REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE

Completing a Rehoboth Beach expansion beyond its brewpub two doors down, Dogfish Head also operates a proprietary beer and liquor store plus a nautical-themed seafood and suds tavern named CHESAPEAKE & MAINE since 2016. Inside a shipping vessel-like engine room serving Dogfish Head beer, scratch-made spirits and cocktails alongside fine seafood, C&M features an exquisite white marble top bar with beautiful aquamarine columns, gleaming white tile and engineered wood floors.

A raw bar at the entrance and a small banquet room in the back sidle several two and four seat tables – a few by the window. Thirsty landlubbers will enjoy the 20 central draught selections and sports lovers will enjoy the televised competition.

I enjoyed seared rockfish for dinner while consuming five previously untried Dogfish elixirs.

Corn-sugared sweetness contrasted salty lemon-fizzed souring of dry kolsch, Eddy & Maud, picking up mild perfumed herbage atop its white bread base.

Classic summertime pale ale, Still Pale After Summer, let mild lemony grapefruit and orange rind bittering gain light pining (and peachy guava-mango wisps) atop sugary cereal malts.

Classic American IPA, No Time For Sippin’, forwarded sweet orange peel zesting and candy-glazed tangerine, mango, passionfruit and peach tanginess to piney hop dryness over caramelized wheat.

Meanwhile, double dry-hopped IPA, Setlist Shuffle, left piney citrus expectancy in the dust as tart blueberry, passionfruit and redcurrant seeped thru delicate caramelized wheated oats creaming.

On the dark side, nutty dark chocolate and coffee paraded thru oak-aged porter, Cannon Aid, leaving subtle burgundy, black cherry and bitter vanilla extract illusions to fend its ashen hop char.