Delaware’s brewing tradition reaches back nearly four centuries, to the arrival of European settlers along the Delaware River in the 17th century. Beer was already an important part of everyday life for many of the Dutch, Swedes, Finns, English, and Germans who settled the region. They brought those brewing traditions—and their taste for beer—with them to the New World.
Beer in Colonial Life
Beer was more than an intoxicating drink. It was part of the social, cultural, and dietary life of European communities and became part of colonial life as well. In places where local water sources were contaminated, beer could also offer an alternative. Although colonists did not understand the microbiology involved, boiling during the brewing process could destroy harmful microorganisms in the water.
Early Swedish, Dutch, and English settlers along the Delaware generally brewed in small batches for households and local communities. Brewing ingredients and specialized equipment could be difficult to obtain, limiting the amount of beer that could be produced.
Before Lager, There Was Ale
Until the middle of the 19th century, Delaware’s beer was ale. Unlike lager, traditional ales could ferment at relatively warm temperatures and did not require extended periods of cold storage. That made ale particularly practical in the American climate, where refrigeration was still far in the future.
The ales consumed in early Delaware would have differed considerably from many beers familiar to us today. Ingredients, brewing methods, strength, and flavor varied according to the brewer, available supplies, and brewing traditions brought from Europe.
From Home Brewing to Commercial Breweries
Brewing during the 17th and 18th centuries took place largely in homes and taverns, although a small number of breweries also operated. Larger commercial breweries became practical only as growing population centers created enough demand to support them.
New Amstel—the Dutch settlement later renamed New Castle by the English—and Wilmington emerged as Delaware’s earliest centers of commercial brewing. From these beginnings, a brewing industry would develop that eventually transformed the way Delaware made and drank beer.