Chesepiooc Real Ale Brewery (CRAB) is a small brewery tucked neatly between Washington, DC, and Annapolis in Crofton, MD. Chesepiooc (pronounced “chess-uh-pee-auck”) is not used in many conversations these days. It comes from the Algonquian language, meaning “village at a big river.” Joe Esposito founded the brewery about six years ago (Feb 2018) with the idea of being intentionally small in size but large in beer and community.
Read moreMaryland Brewery Updates: Oct 2024
And so it continues! Open, close, move, grow — the business cycle for breweries, large and small, continues to shift, creating new partnerships, voids, and opportunities. But it's the season for Oktoberfest, autumn seasonals, barrel-aged beauties, and otherwise great beer-drinking weather. Enjoy!
Read moreBottle Shops: The Tucson Model
Tucson AZ has two great bottle shop / taproom hybrids that provide the best of both worlds for beer enthusiasts.
Read moreThe Other One Brewery: A Brewer's Journey
Nate Todd opened The Other One Brewery in Ocean City MD in 2023. Beginning with a homebrewing kit resulted in a deep passion for brewing. He served as head brewer at Backshore Brewing here for that operation's last two years, and wound up purchasing much of Backshore's equipment when the company closed in November 2021.
Read moreCelebrating Craft Beer and Community: Beer From Here Festival
On August 3, 2024, Guinness Open Gate Brewery, just outside of Baltimore, opened its gates to breweries from across Maryland for the first Beer From Here beer festival. I talked with Ryan Wagner, Guinness’ National Ambassador, and Jon Zerivitz, Union Craft Brewing Co-founder and Maryland Brewer’s Association Senior Marketing Strategist about the event and Maryland beer.
Read moreBerlin Beer Company: The Ground Floor - June 2024
I first met Adam Davis in August 2022 while he was at Burley Oak Brewing in Berlin, MD. Not long after that, Adam announced he would plant his own flag in the sand with the Berlin Beer Company (BBC), a 3-minute drive and less than a mile from Burley. I have been following his progress ever since. In June 2024, Adam showed me around the progress at Berlin Beer Co.
Read moreUpper Stem Brewery: Crafting Tradition and Community
Upper Stem Brewery is a licensed farm brewery in Washington County, just northeast of Hagerstown, MD. In April 2020, as the world grappled with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dan Winger decided to launch his brewery, a risky move given the uncertain times. Yet, they navigated the challenging waters through ingenuity and a small canning operation, providing curbside delivery that kept the dream alive.
Read moreA Hidden Gem: The Story of 1812 Brewery
In early March 2024, I visited the 1812 Brewery outside Cumberland, Maryland. I'd heard about the brewery from local friends and had hoped to visit myself, but the timing was never right. So, when traveling to western Maryland for a friend’s retirement party, I asked if I could stop by and learn more about the brewery and its people, and they welcomed our meeting.
Read moreNew Beer Resolutions 2024
I began writing this during chilly November 2023, then added some edits while watching the daffodils blooming in March. And now it’s June and warmer temps. Where does the time go? I have been working on some other writing projects, and I have not brought this one to a conclusion. These are a few thoughts about my writing for this year and how it relates to my relationship with beer, travel, and life.
Read moreReform for Craft Beer Must Happen Now
Craft breweries have to navigate local laws from county and city jurisdictions, and an unfavorable business climate which puts Maryland at a disadvantage when competing with neighboring states and simply keeping the lights on.
Read moreMaryland Brewery Closures: 2024
It isn't easy to learn of another local brewery closing. There will always be business cycles, and craft beer is no different. Even so, breweries are opening in Maryland, and successful breweries are growing, adding taproom locations, and expanding markets.
Read moreMaryland Beer Opinions: Best Maryland Festival
In February 2024, Deep Beer Journal hosted our first Maryland Beer Opinions poll. The poll asked, “Which Maryland breweries produce the best barrel-aged beers?” The results are in. And the March 2024 opinion poll is now open.
Read more2023 : A Maryland Beer Year in Review
Looking back on 2023, we saw a lot of movement in Maryland breweries: openings, closings, moving, expansions, awards, and the reveal of the Maryland hop. If the early days of 2024 are an indication, it may be a dynamic one for Maryland beer.
Read moreScorpion Brewing: Closing Our Doors For Good
The last beer poured at the Scorpion Tap Room at 929 Skinners Turn Rd. will be on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, 2024. At that time, we will be closing our doors for good.
Read moreCalvert Brewing: We Are Closed
Even though we are still in its early weeks, this year has not provided much good news for the Maryland brewery scene. Several breweries have closed their doors, with Calvert Brewing being the first.
Read moreMaryland Beer: Opinions
MARYLAND BEER: Got OPINIONS? Deep Beer Journal has opened an OPINION POLL. Add your voice to the question: Which Maryland breweries produce the best barrel-aged beers? Enter for a chance to win this original Maryland beer t-shirt displaying every Maryland brewery as of the end of 2023.
Read moreAleCraft Closing Maryland Brewery
AleCraft Brewing in Belair, MD, has announced that they will be closing their Maryland brewery. They will focus on the newer location in Railroad, PA.
Read moreSuspended Brewing Closes
Suspended Brewing Co. in the Pigtown section of Baltimore City, posted on their website on January 1, 2024, that their taproom is now closed. Mystique Barrel Brewing and Lager House are to open there in 2024.
Read moreStone Silo Brewery Opens in Damascus
Stone Silo Brewery Opens in Damascus — In mid-January 2024, Stone Silo Brewery, a new farm brewery in near Damascus MD, opened their doors to the public. That moves the brewery county to eleven in Montgomery County.
Read moreMaryland Brewery Treks :: An Invitation to Adventure
Maryland Brewery Treks are 25 sortings of Maryland breweries based on relative proximity. Breweries are grouped from three to six locations which could compose a brewery excursion. These include most of the state’s breweries, but due to distances, not all.
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