“The logo is a bit crooked, but that’s okay – it’s off-centered,” says Karlin Maull as she hands Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione a custom red hat with a brown patch depicting the Dogfish Head and 302 Horseshoe Crab logos, separated by an outline of Delaware’s coastline. This is the first hat Karlin has made in the new studio she and her husband Keith Mosher recently finished renovating just up the road in Milford, Delaware. Keith and Karlin – owners and founders of lifestyle brand 302 Horseshoe Crab – welcomed us as the first guests in their new space. They excitedly showed off their hard work which continued up until the day before, when they put the finishing touches on the wallpaper in the office. Hanging on a wall between Keith and Karlin’s workstations are several metal signs, all reading “302” aside from one – a green oval Dogfish Head sign.

2024 will be the third year that we’ve teamed up with 302 Horseshoe Crab for the annual 302 Day Celebration – an homage to the 302-area code of our slight but mighty First State. We’re both proud to call Delaware home, but that’s not all our businesses have in common. In fact, when you look at our stories side by side, there almost seems to be more similarities than there are differences.

Sam, who grew up out of state, started Dogfish Head in Sussex County with wife, Mariah – a Milford native. Mariah helped run the business in its infancy while also working a full-time job. Once Dogfish Head found its footing, Mariah took the leap and began running the business full-time with Sam.

If you read the above paragraph again but change Sam and Mariah to Keith and Karlin, and Dogfish Head to 302 Horseshoe Crab, it still reads true. While we started as the smallest commercial brewery in America, it wasn’t long before there was a need for us to expand our facilities as demand increased. Keith and Karlin have been running 302 Horseshoe Crab out of their home for years and just recently took the leap and purchased their new studio space where they hope to keep expanding. But the similarities don’t stop there!

Dogfish Head and 302 Horseshoe Crab both have strong coastal roots, which is evident in our logos that each feature maritime animals. Southport, Maine, where Sam grew up vacationing with his family, is where the inspiration for Dogfish Head’s name and logo originated. The shark logo is a rendering of the shape of the peninsula. Keith and Karlin leaned strongly into their Delaware roots for their brand 302 Horseshoe Crab. 302 is the area code for the entire state of Delaware, and horseshoe crabs are the state’s official marine animal. The Delaware Bay is the largest breeding ground for horseshoe crabs in the entire world. Seriously! Horseshoe crabs play a massive role in the ecosystem along the entire East Coast. And just when you think things couldn’t get more nautical…their brand-new studio was also previously a bait & tackle shop!

The partnership between Dogfish Head and 302 Horseshoe Crab just makes sense for so many reasons. Our annual 302 Day event is not only jam packed with goodness, but also gives back to our Small Wonder. Through our Beer & Benevolence program, proceeds from the event are donated to Delaware State Parks, whose mission is to provide Delaware's residents and visitors with safe and enjoyable recreational opportunities and open spaces, responsible stewardship of the lands and the cultural and natural resources that we have been entrusted to protect and manage, and resource-based interpretive and educational services.

Our visit to Keith and Karlin’s new studio wouldn’t be complete without a little beer sampling, of course! We had a chance to dig into Keith’s stash of 302 Lager and chat about this year’s event, which will include a new game that Karlin invented and is particularly pumped about called Chuck the Chicken. There will also be Delaware eats, live music, LOTS of 302 merch, and for the first time ever at 302 Day - a live auction for a Low-Digit Surf Fishing Tag, with the number 95, commemorating the year that Dogfish Head was founded.

Join us alongside 302 Horseshoe Crab for the third annual 302 Day Celebration at our Milton Brewery on Saturday, March 2! Visit dogfish.com/302-day for all the details about this FREE event celebrating the First State.