kids encyclopedia robot

Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company
Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company Logo.png
Location Dover, Delaware
United States
Opened 2007
Annual production volume 27,000 US beer barrels (32,000 hL) (2006)
Active beers
Name Type
Dominion Double D Imperial IPA
Dominion Candi Belgian Tripel
Dominion Oak Barrel Stout Stout
Dominion Hop Lips American IPA
Dominion Morning Glory Espresso Stout
Fordham Route 1 Session IPA
Fordham Gypsy Lager Lager
Fordham Copperhead Ale Red Ale
Fordham Rams Head IPA IPA
Seasonal beers
Name Type
Dominion Octoberfest Marzen
Dominion Cherry Blossom Lager Fruit Beer, Blonde Ale
Dominion GPA Grapefruit Pale Ale
Dominion Gigi's Farmhouse Ale Saison
Dominion Millennium Barleywine
Dominion Black IPL India Pale Lager
Fordham Wisteria Wheat Hefeweizen
Fordham Spiced Harvest Ale Spiced Ale
Fordham Rosie Parks Oyster Stout
Fordham Doppelbock Doppelbock

The Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company is a company that makes different kinds of beer and craft sodas. It was started in 2007 in Dover, Delaware.

This company actually makes two different brands: Fordham and Dominion. Both brands are made in the same place. In 2007, the two separate breweries joined together. By 2009, all their products were being made in Dover, Delaware. The company makes over 20 types of beer. Some are available all year, and others are special seasonal drinks. They also make tasty sodas like Root Beer, Orange Cream, Black Cherry, and Ginger Ale under the Dominion name.

History of the Brewery

Early Days of Old Dominion

Before Fordham and Dominion joined, Old Dominion Brewing used to host a big beer festival. From 1996 to 2006, this event showed off small breweries. It also featured some larger breweries from the US and Europe. The festival had more than 50 breweries and live music. It was held every year in June. Now, a different company called Vintage 50 hosts the event twice a year.

Old Dominion was also a place where many talented brewers started. Some of these brewers went on to work at famous breweries. For example, John Mallet worked at Bell's Brewery. Ron Barchet went to Victory Brewing Company. Matthew Hagerman and Favio Garcia worked at Lost Rhino Brewing Company. Kenny Allen worked at True Respite Brewing Company.

Joining Forces: Fordham and Dominion

In the mid-2000s, the owner of Old Dominion, Mr. Bailey, wanted to sell the company. In 2007, Fordham Brewing, from Annapolis, Maryland, offered to buy it. This purchase was partly funded by Anheuser-Busch (AB). AB bought a small share in the two breweries. This led to the creation of Coastal Brewing Company.

Most of Coastal Brewing is owned by Fordham Brewing Company. This company is owned by Bill Muhlhauser and other partners. Bill Muhlhauser also owns the Ram's Head Taverns in Maryland. Anheuser-Busch's small ownership share did not give them control. They had no say in how the breweries were run. They also did not influence the beer recipes. The brewery also manages its own distribution.

Changes and New Beginnings

Old Dominion used to have a special restaurant and bar called a brewpub. This brewpub was at their Ashburn brewery. It closed in August 2008. Before the sale, the brewpub was doing very well. It had sales of $2.1 million and had grown for over ten years. After the sale, the brewpub closed after 13 years.

After the sale, brewers from Old Dominion and Fordham worked together. They made sure the beer recipes stayed the same. Once the companies combined, Coastal Brewing focused on Old Dominion's most popular beers. Their Pinup Series became very popular. Their Dominion Candi, a Belgian Tripel beer, won a Gold award in 2014. The Double D Double IPA is also well-known.

In May 2009, all brewing operations moved to a new building. This new facility is in Dover, Delaware. The company's main beers continue to sell well. You can find them in many places in the DC Metro area. This includes the Great American Restaurant chain and sports arenas like Capital One Arena and Nationals Park. Old Dominion still hosts events where people can try their beers. They are a regional brewer in the Mid-Atlantic area. Their Oak Barrel Stout and Pinup Series are still popular.

In January 2011, Jim Lutz became the new President and CEO of Coastal Brewing. He used to be a sales and marketing leader at Flying Dog Brewery.

Popular Beer Types

Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company makes many different kinds of beer. Here are some of their popular choices:

Lagers

  • Fordham Gypsy Lager (5.0% alcohol)

Ales

  • Dominion Double D Double IPA (9.0% alcohol)
  • Dominion Oak Barrel Stout (5.5% alcohol)
  • Dominion Hop Lips IPA (6.0% alcohol)
  • Dominion Candi Belgian Tripel (10.0% alcohol)
  • Dominion Morning Glory Espresso Stout (9.0% alcohol)
  • Fordham Route 1 Session IPA (4.5% alcohol)
  • Fordham Copperhead Ale (5.0% alcohol)
  • Fordham Rams Head IPA (7.5% alcohol)

Special Seasonal Beers

They also have special Seasonal beers that are only available at certain times of the year:

  • Dominion Octoberfest (available in August, 5.6% alcohol)
  • Dominion Cherry Blossom Lager (available in March, 5.2% alcohol)
  • Dominion Gigi's Farmhouse Ale (available in June, 7.2% alcohol)
  • Dominion GPA Grapefruit Pale Ale (available in June, 6% alcohol)
  • Dominion Millennium Barleywine (available in November, 11% alcohol)
  • Dominion Black IPL (available in January, 5% alcohol)
  • Fordham Wisteria Wheat (available in May, 5% alcohol)
  • Fordham Spiced Harvest Ale (available in August, 6.5% alcohol)
  • Fordham Rosie Parks Oyster Stout (available in September, 5% alcohol)
  • Fordham Doppelbock (available in December, 8% alcohol)