Off Centered

Okay, no surprise I'm writing about them again as they appear several times on my Top 10, but what is it that makes a Brewery like Dogfish Head so successful and so recognizable?  I'll get to that in a moment.  I don't think there is any way to argue the accomplishments of Dogfish Head.  Owner, Sam Calagione, started Dogfish in 1995, on a 12 gallon brewing system brewing 2 to 3 times a day and 5 to 6 days a week to meet demand.

Now, I'll take a moment and step out of the beer geek language and speak in laymen's terms.  Step out of your profession, what you know best, and into a casual hobby.  Not a hobby that's been perfected, but something you may have done a handful of times.  Couple that with inferior equipment or gear and you are beginning to get the picture.  Open in a cursed location (all prior operations had failed) in a state that does not yet see as legal, what you are wanting to do.

I'm not entirely sure how you could miss this being a recipe for success.  However, today Dogfish has grown to a projected 170,000 barrels brewed and distributed on a 100 barrel system for 2012 and $52 million in sales revenue last year.  Not too shabby for what Sam has turned into possibly one of the top 10 largest craft breweries in the U.S.

So what made Sam and Dogfish a success.  He created a niche, he followed his passion and he strived for perfection.  He knew what he wanted to do and he didn't let what was "the norm" define him.  He was, and still is, out of the box.

What's you passion?  Go for it!  There's nowhere to go but up.

Cheers