National Aquarium and Dogfish Head Partner in Creation of SeaQuench Ale

National Aquarium and Dogfish Head Partner in Creation of SeaQuench Ale (Photo: WBOC)

The refreshing, light, sour ale tasting of limes and salt, also known as Dogfish Head’s SeaQuench Ale, is much more than just a revitalizing treat.

Dogfish Head Brewery’s SeaQuench Ale is a session sour quencher made with lime peel, black lime and sea salt. Dogfish Head calls it a citrusy-tart union of three German styles of beer blissfully brewed into one. Sam Calagione, owner and founder of Dogfish Head, says this ale is unlike any other.

“The production process is really unique and really special,” Calagione says.

According to Calagione, they begin by brewing a straightforward Kolsch with a lot of wheat and Munich Malt, then they brew a salty Gose with black limes, coriander and sea salt. This process is followed up with a citrusy-tart Berlinerweiss made with lime juice and lime peel. All three beers are then blended together in the fermentation tank to create the German hybrid.

(Photo by Justin Williams for Dogfish Head)

The new kid on the block isn’t just a beer, it’s a collaboration with the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

“We are proud to be a Chesapeake area company, we’re really proud that one of the worlds most reknown aquariums, the National Aquarium, is a Chesapeake based company as well. We kind of sent the bat signal out to the National Aquarium, who we’ve been partnered with since 2010, and today we want to retro-engineer sea salt inspired from that found at the mouth of the Chesapeake.”

According to Calagione, the scientists at the National Aquarium are currently recreating different oceans from around the world under one roof in Baltimore.

“They’ve got the right set of tools to analyze, you know to molecularize, on another level, what’s found at the mouth of the Chesapeake. They gave us that laundry list of ingredients, we recreated it for the SeaQuench beer.”

Dogfish Head isn’t the only one excited about the partnership. John Racanelli, National Aquarium CEO, says the aquarium is looking forward to combining its efforts to achieve great things for the people and places of the Chesapeake Bay and beyond.

“The National Aquarium’s partnership with Dogfish Head is a natural collaboration due to our shared commitment to fostering community, nourishing artistic advancement and innovation, and cultivating environmental stewardship,” Racanelli says.

In addition to the brew partnership, Dogfish Head has made a philanthropic donation over the next two years to help the aquarium with its initiatives. Calagione goes as far as saying the aquarium’s initiatives are Dogfish Head’s initiatives.

“They are passionate about conservation, they are passionate about sustainability, they are even passionate about the awesome fisheries of the Chesapeake region, very involved with leadership positions on the Seafood Smart program, so, it all works,” Calagione says.

Dogfish Head Beer taps at Chesapeake & Maine (Photo: Lauren Hitch/WBOC)

According to Calagione, water conservation is critical at Dogfish Head. The company has recently invested in a multi-million dollar placement of a water treatment program to capture the vast majority of the water they use in production. In addition, Dogfish Head is creating its own energy from the process of collecting that water.

“The National Aquarium has many different programs that are all about building awareness for protecting our oceans and our inter-coastal waters and so it was perfectly lined for us to do this together,” Calagione says.

Love for the sea is not only prevalent in Dogfish Head’s beer, but also in its food programs. One specific program Dogfish Head is extremely proud to be working with the National Aquarium on is the Seafood Smart program, a program designed to build recognition and help the sustainability of the Chesapeake area’s fisherman.

Dogfish Head believes strongly in supplying fresh, locally caught seafood to the many restaurants throughout the Chesapeake region. Dogfish Head’s newest establishment, Chesapeake & Maine, offers fresh seafood sourced exclusively from the Maine and Chesapeake regions. Zach, Chesapeake & Maine’s executive chef,  is a proud council member of the Seafood Smart program, among other hospitality luminaries from the Chesapeake region.

Lobster Roll (Photo by: Chesapeake & Maine)

The big question on beer lovers minds: is salt an ingredient typically used in beer? Calagione says in the context of the best-selling, light lager that the world’s biggest conglomerates make, salt might seem a little bit odd, but not for Dogfish Head. Calagione says not only is the salt placement in the SeaQuench Ale refreshing, it’s great for hydration.

If you grab one for yourself, you’ll notice the National Aquarium logo on the SeaQuench Ale label. Dogfish’s brewed ales and handcrafted spirits will be showcased in the Aquarium’s café year-round and offered at select Aquarium events.

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