By Logan B. Anderson

REHOBOTH BEACH — Dogfish Head poured out its charitable giving plan for 2022 during a special gathering at its Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in downtown Rehoboth Beach Wednesday.

This year, Dogfish Head and Boston Beer Company’s Beer & Benevolence program is focusing on the arts.

It has selected four major Sussex County-based programs to support. In each quarter this year, the company will release a specially brewed beer to raise funds and awareness for each of its chosen causes. During Wednesday’s event, Dogfish Head co-founder and social impact leader Mariah Calagione, and Beer & Benevolence leader Mark Carter announced the first recipient — the Rehoboth Beach Film Society.

Dogfish runs all of its community engagement and philanthropy efforts through its Beer & Benevolence program. The project has three pillars — the environment, arts and community.

“When we opened 26 years ago, people and organizations started coming to us and asking us for support and donations for local events and local initiatives. It just sort of like snowballed a little and grew every year, and then grew it into a sort of more formal program,” Ms. Calagione said.

The brewing company also leverages its guests for its fundraising efforts. Last year, Ms. Calagione said the company donated an additional $150,000 to local nonprofit organizations.

“Arts has been in our DNA since the beginning,” Dogfish’s co-founder said on Wednesday.

Since Dogfish Head opened in 1995, the company has supported many artists, musicians and poets, Ms. Calagione said.

The company merged with the Boston Beer Company in 2019. The company, which also produces Samuel Adams beers, decided to incorporate Beer & Benevolence into its corporate giving strategy and appointed Ms. Calagione as the director of its community impact team.

Along with the film society, Beer & Benevolence will partner with the Freeman Arts Pavilion, the Rehoboth Art League and the Clear Space Theatre Company.

“This is what we are really excited about because when art and beer come together, it is super fun,” Mr. Carter said.

The benevolence beer series features specially brewed limited-edition beers released exclusively from the company’s Rehoboth Beach brewpub to benefit its chosen organizations.

The recipe for each beer is unique. The brews are inspired by their benevolence partner.

The first 2022 benevolence beer is a transcontinental strong ale called Depth of Field.

The Rehoboth Beach Film Society beer’s release was tied to the group’s African American Film Festival. Dogfish Head brewer Bryan Selders said he looked for flavors from the continents of Africa and North America to formulate its recipe.

“What I did was find grains that were indigenous to both continents … we have Carolina gold rice, which is native to Madagascar or sorghum, which is native to western Africa, to a variety of corn, which is native to North America. In addition to that, there is dehydrated palm nectar in the beer as well,” Mr. Selders said.

He combined those ingredients with a Belgian yeast strain, “to bring some nice earthiness and peppery spiciness.”

“I am really proud of this beer,” Mr. Selders said.

All the beers will be available at Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in Rehoboth Beach. Each quarter, the restaurant and brew pub will host two benevolence nights for the chosen organization where a portion of the proceeds will be given to the group.

Mr. Carter said the recipes for this year’s three other beers are still in the development phase. The second, for the Freeman Arts Pavilion in Selbyville will be released sometime in June. The Rehoboth Art League Beer will be available in August or September and Clear Space’s brew will be on tap this fall.

Beer & Benevolence 2021 was focused on the environment, which means 2023 will support community-based efforts.

Also on Wednesday, Ms. Calagione and Mr. Carter announced that Dogfish Head and Boston Beer Company will make two additional large capital donations to support this year’s performing arts partners. The company will donate $250,000 to the Freeman Arts Pavilion and $100,000 to Clear Space Theatre.

“We hope that getting the word out about all these arts organizations that support our community on a daily basis helps people understand that they need the support of the community,” Ms. Calagione said. “I think is an important message and we’re excited to help share that message.”