Dogfish Head Ale craft brewery may be in Milton, Delaware, but its "heart" is in Southport. Sam and Mariah Calagione founded the brewery in 1995 at what Sam describes as the "smallest brewery" in America in Bristol, Delaware.

But the brew was inspired by Sam's seasonal home in Maine. "Our spiritual home is Southport, Maine because I named it after Dogfish Head," he said. "We wanted to build a nautical brand for the ale which resonated up and down the East Coast. The logo is a shark and a shield which is a really cool way to represent us."  

Dogfish Head Beach is a serene, secluded stretch of coastline nestled along the Atlantic Ocean. The beach offers soft, sandy shores, gentle waves and scenic views.

Thirty years later, the couple is celebrating a successful brand which has long since outgrown the original brewery. July 26, Dogfish Head Ale fans and friends congregated at Southport General Store to celebrate the company's success as part of a year-long celebration.

The Calagiones previously hosted celebrations this summer in Delaware and Provincetown and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This is the company's second time celebrating its brand. In 2015, a similar celebration occurred for the 20th anniversary.

For Sam, the day is about celebrating the ale's success with his friends, family and fans of his brew. "I'm excited about interacting with fans of the Dogfish Head brand. I'm glad that several of my co-workers came here from Delaware. It's a long strange trip, it's been, once said by the Grateful Dead," he said.

Dogfish Head's top selling ale was inspired by the Grateful Dead. Sam described his Dogfish Head Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale as being made with kernza, a sustainable harvested grain. "It's made with granola as a homage to the band, a classic parking lot meal at a Grateful Dead show and super-drinkable at 5.3% alcohol."

One of the Calagiones' many friends and fans is WBLM disc jockey Herb Ivy, who is better known as "The Captain." He was joined by another WBLM broadcaster, Mike Adams. "I'm proud to be in Southport, today," Ivy said. "I've known Sam for years, and he asked us to be part of it. We will provide cut-ins throughout the celebration."

Sam has a longstanding friendship with the Yentsch family whose business, Ebenecook Oyster Co. in Boothbay Harbor, was a vendor. "You see that guy over there, I met him, Colin Yentsch, when I was 14 years old," he said. "I walked into the YMCA to get my driver's license, and we've been best friends ever since."

Other friends who served as vendors were Green Bee of Brunswick which produces honey-flavored drinks and sparkling waters. "We are fans of Dogfish and friends with Sam, so he invited us," said Drew Kinkade of Green Bee.

Grain Surf Boards in York sells surf boards and belly boards. "We designed a special belly board for the event," said owner and friend to the Calagiones, Mike Lavecchia.

Indie Rock band Nikki and the Barn Boys provided the musical entertainment. The band is based in Cape Cod. Southport General Store owners Todd and Barbara Leland hosted the event and are friends of the Calagiones'. The event had 300 tickets available at $60 each.