Dewey and Friends Beer Festival Update

This past weekend, I attended the Dewey and Friends Beer Festival in Dewey Beach. Honestly, it was an absolute blast. The festival featured beers from all over the country, plus a handful from Canada. Overall, they covered every style you could want—IPAs, lagers, fruited sours, and stouts. Many of the breweries in attendance are some of the most sought after in the beer world. Now, I’m here to share my experience.

Friday Night Beer Share at Dewey Beer Company

The weekend kicked off Friday night at Dewey Beer Company with an awesome beer share for locals and industry folks. Personally, I love the idea of a beer share, especially since they don’t happen nearly as often as they used to. People brought tons of random bottles I hadn’t seen in a long time. For example, Side Project, Messorem cans, Anchorage, Angry Chair, and Cycle bottles were just a few. Without a doubt, the selection overwhelmed me in the best way possible.

However, I kept it light knowing we had a long Saturday ahead. First, I sampled a Messorem can and had an Ever Grain rice lager. Surprisingly, the rice lager was awesome for a style I don’t usually gravitate toward. Additionally, I enjoyed a Dewey Pizzeta—an Italian pilsner we keep at the store.

Saturday: The Festival Begins

The festival officially started Saturday at noon. Right from the start, it was packed. Most attendees seemed to opt for the VIP experience.

In particular, I was especially excited to try beers from Canadian breweries that rarely make it to the U.S. Messorem was the only one we see stateside, and even then, it’s draft only and incredibly hyped right now. Over the past year, their hazy IPAs have been some of the best I’ve had. As a result, I’m always on the lookout for them at bars around Chester County. Fortunately, Bierhaul and 320 Market in Media, PA do a great job of keeping their beers on draft.

Local Breweries Represent

Meanwhile, a strong showing came from some of our local favorites. Hidden River, Carbon Copy, Human Robot, and New Trail all attended and poured fantastic beers.

Notably, Mike LaRosa from New Trail poured a brand-new West Coast pilsner he’s developing for their year-round lineup. At 5%, it was crisp and refreshing. In fact, it reminded me a lot of our Bier Beer collab with them. Consequently, I’m really excited for its official release, expected in late 2026 or early 2027.

Standout Breweries

Bakes Brewing (New Jersey)

One of the standout breweries for me was Bakes Brewing out of New Jersey. They specialize in IPAs and DIPAs. Although I’ve followed them for a while, this was my first time tasting their beers. Fortunately, they did not disappoint.

Honestly, I think they brought some of the best IPAs at the festival. Their DIPA, General Garret, clocks in at 8.2%. In fact, it was so good I had to go back for seconds.

Trace Brewing (Pittsburgh)

Another brewery that really impressed me was Trace Brewing out of Pittsburgh. This was my first experience with

 their beers. Everything I tried was extremely well done. Moreover, their can branding also stood out in a big way.

Ultimately, my favorite was their Schwarzbier. Therefore, I’d highly recommend making a stop at their brewery if you’re ever in the Pittsburgh area.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I’d give the Dewey and Friends Beer Festival an A+. From start to finish, the entire experience was a ton of fun. During the weekend, I got to catch up with a lot of beer friends and met plenty of new people. Hopefully, I made some connections to bring new beers into the Beermill.

Also, I can’t wait to crack into the beer we received in the goodie bag from Dewey—a massive stout that sounds incredible.