S2 E5: Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head on Strong Beer, Leadership and Working With Your Spouse

Summary: Sam Calagione and his wife Mariah started Dogfish Head Craft Brewery from scratch. Today, the Delaware brewer is recognized as one of the finest craft beer companies in the nation - as it prepares to merge with fellow craft brewer Boston Beer. The couple joined me ahead of their annual strategy meetings to discuss: how they chill out and fight off being overwhelmed (2:12), how they make a husband/wife partnership work at home and the office (3:56), if the industry has hit 'peak craft beer' (5:30), if we have desensitized our taste buds (6:45), Sam's aversion to 'good beer' until during grad school (11:00), breaking the law in Rehoboth Beach (12:59), paddling across the Delaware Bay (15:13), how the couple books family time with their teenagers (18:15), if some of their selections are too high in ABV (19:42), how Sam's writing skills apply to his job (21:41), his favorite novel (23:49), what their expectations were at 'the ground floor' (25:13), leadership (28:25), when working too hard is too much (34:00) and what Sam would have done if he were alive during Prohibition (36:10). Recorded at the Philadelphia Marriott on February 28, 2019. NOTE: We spoke three months before Boston Beer acquired Dogfish Head.