This year, with pandemic restrictions lifted, the Friends of Gambrinus is encouraging in-person celebrations of Delaware’s King Gambrinus Day, April 11, in tap and tasting rooms around the First State.
The group hopes Delaware’s beer, cider, mead, spirits, and wine producers will celebrate the day with king-themed events, drink specials, and house toasts to the state’s industry and, of course, the mythical inventor of beer, King Gambrinus. Businesses closed on Monday may hold their celebrations on Sunday, April 10 instead. [Not a valid template]
The public can join the Friends of Gambrinus at Midnight Oil Brewing Company, Glasgow, on April 11 at 7 p.m. for the annual statewide toast to Gambrinus and Delaware’s craft beverage producers. The event will be simulcast via Facebook Live.
Alli Schell, vice president of the Friends of Gambrinus, said, “What better day to pay homage to Delaware’s bringers of good cheer – our craft producers – than on April 11, the day dedicated to the mythical inventor of beer, Gambrinus?”
Schell’s organization is heading up a public campaign to restore Delaware’s 140-year-old King Gambrinus statue and return it to public display. According to Schell, the sculpture is the most significant artifact from Delaware’s golden age of brewing in the 19th century, and its restoration is a symbol for the revival of the industry.
The Friends of Delaware’s Gambrinus Statue, Inc. is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization whose mission is to renovate Delaware’s King Gambrinus statue for donation to the Delaware History Museum for long-term presentation and preservation.
The zinc statue’s history dates back to a brewery that closed, with the building demolished to make way for I-95. The statue then spent time at a restaurant that later became Harry’s Savoy Grill. Sadly, the statue broke into several pieces and requires major restoration.
Honoring Ukraine and Zelenskyy
Autumn Arch Beer Project, one of my favorites for carryout four-packs, is paying tribute to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with one of its sours.
The world has come to admire the heroic president whose nation stood up to Russia and an invasion that has now resorted to shelling civilian targets, Ukraine is striking back with an offensive against some Rusian positions,
In a social media post, Autumn Arch suggested that customers “raise a glass to those who stand up and confront jackasses.”
Also worth noting is Wilmington Brew Works and a beer that came out of a recipe from a Ukraine brewery that has converted its operations to produce Molotov Cocktail weapons. The brewery encouraged other breweries to copy its recipe. A percentage of sales from the Autumn Arch beer goes to Red Cross relief efforts.
This week, Iron Hill brought out its tribute brew
If you stop by one of their locations tonight, proceeds from your brew, the Resist Ukrainian “Anti-Imperial” Stout, will go to Red Cross humanitarian efforts.
After today, $10 per bottle will go to the Red Cross effort. Resist comes with a 9.8% alcohol content, not exactly a lawnmower beer.
Also, all proceeds from Iron Hill’s Rye of the Tiger 12 ounce draft tonight and $1 every day thereafter will go to the relief effort.
Liquid Alchemy canning cider offerings
The Liquid Alchemy meadery near Wilmington added a canning line of its popular ciders, with Standard Distributing making the offerings available at liquor stores and restaurants.
Now available are cans of In-Core-Rigible, The-Light-Cider, The-Dark-Cider, and Deeply-Rooted.
The cans are selling well, and Liquid Alchemy sees a market for canned ciders for picnics, beach trips, and other summer activities. In addition, smaller restaurants at the beach and other areas are interested in keeping canned cider around as an option for customers looking for a non-beer option.
Ciders account for about half of the sales at Liquid Alchemy, with honey-based mead accounting for the rest.
Other cideries in Delaware are Wilmington Brew Works and Kent County’s Rebel Seed at the Harvest Ridge winery.
There was a bittersweet note to the canned cider rollout. Liquid Alchemy released the cans on the day of the funeral of the label designer, who died of a heart issue in his early 30s.
