In a pickle about where to eat tonight? Why not take the short drive out to Milton and the Dogfish Head Brewery? Their food truck/trailer, Bunyan’s Lunchbox, dishes up a steady flow of Hard Tack Chowder and a variety of freshly grilled pork and chicken brats served on a soft, brewer’s grain bun. But the kicker for me is the cold and crunchy pickles, bright with spice.
I was excited to see those Brooklyn Brine Hop-Pickles again (only 2 bucks for a heaping pile). Last December I had the pleasure of visiting Brooklyn Brine at 574A President St. in Brooklyn, New York to watch them infuse bright green pickling cucumbers with Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA. And the result is delicious. I don’t know which taste hits you first: the kick of the secret blend of spices or the green snap of the hops. As if the pickles weren’t good enough right out of the jar, Brooklyn brinery boss Shamus Jones and his army of enthusiastic picklers treated us to the fried version of these little nuggets in the restaurant attached to the pickle factory there in Brooklyn. Here in Delaware, Bunyan’s Lunchbox serves them up cold, crunchy and fresh out of the brine. (Scroll through the photo gallery for some fun pictures of the process.)
The brats come in several varieties made from pork and chicken. The various proteins have been allowed to soak up the signature taste of some of DFH’s most popular brews. You can customize your sausage with an array of proprietary DFH condiments, including the very grainy, colorful and oh so spicy Thai Mustard. Oh, and maybe a drizzle of Firefly Ale Hot Sauce for good measure. And they all work with the pickles.
The highlight of the Milton experience is, of course, the brewery tour. The tours are free, but they are also first-come-first-served. They run about every 45 minutes throughout the afternoon, and they fill up quickly in season. But that’s the fun part: While you wait your turn, there’s those brats, beers and oh so spicy pickles. Enjoy!
