With the S.S. Dogfish docked in Lewes, Delaware, Captain Strawberry (AKA our very own Sam Calagione) welcomed the Pawpaw Pirate aboard. Who exactly is this Pawpaw Pirate we speak of? You may have heard of him ... it’s our good friend and culinary adventurer / storyteller Brad Leone! The duo released the ropes and motored down the Lewes Canal, heading towards Chesapeake & Maine to craft a ready-to-pour cocktail that would capture the essence of their personalities and shared passions.  

The pair landed in Rehoboth Beach, secured their vessel, and headed ashore to meet up with Chesapeake & Maine’s mixologist, Ryan Warwick, to begin crafting. At the cocktail bar, they brainstormed ingredients that resonated with them, began sippin’ different spirits and fruit juices, and experimented with various recipes. Their goal wasn’t just to create a cocktail – Sam and Brad ultimately wanted to collaborate in celebration of art, food, music and the joy of coming together to make something truly off-centered. 

Ultimately, they settled on two fruits and two spirits to create a hurricane-inspired cocktail that’s as adventurous as their collaborative minds. Their Pawberry Ready-to-Pour Cocktail features a blend of white whiskey and our Dogfish Head Ladybug Silver Rum infused with juice from locally grown Delaware paw paws (a nod to Brad's moniker) and complemented by ripe strawberries (honoring Sam's alias), as well as orange and passion fruit juices, all enhanced with a background of hibiscus. The result is a versatile, tangy, tropical fruit-forward drink clocking in at 20% ABV that’s perfect over ice, as a spritz, or however your adventure guides you. 

With a little bit of a buzz (from excitement and the navy-proof rum they sampled) and a recipe in hand, the Pawpaw Pirate & Captain Strawberry headed straight for Dogfish Head’s distillery in Milton, Delaware to hand over the reins to our incredible distilling team. And our distillers went above and beyond with this one, in more ways than one! Not only did they take Sam and Brad’s idea and distill them to fruition, but our distiller, Marge, composed an original song about the collaboration, adding yet another layer to the story. Marge’s song offers an incredible back track to the adventure, blending passions and art with food and drink! Check out the full song here. 

But the adventure didn’t stop with the liquid ... Brad and Sam took their new cocktail and their enthusiasm straight up to the steampunk treehouse at our Milton Brewery to start ideating a label. With their hero fruits, the pawpaw and strawberry, top of mind, the duo began hand sketching an idea for the artwork that would ultimately become the label for Pawberry Cocktail (look at how jacked they are!).  

From there, our design team took Brad and Sam’s initial sketch and created the final label you see today that will also set a new direction for all of our full-proof spirits labels. The illustration features the Pawpaw Pirate & Captain Strawberry at the helm of a boat, adventuring into the spirited seas. Look closely, and you'll spot a seagull playing a ukulele— a playful tribute to Marge and her song!  

This project embodies what we're passionate about: forging connections with like-minded innovators and celebrating the fusion of unique ingredients and creativity. It's a testament to our commitment to off-centered goodness and the collaborative spirit that drives us. We're thrilled to share this journey with all of you and can't wait for you to experience the magic that happens when great minds (and flavors) come together. You can grab a bottle of our Pawberry Cocktail exclusively at our Off-Centered EmPOURium in Rehoboth Beach and the shop at our Milton Brewery.  

Check out the full adventures of the Pawpaw Pirate & Captain Strawberry here: