Maryland Beer Journal & Atlas
Beer Across The Free State
Maryland Beer Journal & Atlas (MBJA) — Our purpose is in our name — only Maryland, only beer. We tell the stories of the people and places that make Maryland beer unique. Maryland traverses many landscapes, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Appalachian Mountains, Baltimore, Chesapeake Bay, historic small towns, and all points in between. And the beer is as diverse as the landscapes.
Hub City Brewery: Maryland Beer Grows in Hagerstown
The craft beer industry thrives on innovation, passion, and community—and nowhere is that more evident than at Hub City Brewery, the latest addition to Maryland’s brewing scene.
Guinness, Garrett, and Grain
On November 21, Guinness Open Gate in Baltimore hosted Garrett Oliver, the famed head brewer at Brooklyn Brewery, for the release of their collaboration brew, Fonio Stout. This beer was the last in a series of collaboration beers highlighting the use of fonio grain as a brewing ingredient.
From Homebrewing to Hustling: Tom Pagano’s Journey to Mystique Barrel Brewing and Lager House
Nestled in the vibrant community of Pigtown, Baltimore, Mystique Barrel Brewing and Lager House is more than a brewery; it’s a testament to passion, resilience, and creativity. For Tom Pagano, owner and brewer, it represents a culmination of over a decade of dreaming, planning, and hands-on experience in nearly every facet of the beer industry.
Behind the Beer: Chesepiooc Real Ale Brewery
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.
Maryland 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!
Bottle Shops: The Tucson Model
Tucson AZ has two great bottle shop / taproom hybrids that provide the best of both worlds for beer enthusiasts.
The 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.
Celebrating 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.
Berlin 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.
Upper 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.
A 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.
New 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.
Reform 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.
Maryland 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.
Maryland 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.
2023 : 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.
Scorpion 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.
Calvert 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.
Maryland 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.