Monk's Dinner
Dogfish Head
Sam Calagione's Book Tour
"Brewing Up A Business"
5/17/05

The President and Founder of the Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware, Sam Calagione, has been the classic story of success in business. He grew from a small brewpub business in Rehoboth Beach in 1995 and is now a regional brewery shipping beer throughout most of the U.S. and several countries. His natural enthusiasm and charisma have made him one of the most popular persons in the brewing industry today. The fast-paced growth of the company can only be contributed to his hard work, imaginative brewing, and ceaseless support of his brands.

Sam is now out on the road in support of his book, Brewing Up A Business. It is the journal of his rise to fame interspersed with anecdotes from his life experiences. He discusses his philosophy of business and tells about the mistakes he has made along the way. Sam hopes that people who desire to start their own business, no matter what kind they choose, will learn from his mistakes and make the journey a little easier.
I enjoyed the book very much though I have no designs on opening my own business. It is not a book on beer, rather a story of one man's travels through the trials and tribulations that is a startup. Anyone who knows Sam, will enjoy the book picturing him doing the things he did and saying the things he said. It is an insightful book and a must read for those embarking on the journey into business.
As for the dinner, Sam brought his usual enthusiasm with him and read excerpts of the book for the attendees. In addition, each person received a copy which would be signed by the man himself !
We enjoyed some conversation with Sam prior to the dinner. He was to attend 25 beer dinners in the next 27 days up and down the East Coast. His '05 release of Liquor de Malt is imminent as they just finished hand bottling the new batch.
The first course was a Fruit Glazed Chicken Skewer, organic chicken w/pear/ginger glaze, accompanied by Festina Lente, the peach lambic. The tartness of the Festina cut through the sweet glaze perfectly!
Next on the menu was a Fluke Seviche w/ edamame which we were told was Spanish Sushi, not exactly on our A list, But it was excellent! The fish is "cooked" in lemon juice with spices. Paired with this was an odd beer, Old Dirty Bitter, a beer brewed by Head Brewer, Bryan Selders, while Sam was away from the brewery. Sam says he did it to annoy him as it is his least favorite style, but it worked quite well.
Spicy Thai Shrimp were delivered next along with a 2003 120 Minute IPA. What a pairing! The spiciness of the shrimp was complemented perfectly by the sweetness and warmth of the 120 Minute! Everyone agreed it was the best sample of 120 Minute they've ever had.
A 2002 Raison d'Extra & Immort Ale were to come out in support of the Veal Meatloaf stuffed with foie gras torchon and black truffle, fiddlehead ferns and fingerling potatoes. The Raison was very warm and still had a lot of phenolic flavors in it. Both that and the Immort went well with the entree, however.
Next, we were served a Stinky Cheese Plate with Brescianella Stagionata and Munster Haxaire w/ dates, quince paste and filberts. 2002 Old School Barleywine cut right through the fat of the cheese and made for another fantastic pairing.
Last but not least, a Plum Tarte w/ clotted cream ice cream came to the table with a 2001 World Wide Stout. This huge beer really didn't overwhelm the dessert and was a great finish to a great evening.
As usual, Tom Peters and Adam Glickman did an excellent job of bringing the best food and the best beer to the same table. Check out this website and Monk's for the latest events.

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