Beer-centric brats now available at more than 50 Northeast grocery stores

Monday, September 09, 2013

When we started selling beer-infused brats this spring at our coastal Delaware brewery, visitors gobbled them up and asked for more.

Light bulb! Let's get these brats in stores, we thought. And here we are.

Our four brats – Spicy Espresso, Greek Feta, Heirloom Italian and the classic Bratwurst – are now available at more than 50 Northeast retailers, including Kings Food Markets, Balducci's, Food Bazaar and Murphys Markets.

Heirloom ItalianHeirloom Italian is based on a recipe from founder Sam Calagione's family.

The brats are made with Hans All-Natural, a division of Coleman Natural, using off-centered ingredients and infused with beers like Midas Touch, Chicory Stout and Raison D'Etre. They’re the perfect culinary counterpoint to our off-centered ales.

The founder of Hans had a passion for exotic flavors, and he traveled the world to come up with unique brat recipes. Sound familiar? Here’s the lineup:

  • * Spicy Espresso Brats are made with espresso powder, minced habanero and cumin. A touch of Chicory Stout is a smooth, chocolatey foil to the mild heat.
  • * The Greek Feta Brat is made with feta cheese, mint, spinach, cumin, lemon and a dose of Midas Touch. 
  • * The Heirloom Italian Brat is based on a recipe from Dogfish founder Sam Calagione’s family. Sam’s great-grandmother used pork, fennel and red pepper in her classic Italian brat. If it was good enough for her, it’s good enough for us. (Well, the Italian gets a helping of beer/wine/mead hybrid Midas Touch for good measure!)
  • * Bratwurst, the classic, is made with white pepper, coriander, mace (a cousin of nutmeg) and mustard. It wouldn’t be Dogfish without an off-centered twist, so the Bratwurst is dosed with Belgian dark ale Raison D’Etre.

Hans, a division of Coleman Natural, is committed to natural and organic animal-raising practices. The meat used for Dogfish brats is from animals raised in low-stress environments with no antibiotics or hormones, and fed an all-vegetarian diet with no animal by-products. They’re super, they’re natural, they’re supernatural.

At Dogfish Head's Milton, Del., brewery, prepared brats, Hard-Tack Chowder and Hop-Pickles are available from 11-6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday from Bunyan’s Lunchbox. They're also available to-go from both the brewery and nearby brewpub, Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in Rehoboth Beach, Del.