Have you been to the best new brewery in the country? It’s in Delaware, says USA Today

Ryan Cormier, Delaware News Journal
Updated ·4 min read

When Paul Hester decided to leave his job as executive director of global technology for JPMorgan Chase to open First State Brewing Co., he brought his analytical mind with him.

Nearly every detail of the 11,088-square-foot production brewery in Middletown, one of the biggest in the state, had been pored over for years before the doors swung open and taps began flowing in late 2020.

His painstaking attention to detail has been met with results: a popular brewery and brewpub with beers that have a strong following not only in Delaware, but also in the several other states where they are available.

Now, Hester's master plan has notched another positive outcome. And in a big way.

First State Brewing was just named as the best new brewery in the country by 10Best, a USA Today-powered website for reader-voted and editor-recommended best-of lists.

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"It's pretty awesome," Hester says of the national recognition. "It's really an acknowledgment of a lot of grinding, sacrifice and long hours by our team ― all of their hard work."

The staff at First State Brewing Co. in Middletown, which won USA Today's Best New Brewery award earlier this month.
The staff at First State Brewing Co. in Middletown, which won USA Today's Best New Brewery award earlier this month.

How First State Brewing won

It all started a couple of months ago when First State Brewing was first contacted by USA Today, owned by Gannett Co., also the parent company of Delaware Online/The News Journal.

A panel of six industry experts had nominated 20 breweries before reader votes whittled the list down to a ranked top 10.

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The experts included food and travel journalist Amber Gibson; craft beer writer and "Good Beer Hunting" podcast host Beth Demmon; beer authority and journalist Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton; beer writer and Wilmington University adjunct professor ("The Craft of Beer") Gary Monterosso; lifestyle journalist Jillian Dara; and Julia Herz, executive director of the American Homebrewers Association.

Layer 1: Citra, a hazy IPA at First State Brewing Co. in Middletown.
Layer 1: Citra, a hazy IPA at First State Brewing Co. in Middletown.

Readers had a month to vote. For the first three weeks, there was a leaderboard that everyone could see and First State Brewing sat at the top. For the final week, the leaderboard was hidden, building suspense for the announcement of the winner.

"That was a little nerve-racking because we didn't know how everything was going to play out," Hester admits.

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In the end, no other brewery could overtake First State Brewing with Indianapolis' Kismetic Beer Co. coming in second place and Raleigh, North Carolina's Altered State Brewing Co. taking third.

The award attracts new interest

The national award not only helps put the brewery on the radar of more beer-drinkers across the country, but also beer distributors with a few already reaching out to Hester about possibly teaming up with First State Brewing to get their brews into more states.

Cans of First State Brewing are already found in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. New Jersey is expected to be added to the list by the end of the year, Hester says.

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For now, Hester is taking the calls and plotting his next move.

The O.G. Burger at First State Brewing Co. in Middletown: Star Ranch Angus beef, Cooper sharp cheese, bacon, Bibb lettuce, tomato, spicy pickles and andalouse sauce on a toasted brioche bun.
The O.G. Burger at First State Brewing Co. in Middletown: Star Ranch Angus beef, Cooper sharp cheese, bacon, Bibb lettuce, tomato, spicy pickles and andalouse sauce on a toasted brioche bun.

"It's premature to say we're going to go in that direction. We are very thoughtful about our planning and we're a very data-driven company," he says. "So we have to look at what our capacity is and make sure we can continue to support our existing markets. It's a very intricate balance.

"But the end goal is to get your beer out there to as many people."

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First State adds more muscle to its award-winning team

First State Brewing Co. is housed in an expansive space with combined brewery and taproom on the outskirts of Middletown.
First State Brewing Co. is housed in an expansive space with combined brewery and taproom on the outskirts of Middletown.

Andrew "A.J." Johnston was hired earlier this summer as their new brewery operations manager, fresh from a near-13-year run with Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant.

His positions there included assistant brewer, lead brewer, senior head brewer and, most recently, director of brewing operations, where he was responsible for 20 brewpub locations, as well as their production brewing facility. Johnston is also a chair of Master Brewer’s Association of the Americas Philadelphia district.

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"Things are going pretty well and we're expanding," Hester says, pointing to their decision to invest early in a canning line as a reason for their early success. "The pandemic forced our hand to start distributing earlier than we had planned because we had to generate some revenue and it worked."

Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of Delaware Online/The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier) and Twitter (@ryancormier).

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware's First State Brewing Co. named best new brewery in US