2024 Wilmington Beer Week adds brews outside city

The Wilmington Beer Week expands this year to include brewers and restaurants outside the city.

Move over Philly. The craft brew scene in New Castle County, Delaware, is turning the area into a regional destination for beer lovers

“It’s very important to remind everyone how good the craft beer scene is within our state borders and urge them to enjoy more beers made locally,” said Daniel Sheridan, owner of Stitch House Brewery in downtown Wilmington. “We really do have some talented brewers around here.”

Find out for yourself during Greater Wilmington Beer Week, which runs from Feb. 27 to March 3.

The event features brewpubs, breweries and beer-centric restaurants throughout New Castle County. And if you visit just five, you might win $200 in gift certificates.

Covering the beer bases

The list of local breweries runs from large to small.

For instance, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant started in Newark but currently has 22 locations, including brewpubs in Georgia and South Carolina.

Meanwhile, Autumn Arch Beer Project in Newark is a small-batch brewery known for experimental beers.

This year, organizer Julie Miro Wenger hopes people will venture beyond the familiar and try new places and homegrown products.

Pick your town of choice.

For instance, Wilmington Brew Works, Iron Hill and Stitch House are in the city, while Hangman Brewing is in Claymont.

Bellefonte Brewing’s flagship location near Prices Corner and Dew Point Brewing Co. are in the suburbs, and Autumn Arch, Midnight Oil Brewery, Twisted Irons Craft Brewing and 1937 Brewing Co. are in Newark.

JAKL Beer Works and Crooked Hammock Brewery are in Middletown.

Stitch House Brewery was one of the Wilmington Beer Week’s OGs.

Sip and savor

Some might find the inclusion of restaurants puzzling. But there’s a logic behind the decision.

“Not everyone visits breweries, but everyone goes out to eat,” noted Craig Wensell of Wilmington Brew Works.

“We love seeing our partnering restaurants featuring our colleagues’ products, and it’s so much fun to take my production team around town, buy our own beer and chat with people who may just be trying our beer for the first time,” he continued.

The restaurants include Chelsea Tavern and Dorcea in the downtown district. Also in the area is The Chancery Market Food Hall & Bar, which has eight restaurants.

Trolley Square is well represented by Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal House & Saloon, Trolley Tap House, Kelly’s Logan House and Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen

Two Stones Pub in north Wilmington is also participating.

“Brewers hope restaurants will feature their products, and, hopefully, they will create specials and events throughout the week showcasing the local beers and collaborative beers brewed in Greater Wilmington,” Wenger said.

For instance, Grain will feature Midnight Oil Brewery and Crooked Hammock Brewery products.

Dorcea will have three local beers—Wilmington Brew Works, Midnight Oil and Twisted Irons— on tap for $2 off.

On March 2, Bellefonte Brewing Co. is doing a beer and pizza collaboration with Argilla Brewing Co. at Pietro’s Pizza.

Adding restaurants to Greater Wilmington Beer Week makes sense because not everyone drinks, but everyone eats, says WBW’s Craig Wensell.

Bring your passport

For the second year, the promotion will include a passport program. Print out the passport and have it stamped in at least five locations. Then send a photo to [email protected] to enter to win a prize.

This year’s grand prize is $250 worth of gift certificates to select venues so you can create an individualized beer tour.

The second-place prize is a $150 gift certificate, and the third is a $100 gift certificate.

Wenger said the 2023 passport program was “Wildly successful; we had hundreds of entries.”

Event sponsors include Out & About Magazine, IN Wilmington and the Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau.