Proceeds Benefit Restore the King

Wilmington, DE — October 7, 2025 — The clink of glasses, the hum of breweries, and the spirit of a city steeped in beer tradition will echo once more as Buried Brew: A Tour of Wilmington’s Forgotten Beer History returns. Not offered since 2013, this four-hour guided coach and walking tour invites guests to journey across centuries, weaving through the stories of colonial brewers, ambitious beer barons, bustling beer halls, and the pivotal events that made beer an enduring part of Wilmington’s identity.

Guided by local beer historian and author John Medkeff (Brewing in Delaware), the tour unfurls like a living chronicle. From the colonial craftsmen who brewed an everyday necessity for settlers, to the 19th-century German-born titans who raised vast brick breweries and built one of Delaware’s most profitable industries, every stop reveals how beer shaped the city’s and entire state’s economy, culture, and community life.

Event Highlights:

• Four-hour guided coach and walking tour through Wilmington’s brewing landmarks
• Brewery stop at Wilmington Brew Works with two drink tickets
• Snacks and bottled water on board the coach
• A keepsake tour program

Tickets are $80 per person and limited to 40 participants. Guests must be 21 or older to attend.

All proceeds benefit Restore the King, the campaign to return Delaware’s iconic King Gambrinus statue to public view. Once towering proudly at the Diamond State Brewery, this 11-foot zinc figure remains a symbol of Wilmington’s rich brewing tradition.

“This tour is more than just a look at Wilmington’s brewing history,” said Medkeff. “It’s also a chance to help bring back a cherished cultural landmark.”

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, November 15, 2025
• Time: 11 AM – 3 PM
• Location: Wilmington, DE (starting location provided to ticket holders)
• Tickets: $80 — available now at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/buried-brew

The Friends of Delaware’s Gambrinus Statue, Inc. (FDGS) recently earned Candid’s 2025 Gold Seal of Transparency. Candid (GuideStar) is the world’s largest source of information on non-profit organizations.

The Gold Seal indicates that FDGS has provided a significant amount of information about our finances, operations, programs, and governance on their Candid profile, demonstrating a high level of transparency to donors.

Please visit FDGS’s Candid profile for more details.

We’re pleased to offer our generous patrons the following premium gifts for their generous support for Restore the King.

When making your donation, please indicate your premium preference and, if applicable, the desired size/variation in the “Add special instruction to the seller” field of the online donation form.

9-inch King Gambrinus statuette

$275 minimum donation

5-inch King Gambrinus statuette

$175 minimum donation

This detailed resin miniature of Delaware’s historic King Gambrinus statue is an exact replica of the iconic sculpture that graced Wilmington’s Diamond State Brewery from 1882 until 1962. Available in 5-inch or 9-inch variations.

Restore the King logo t-shirt

$50 minimum donation

This adult-sized shirt is made of 100% cotton and pre-shrunk. The white tee features our colorful Restore the King graphic. The shirt is available in men’s sizes (Small through 4XL) and women’s (Small through 2XL) sizes.

Restore the King bottle opener keychain

$15 minimum donation

An ornamental cast metal bottle opener keychain with Restore the King’s logo.

Check out this Delawareonline.com column detailing the effort behind Restore the King.

Listen here as Friends of of Delaware’s Gambrinus Statue president John Medkeff sits in with Beer Mighty Things podcast host Kyle Rheiner to discuss the Restore the King project.

Thanks to our donors’ generosity, the Friends of Gambrinus is pleased to announced that we have officially met 30% of Restore the King’s fundraising goal as of August 1, 2022.

As we continue to move forward towards the ultimate goal of returning Delaware’s King Gambrinus to public display, we need to ask the public’s continued support. Restore the King is 100% publicly-funded campaign. The project can only be a success with your help.

There are several ways for you to join the King’s Court and help Restore the King.

1. Click here to offer either a one-time or recurring monthly donation.
2. Purchase a ticket to the Delaware: A Brew Story 2022 event on Saturday, October 29 at Blue Ball Barn (details forthcoming on this website).
3. When shopping at Amazon, use this link to automatically generate a donation to Restore the King via AmazonSmile’s charitable program – all at no extra cost to you!

In the coming days, we’ll be inviting our King’s Court supporters to an exclusive meeting and Q&A session, where we’ll discuss details, answer questions, collect input about the Restore the King project. Donate now for a chance to join in the discussion.

We’ll also be unveiling additional exclusives for King’s Court members in the weeks and months ahead.

Thanks to the tremendous generosity of our donors and volunteers, Restore the King has completed the first three phases of the project.

Please click here to visit our YouTube channel to watch a newly-released video describing the work performed so far and plans for future phases. While you there, click SUBSCRIBE to be notified of new videos as soon as we release them.

You can help advance the Restore the King project to Phase 4 by donating now.

A reminder that you can pick up your own miniature King Gambrinus statuette with a minimum donation, as described here.

Wilmington Brew Works has just released one of its flagship beers, Krauch’s Creation – a helles style lager – in cans. But this release is special because the can’s graphics acknowledge the First State’s rich brewing history and reference two active brewing heritage projects – Restore the King and the Christian Krauch Memorial Fund.

The front of the Brew Works’ can features a colorful image of the old Diamond State Brewery’s King Gambrinus statue, in homage to a similar image that graced the former brewery’s Stoeckle Select brand bottles and cans in the 1940s and ‘50s. The reverse side of the label tells the story of Christian Krauch, pioneer brewer and Delaware’s Father of Lager Beer, for whom Krauch’s Creation is named. The label also features QR codes linking to websites for Restore the King, the effort to renovated Delaware’s King Gambrinus statue, and the Krauch Memorial Fund, the campaign to place a monument on Krauch’s unmarked grave.

Check out this video involving Brew Works’ John Fusco and Delaware beer historian John Medkeff discussing Krauch’s Creation can release.

The Friends of Gambrinus offer Wilmington Brew Works a debit of gratitude for their unfailing support for Delaware beer heritage projects and appreciation of the First State’s rich brewing heritage.

From 1865 until Prohibition, Hartmann & Fehrenbach’s Brandywine Lager Beer Brewery in Wilmington’s Forty Acres neighborhood was one of the Delaware region’s largest breweries. H&F supplied the Delmarva and beyond with their award-winning lager beer, porter, brown stout, and ale.

This shirt, featuring H&F’s mysterious Pegasus logo, pays tribute to one of Wilmington’s historic Big Three breweries.

Proceeds from the sale of this limited run shirt will be donated to Restore the King, the campaign to save the Delaware’s iconic King Gambrinus statue. Sales ends May 7, 2021,

Order your shirt here.

From 1872 until 1954, the name Stoeckle was synonymous with great beer in the Delaware Valley.

During this holiday season, the Friends of Gambrinus is offering this limited run shirt celebrating the legacy of the Stoeckle Brewing Company and their historic Diamond State Brewery.

Proceeds from the sale of this shirt will be donated to Restore the King, the campaign to save the Diamond State Brewery’s iconic King Gambrinus statue.

Order your shirt here.