How Total Wine Is Powering The Delaware Craft Beverage Scene

Delaware craft beverages are gaining serious attention, and Total Wine’s local investment is helping the industry grow.

While many shoppers know Total Wine & More as the country’s largest independent alcohol retailer, fewer realize its roots are in Delaware. The company opened its first store here in 1991 under the name Liquor World. That original Claymont location has grown into the flagship of over 250 stores nationwide, and it remains a vital hub for the booming Delaware craft beverage scene.

Today, the 60,000-square-foot Claymont store is more than a retail space. It’s a platform for local producers, a community supporter, and a driver of regional economic growth. And as the demand for locally made beer, wine, and spirits continues to rise, Total Wine’s role in supporting the Delaware craft beverage movement has never been more important.

Delaware Craft Beverages Get the Spotlight

Three colorful cans of Dewey Beer, Delaware craft beverages, displaying their creative "Secret Machine" series. Left can is orange/brown "Suntan Lotion" flavor, center can features a strawberry dessert design labeled "Strawberry Pretzel Salad" at 4.5% ABV, and right can is purple/black "Secret Machine Triple Berry" at 7% ABV described as a fruit smoothie beer. All cans have condensation, indicating they're cold. — Dewey Beer Co.’s innovative craft brews showcase Delaware’s creative approach to beer. | Photo: Better Living

Total Wine & More actively partners with Delaware-based producers to help them scale and succeed. The store features a wide selection of locally made beverages, including standout names like Dogfish Head, First State Brewing, Painted Stave Distilling, Big Oyster Brewery, Dewey Beer Company, Liquid Alchemy Beverages, Relevant Craft Beer, and Harvest Ridge Winery.

These brands aren’t buried in the back. Total Wine offers prominent shelf space, in-store tastings, and event opportunities that introduce customers to homegrown favorites. Shoppers often discover new products from Delaware’s emerging craft brewers and distillers right alongside national and global labels.

Events often pair these local drinks with food from regional artisans like Crave & Graze, further boosting community collaboration.

Delaware Favorites Making Waves

Dogfish Head Brewery, founded in Rehoboth Beach in 1995, pioneered off-centered ales and remains a cornerstone of East Coast craft beer.
First State Brewing in Middletown launched in 2020 and was named Best New Brewery in the USA by USA Today in 2023. It’s also home to Delaware’s only Advanced Cicerone®.
Painted Stave Distilling, operating from a restored 1940s movie theater in Smyrna, makes small-batch spirits, including the state’s first bottled-in-bond bourbon.
Big Oyster Brewery in Lewes produces easy-drinking coastal beers like Beach Traffic and the hop-forward Hammerhead IPA.
Dewey Beer Company, named best brewpub in the country in 2024, is known for hazy IPAs like Swishy Pants and inventive fruited sours, including a Strawberry Pretzel Salad beer inspired by a classic dessert.

Each of these brands benefits from increased visibility and accessibility thanks to Total Wine’s statewide retail presence.

The Total Wine Claymont Experience

Interior of a Total Wine store featuring a large decorative wall mural designed like a vintage postcard that reads "Greetings from DELAWARE" in bright orange and blue lettering, encouraging to shop for Delaware craft beverages. The postcard design shows a beach scene with umbrellas and beach chairs. The mural is mounted on a brick wall within the retail space with merchandise displays visible in the foreground. — Inside Total Wine’s Claymont Delaware location, where local pride is prominently displayed. | Photo: Better Living

The Total Wine Claymont store isn’t just the company’s largest, it’s a launchpad. Weekly tastings often highlight local makers. Staff regularly recommend regional picks. Customers experience what Delaware producers are crafting in real time.

With more than 8,000 wines, 3,000 spirits, and 2,500 beers, the store draws shoppers from across the region. But what keeps people coming back is how it represents and uplifts Delaware’s own beverage culture.

More Than Retail: Community Investment

Total Wine’s commitment to Delaware extends far beyond its product shelves. The company supports civic life through philanthropic giving, community meeting spaces, and job creation.

The Claymont store offers a free “Book Our Room” program, allowing local organizations to use on-site classrooms for meetings and workshops. Meanwhile, the retailer’s consistent hiring and training efforts provide hundreds of stable jobs with career pathways, many leading to regional and national roles.

Why It Matters

Delaware’s craft beverage boom supports small businesses, drives tourism, and brings flavor and identity to the region’s food and drink culture. When a national chain like Total Wine & More invests deeply in local producers, it strengthens the entire ecosystem.

What began in a modest Delaware storefront more than 30 years ago is now fueling a statewide movement, providing more opportunities than ever to shop small, sip local, and support what’s being made right here.

Whether you’re picking up a bottle of bourbon, a hazy IPA, or something new to try this weekend, Total Wine makes it easy to explore Delaware’s best, and bring it home.

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