The author’s preferred mode of transportation.
Sometimes, when you work at a brewery, you forget how fun breweries are. I realize this statement defies all human logic and several laws of physics, but when you get so used to something, you tend to forget how it made you feel the first time.
But fortunately, I had that amazing “new/fun/awesome” feeling last weekend when Kathryn and I took a break from Autumn Arch and headed down to the beach. I visited ANOTHER BREWERY! *gasp*
And it was a lot of fun, mostly because it was an unplanned visit, and the universe tends to handsomely reward spontaneity.
I had taken off on my bicycle from our B&B in Lewes for a little ride into Cape Henlopen. I was cruising around, checking out the wild life, and exploring new roads when I came across a sign pointing me towards Rehoboth.
This must be new! So I took this path and it wound me around Gordon’s Pond (i.e. swamp) and dropped me off on the north side of Rehoboth. I swiftly pedaled through empty streets in a southerly direction while ignoring the delicious smells of pizza and funnel cake.
In my excitement, I rode straight past Dewey Beer Co. with just a quick realization of “oh, that’s where it is”. Apparently, I haven’t been to Dewey in many years, but because I was only half way into the bike ride, there there wasn’t time to stop for a pint. #priorities
Miles later, I sat on the beach looking out over the pancake-flat Rehoboth Inlet munching on some leftover Halloween candy, and it dawned on me that I should immediately ride back and go to a couple breweries - a fitting conclusion to an amazing bike ride.
So I called Kathryn (who was patronizing the outlets and running into Autumn Arch regulars) and recommended we meet at Revelation Brewing, a spot I have been meaning to visit for a while.
Twenty minutes later, I’m peeling off my bike gear and swinging my leg over a bar stool in Revelation’s Rehoboth tasting room. After some short banter with other Saturday morning bikers, I popped open the menu and picked out 4 beers for my flight.
The author’s preferred Saturday afternoon activity.
This is one of the most exciting parts of a first visit to a new brewery.
There’s something delightful about picking out 4 brand-new, never-tried-before beers and having them appear in front of you. It’s like a small piece of Christmas morning.
What are these beers going to be like?
Will I like them?
Will one of them blow me away?
But those questions were quickly forgotten because they actually don’t matter very much. The beauty of visiting a new brewery is sharing the excitement with someone else. So I leaned into the bar, turned towards Kathryn, and gleefully asked “so what do you think of the beers?!”
(brewer’s note: the Mother-in-Law IPA was quite delicious)