-makers aren't the only ones who will be in costume ― ticket-holders should get dressed up in the "craziest and most outlandish costume imaginable" and join in the fun as well for a chance to win the Golden Mug award.
"Hijinks are highly encouraged, especially on social media where participating breweries and their brewers will ruthlessly (our definition is different than yours) engage in the fine art of trash talk, all in good taste," organizers have promised in the past. The trending hashtag is #302BDCA.
When and where will it be held?
This year's 302 Beer Drinkers' Choice Awards will be held Sunday, March 24, from noon to 4 p.m. at Crooked Hammock Brewery at 36707 Crooked Hammock Way in Lewes.
What breweries will be there serving?
If you've been smacking your lips wanting to try beers from Delaware breweries you've never been to, save some gas money and hit them all in one spot.
These are the participating breweries this weekend: Bellefonte, Wilmington Brew Works, Thompson Island, Big Oyster, Midnight Oil, Volunteer, Ocean View, Crooked Hammock, Twisted Irons, Dewey Beer, Mispillion River, 38°-75°, Iron Hill, JAKL Beer Works, Dogfish Head, Revelation, Autumn Arch Beer Project, First State, Brick Works, Stewart's, Dew Point, Stitch House and Bethany.
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The six Delaware brew companies missing in action from this year's festival are Argilla, Loakal Branch, Hangman, 1937, Musings Fermentation Underground and Dog Pirate.
How do I get tickets and how much do they cost?
Tickets for the beer festival cost $55 or $15 for nondrinking designated drivers. Open only to those 21 and older. For details and tickets, go to crookedhammockbrewery.com/beer-drinkers-choice-awards-2024.
What beers will be there to sample?
Of the 46 beers up for grabs, here is the breakdown of varieties: IPAs (16), sours (eight), other (six), lagers (five), stouts (four), saisons (two), farmhouse ales (one) and Belgians (one).
They include:
Wilmington Brew Works: Crux Australis & Hazy Tang
Thompson Island: Good Times DIPA & Crossing the DE
Big Oyster: Hot Mess Sour & Swipe Right Hazy IPA
Midnight Oil: Cosmic Torment & Karaoke Fist Fight
Volunteer: Science Notes & Positive Ripples: Prickly Pear Sour
Ocean View: Modus Operandi & Anniversary DIPA
Crooked Hammock: Joint Collaboration IPA & Head in the Clouds
Twisted Irons: The Devil May Care & Tan Lines
Dewey Beer: Secret Machine Berry Bounty & Dirt Pursuit
Mispillion River: Peppermint Daddy & Cherry Bomb Sour
38°-75°: Welcome, This is a Farmhouse & The Goat
Iron Hill: Philly Phavorite IPA & Russian Imperial Stout
JAKL: Hops Spring Eternal & White Cap Day Dreams
Dogfish Head: Unproper English & 302 Lager
Revelation: Grateful Nation & Razz Sour
Autumn Arch: Mid-Atlantic Funk & Table Hazy
First State: Confection Dissection Fruited Sour and Circle Theory Hazy IPA
Brick Works: Chocolate Covered Pretzel & Paint It Gold
Stitch House: Percolator & Madone!
Bethany: Red Tide Ale & Seamark Saison
Bellefonte: Roasted Stout with Marshmallow & Beer Maize: Purple Corn India Pale Pils
Stewart's: Not identified as of press time
Dew Point: Not identified as of press time
Who are the defending champions?
Big Oyster Brewery won the Fan Favorite Beer vote for Hot Mess, a sour with flavors ranging from strawberry, mango and papaya to marshmallow and almonds.
Other winners included: Most Creative Beer (Iron Hillfor Peaches and Cream milkshake IPA), Best Brewery Costume (Wilmington Brew Worksas Ted Lasso), Best Brewery Booth (Mispillion Riverwith its "Star Wars" theme and Best Guest Costume (team dressed as characters from "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.")
What to look for?
Organizers point out that last year's winning beer, Big Oyster's Hot Mess sour, will be back for anyone who missed it last year.
As for a possible winner this year: Wilmington Brew Works is not bringing back two-time winning Luau Punch Milkshake Sour for the first time in three years, so that's one major contender off the table.
And even though Dewey Beer has the best-rated Delaware beers on Untappd and is the freshly crowned best brewpub in America by USA TODAY’s 10Best, they have never won. They are bringing two new beers this weekend in an attempt to change that.
How did it get started?
Launched in 2017, 302 Beer Drinkers' Choice Awards was created by Crooked Hammock to have a day when the breweries could come together and have fun while lampooning the seriousness of award shows at the same time, festival host and Crooked Hammock owner Rich Garrahan has said.
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Like the award shows, the brewers and their co-workers "dress up" for the festival, as do the beer lovers who gulp the good stuff.
An hour before the doors open, the brew crews gather for a jovial breakfast buffet, which (surprise, surprise!) also involves alcohol.
"The expectation is for them to enjoy themselves as much as the guests," Garrahan said last year. "It's just intended to be really silly and fun."
Case in point: The brewery that wins the Fan Favorite Beer takes home a WWE-style championship belt that's passed on to winners year after year.
Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of DelawareOnline/The News Journal at [email protected] or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier) and Twitter (@ryancormier).
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 302 Beer Drinkers' Choice Awards is back at the beach
