Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brewing |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Dover , United States |
| Products | Beers, craft sodas |
Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company, established in 2007 in Dover, Delaware, crafts a variety of artisanal beers and craft sodas marketed under the Fordham and Dominion labels. The merger of the two breweries occurred in early 2007, with production centralized in Dover by 2009. The brewery offers more than 20 distinct beer varieties, combining both perennial and seasonal selections, alongside specialty sodas branded as Dominion, including flavors like Root Beer, Orange Cream, Black Cherry, and Ginger Ale.
History
Between 1996 and 2006, Old Dominion organized an annual beer festival that highlighted over 50 brewers from regional and international locations, accompanied by live musical performances. Subsequently, Vintage 50 took over event management and now hosts the festival twice each year.
Old Dominion has served as a starting point for several prominent brewers such as John Mallet (Bell's Brewery), Ron Barchet (Victory Brewing Company), Matthew Hagerman (Lost Rhino Brewing Company), Favio Garcia (Lost Rhino and Dynasty Brewing), and Kenny Allen (True Respite Brewing Company).
In the mid-2000s, Bailey decided to put Old Dominion on the market. Fordham Brewing from Annapolis, Maryland purchased it in 2007 with minority investment from Anheuser-Busch (AB), resulting in the creation of Coastal Brewing Company. Bill Muhlhauser, who also owns Ram's Head Taverns, leads Fordham Brewing and retains majority ownership. AB holds a minority share but does not have operational control or influence over recipes or company management. Coastal maintains independent distribution rights.
By May 2009, all brewing activities were consolidated into a new facility located in Dover. The primary brands continue to perform strongly in both taproom and packaged sales channels and are featured as house brews at multiple venues throughout the DC Metro region—including the Great American Restaurant group (except Sweetwater Tavern in Centreville, Virginia), Capital One Arena, and Nationals Park. Old Dominion remains active in the Mid-Atlantic area through tasting events and cask offerings. Widely distributed retail favorites include Oak Barrel Stout and the Pinup Series.
In January 2011, Jim Lutz—formerly Vice President of sales and marketing at Flying Dog Brewery—was appointed President and CEO of Coastal Brewing.
Lagers
- Fordham Gypsy Lager 5.0%
Ales
- Dominion Double D Double IPA 9.0%
- Dominion Oak Barrel Stout 5.5%
- Dominion Hop Lips IPA 6.0%
- Dominion Candi Belgian Tripel 10.0%
- Dominion Morning Glory Espresso Stout 9.0%
- Fordham Route 1 Session IPA 4.5%
- Fordham Copperhead Ale 5.0%
- Fordham Rams Head IPA 7.5%
Specialty/seasonal
Seasonal brews include:
- Dominion Octoberfest (August) 5.6%
- Dominion Cherry Blossom Lager (March) 5.2%
- Dominion Gigi's Farmhouse Ale (June) 7.2%
- Dominion GPA Grapefruit Pale Ale (June) 6%
- Dominion Millennium Barleywine (November) 11%
- Dominion Black IPL (January) 5%
- Fordham Wisteria Wheat (May) 5%
- Fordham Spiced Harvest Ale (August) 6.5%
- Fordham Rosie Parks Oyster Stout (September) 5%
- Fordham Doppelbock (December) 8%