Dogfish Head Revives Ancient Ales Midas Touch in 2026 Small Batch Series Cans

Today brings some genuinely exciting news for longtime fans of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware, and especially for anyone who has ever fallen in love with one of the brewery’s most iconic creations like me. One of my all‑time favorites is officially making its return, this time in sleek, modern 12‑oz cans as part of Dogfish Head’s 2026 Small Batch Series. Yes, Ancient Ales Midas Touch is coming back, and it remains every bit as unique, historic, and flavor‑driven as ever.

Midas Touch has long been one of Dogfish Head’s most distinctive beers, a liquid time capsule inspired by ancient brewing traditions and archaeological discoveries. True to its roots, the 2026 release will continue to be brewed with its signature blend of barley, honey, white Muscat grapes, and saffron, a combination that creates a hybrid beverage somewhere between beer, wine, and mead. This is the beer that helped define Dogfish Head’s reputation for off‑center innovation, and its return is a major moment for fans of the Ancient Ales series.

Clocking in at a bold 9% ABV, Midas Touch remains a smooth, golden, aromatic ale with layers of floral honey sweetness, delicate grape character, and the unmistakable earthy spice of saffron. It’s a beer that defies easy categorization, and that’s exactly why it has remained a cult favorite for decades.

A Legendary Dogfish Head Beer Returns for 2026

The revival of Midas Touch in the Small Batch Series signals Dogfish Head’s continued commitment to celebrating its most creative and historically inspired recipes. Originally developed in collaboration with molecular archaeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern, Midas Touch was based on chemical analyses of drinking vessels discovered in a 2,700‑year‑old tomb believed to belong to King Midas. The result was a beer that blended ancient ingredients with modern brewing techniques, an approach that became a hallmark of Dogfish Head’s experimental ethos.

Seeing this beer return in 12‑oz cans makes it more accessible than ever, and it positions Midas Touch for renewed attention among both longtime Dogfish Head fans and a new generation of craft beer drinkers eager to explore the brewery’s roots.

Why Midas Touch Still Matters in Today’s Craft Beer Landscape

In a world overflowing with hazy IPAs, pastry stouts, and fruited sours, Midas Touch stands apart as a reminder of what made Dogfish Head a pioneer in the first place. It’s not just a beer—it’s a story, a piece of brewing history, and a testament to the creativity that helped shape the modern craft beer movement.

The return of Midas Touch in 2026 is poised to generate significant buzz across the craft beer community, especially among collectors, historians, and fans of Dogfish Head’s Ancient Ales lineup. Its unique ingredient list, barley, honey, grapes, saffron, remains unlike anything else on the market, and its 9% ABV profile ensures it delivers the rich, complex experience that made it famous.

What to Expect From the 2026 Small Batch Series Release

While Dogfish Head has not yet announced full distribution details, early indications suggest:

• Packaging: 12‑oz cans, marking a modern update to a classic recipe
• ABV: 9%, consistent with previous versions
• Flavor Profile: Honey sweetness, grape complexity, floral saffron, and smooth malt character
• Series Placement: Part of the 2026 Small Batch Series, highlighting limited‑release, fan‑favorite beers
• Availability: Expected nationwide in select markets

This release is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated 2026 craft beer returns, and it reinforces Dogfish Head’s ongoing dedication to brewing beers that tell a story.

Final Thoughts

The comeback of Ancient Ales Midas Touch is a major moment for Dogfish Head and for craft beer fans who appreciate the brewery’s deep roots in creativity, experimentation, and historical inspiration. With its 9% ABV, its signature blend of barley, honey, grapes, and saffron, and its new 12‑oz can format, the 2026 Small Batch Series release promises to reintroduce one of the most iconic beers in Dogfish Head’s history to a whole new audience.

Stay tuned for official release dates, tasting notes, and distribution updates as Dogfish Head prepares to bring this legendary beer back into the spotlight.

Label Text Dogfish Head Midas Touch:

“ANCIENT ALES MIDAS TOUCH A liquid time capsule inspired by a 2,700‑year‑old king’s touch. Malted barley, honey, white Muscat grapes, and saffron.

WE BREW OUR CULINARY‑INSPIRED BEERS USING REAL INGREDIENTS. EVERY BEER HAS A STORY ROOTED IN ADVENTUROUS FLAVORS & CREATIVE BREWING PROCESSES. EXPLORE THE GOODNESS WITH EVERY SIP.“

About Dogfish Head Brewery:

The story of Dogfish Head began in June of 1995 when we opened Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats – the first state’s first brewpub – in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The plan was to bring original beer, original food and original music to the area … and we did just that!

Not only was Dogfish Head Delaware’s first brewpub, it was the smallest commercial brewery in America. With our very first batches brewed on a system that was essentially three little kegs with propane burners underneath, we were brewing 12–gallon batches of beer for a whole restaurant. It proved to be more than a full time job and when the doors to the brewpub first opened, we brewed three times a day, five days a week! The benefit? Brewing on such a small system gave us the ability to try out a myriad of different recipes.

Insert ‘off-centered ales for off-centered people.’ Our hunger for weird ingredients and venturing off the beaten path was just getting started.

Fast-forward to 2002 and after spotting a stainless-steel bin in a rural Delaware scrapyard, our wandering eye led us to explore the wild and wonderful world of spirits. Sam worked with engineers and welders to reshape the tank in the form of a pot still – lovingly named ‘Frankenstill’ – and Dogfish Head’s days of hand-distilling gin, rum and vodka began. We’ve since expanded our distillery operations to our Milton campus with Frankenstill standing guard.

The off-centered fun doesn’t start and stop with beverages though … oh no. Here at Dogfish Head, we have places to eat, places to drink and places to play. The missing link? A place to stay. That’s why in 2013 we designed a basecamp for both beer lovers and adventure seekers alike – the Dogfish Inn. Located in historic downtown Lewes, it’s chock-full of style, quality and craft … let’s spend the night together!
But Wait, There’s More…


But before we get ahead of ourselves, we have a bit more to tell you. With connections to both the Maine and Chesapeake regions from our founders Sam and Mariah, it only makes sense that our coastal roots would lead to our very own seafood restaurant, and in 2016 we opened the geographically enamored Chesapeake & Maine. Featuring fresh seafood sourced exclusively from the coastal waterways between the Chesapeake & Maine, you’ll find our take on coastal dishes, handcrafted cocktails and Dogfish beers in a casual, nautical-themed atmosphere.
And just when you think there couldn’t possibly be more…

Still motivated by non-conformity, by spontaneity and by experimentation, Dogfish Head turned the page of our American craft beer story in May of 2019 and started our next chapter by merging with our longtime friends-in-beer – The Boston Beer Company. With complementary portfolios and a band of like-minded co-workers, we combined our own superpowers in the beer, spirits and off-centered experience worlds with Boston’s superpowers in building strong, diverse and innovative brands in craft beer and beyond-beer.

With a never ending thirst for exploring new waters, in 2021 we swam south for our next great adventure – Dogfish Head Miami. Located in the Wynwood neighborhood, this off-centered outpost was a place to celebrate all of our favorite things – innovative ales, tasty eats, and immersive art. Sadly, due to significant rent increases throughout the Miami area, we made the difficult business decision to permanantly close our Dogfish Head Miami doors in Nov. 2022. 

At every turn, our restless desire to create what hasn’t yet been imagined keeps us bringing new stories, new tastes, and new experiences to you.

Because we don’t jump on the bandwagon, we are the funky drummer.

Every day is an exploration. A thoughtful search through a crowded world, we search for that thing that makes us pause – that idea that excites us, the inspiration we can’t ignore. The journey can be unpredictable … but that’s what makes it kind of magical.
Dogfish Head Brewing & Spirits…


If you haven’t had the chance to taste Dogfish Head, find a beer, track down one of our spirits or visit one of our restaurants! You’ll quickly see why international beer writer Michael Jackson called Dogfish Head “America’s most interesting and adventurous small brewery.”

We’re beer geeks with a music problem. We’re analog beer for the digital age. We take what we do seriously … ourselves? Not so much. But mostly importantly, we make off-centered goodness for off-centered people and there’s a whole mess of us that work hand-in-hand to make it happen.

Founded in coastal Delaware by Sam and Mariah Calagione back in 1995, Dogfish continues to move in a slightly off-centered direction, motivated by non-conformity, spontaneity, and experimentation. We’ve been known to march to the beat of our own drum, and that’s just the way we like it.

There are over 2,000 of us now thanks to joining forces with our longtime friends in beer at the Boston Beer Company … so lots of people work together day in and day out to make Dogfish Head, well, Dogfish Head.
When we opened in downtown Rehoboth Beach as the smallest commercial brewery in the U.S., we began with a straight-forward, but unorthodox mission: off-centered ales for off-centered people.

Flash forward to today. We’re a bigger – but still small – brewery (with a distillery, tasting room, two restaurants, and a hotel!), with the same mission.

Thanks to a lot of awesome fans who believe in what we are doing as a company we have a lot of passionate, talented, and team-oriented co-workers who have come together to grow this company into a very special community. A community that has supported us fiercely since the day we opened our doors and a community that inspires us daily.

Here at Dogfish Head, yes, we make off-centered ales for off-centered people. The key word though … people. People means that all are welcome in our off-centered world. A world where we’re dedicated to providing a safe environment for our coworkers, guests, and partners. A world that is free of discrimination and intimidation, and where all are treated with respect and dignity.

With people at the heart of everything we do, the following behaviors are just not going to fly when you find yourself in any of our locations:

Physical touch without consent
Unwanted attention – staring, stalking, or trapping an individual
Hate speech or attire
Inappropriate, disruptive, or offensive behavior that crosses personal boundaries (unwanted nicknames, sexual remarks, remarks on physical appearance)

If we find that a guest is having a hard time sticking to the house rules listed above, they will be asked to leave. Actions that repeatedly threaten personal boundaries of our co-workers and guests have no place here.
There’s nothing we love more than sharing our space with new and old friends alike, but we want everyone to feel safe and respected. We’ve typed this out to make sure we’re all on the same page – because together we can craft a world where everyone is welcome. Now … who wants a beer?!

zzubreebym