| Midnight Oil Brewing Company 674 Pencader Drive | Newark, DE 19702 (302) 286-7641 www.midnightoilbrewing.com |
Listeners of Beer Busters Podcast may remember Brewer/Founder Mike Dunlap and Director of Taproom Operations & Sales Patrick Jones from Midnight Oil Brewing Company sat down with us during episode 99 at the 10th Annual Wine and Dinosaurs Fest at the Delaware Museum of Natural History back in September 2016.
We are excited to announce that after five years of planning, Midnight Oil Brewing Company will finally open its doors on Sunday, February 4, 2018, and founders Mike Dunlap, TJ McGrath, and Joe Stickel could not be happier that the hurdles and planning are behind them.
Located in the Pencader Drive office park, Midnight Oil Brewing Company (MOBC) is the first brewery in Glasgow, Delaware. Two Stones Pub and an Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant location are located just north in Newark, Delaware.
The massive 15,000 square foot facility offers much room for growth. The warehouse space in the rear, with 36 foot ceilings, houses the 15-barrel ABS brew system made in North Carolina, fermenters, and brite tank, as well as a pilot system. The future could hold anything from a mobile canning line to a space for barrel aging beer to additional tanks for lagering.
Brewer Mike Dunlap finally received the “all clear” to brew on the 15-barrel brewhouse on January 12. The first beer brewed on the big system was the first beer he brewed as a homebrewer a decade ago, Midnight Porter. Along with the porter, a saison is also currently fermenting away.
The name Midnight Oil was inspired by Dunlap’s late night brews. He would do most of his homebrewing at night, after his family went to bed.
During the soft opening, MOBC served samples of beers from the pilot system including Doc Brown, a 4.5% ABV brown ale, which won first prize in a homebrew competition; XII, a 4.5% ABV American Pale Ale (or “the perfect fishing beer”); and Heathen, an 11% ABV holiday ale (or the beer that caught Joe’s attention). My favorite beer was Reilly Irish Stout, which will be served on nitro in the future.
For the first 3 months, MOBC plans to focus on serving beer in the taproom, which has the ability to pour from up to 12 taps. After that, kegs will start being distributed to local bars and restaurants. Within the first year, MOBC hopes to start canning.
A sold out ticketed grand opening event will take place on Saturday, February 3. Only 125 tickets were sold for $40, which includes 3 beers, a branded growler cooler, live music, catered food, a brewery tour, and beer samples.
The taproom at MOBC will open to the public on Sunday, February 4, just in time for the big game. The taproom seats 97 with a capacity of 119. The bar front features art from a local artist – a unique take on the MOBC logo and name.
One area of the taproom can be rented out as a private event space for up to 40 people. The flexible space, which offers a window with views into the brewery, can hold high top tables and chairs, then become a lounge area with couches.
The walls in this area will feature black and white photos to document the history of the brewery. A founders membership plaque will also hang in the taproom, honoring the 20 founders.
MOBC plans to offer live acoustic music regularly.
While there is currently no kitchen on site, it’s not out of the question for the future. For now, the crew at MOBC is focused on making great beer. There are several great local food trucks that will serve food to the hungry beer drinkers.
Keep an eye on MOBC’s Facebook page for the most up-to-date hours.
