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

The results were interesting.

The poll was open until the end of February. During that time, there were 20 submittals. 17 Maryland breweries received at least one vote. That was interesting because of the array of breweries producing barrel-aged beer and the many other breweries I can think of producing excellent barrel-aged beer that were not mentioned.

The guidance for entries was that you could vote for up to three breweries. Several entries only voted for a single brewery. You could only vote once. We didn't need ballot stuffing. Three points were awarded to the #1 choice, two points for the #2 choice, and a #1 point for the third choice.

Here are the results:

1. Sapwood Cellars Brewing (Columbia, MD) was the clear favorite, receiving 41 points.

2. Elder Pine Brewing and Blending (Gaithersburg, MD), was second place scoring 18 points.

3. Crooked Crab Brewing (Odenton, MD) was third with 9 points.

4. Black Flag Brewing (Columbia, MD), with 7 points, was a close fourth.

Other breweries that were mentioned include: Heavy Seas, Farmacy, Union, Olivers, Saints Row, Diamondback, Brewery Fire, Streetcar 82, Independent, Jailbreak, Monocacy, Pipe the Side, and Cushwa.

Entries became eligible to win an original Maryland brewery T-shirt, with the winner selected by a random drawing. That person has been notified that they won the drawing and will receive the shirt within a week.

Is the BrewFest Going the Way of the Dodo?

There have been rumors and predictions that the beer fest is dead or dying.True that some of the large festivals have gone by the wayside, think SAVOR hosted by the Brewers Association being discontinued after the 2022 event.

But from I can tell, yes, the brewfest concept is changing but are also proliferating. The Brewers Association of Maryland still holds successful festivals in the spring and fall. Small towns have been hosting events for years, or venues such as the Baltimore Brew at the Zoo.

In recent years, many breweries are hosting their own version of the brewfest, inviting other breweries to their place. A few in Maryland that I've attended is Burley Oak’s Controlled Chaos and Ten Eyck’s WinterFest.

The Next Question

Are a fan of the brewfest? Maryland Beer Opinions voting is now open for March 2024 poll question, “Which is the best beer festival in Maryland?”

Enter your opinion for a chance to win this original and unique Maryland Beer T-Shirt featuring the Maryland hop discovered on a farm in Frederick County.

READ: THE MARYLAND HOP MONOCACY

The Monocacy Hop

This is an interesting story of how a Frederick County doctor recognized a crazy hop growing on his property. He reached out to a local brewer about his discovery, who in turn informed the principal behind the University of Maryland Coop Extension’s hop research program. You can read more about it here.