Maryland Beer Journal
Beer, People & Places
Maryland Beer Journal & Atlas (MBJA) — Our purpose is in our name — only Maryland, only beer. We tell the stories of the beer, the people, and the places that make Maryland beer unique. Maryland traverses a diverse landscape, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Appalachian Mountains, including Baltimore, the Chesapeake Bay, historic small towns, and all points in between. And the beer is as diverse as the landscapes.
Maryland Beer Updates: October 2025
Maryland brewery update for October 2025. Independent craft brewery news lately has been mostly one way — the wrong way. And at the same time, new breweries are still opening and challenging the tide.
September is Craft Malt Month
September is Craft Malt Month and groups around Maryland and the country are working to bring attention to this important grassroots movement dedicated to small-batch maltsters who source their grain from local farms.
Inside Guilford Hall Brewery with Ben Little
Baltimore’s Guilford Hall Brewery doesn’t chase fads. Instead, its carving out a niche built on European tradition, technical excellence, and a passion for process. At the helm is Head Brewer Ben Little. Now, in the historic former Crown Cork & Seal Factory, he’s found a home where beer is about patience and providing a superior drinking experience.
Wanderland: A New Craft Beverage Experience
The Brewers Association of Maryland, in partnership with the Hops & Harvest Festival, announces the debut of Wanderland, a one-of-a-kind craft beverage experience set for Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Symphony Woods at Merriweather Park in Columbia, Maryland.
Maryland Brewery Updates: July 2025
The Maryland beer scene is ever dynamic. Openings, expansions, closings, mergers. That's what makes it so exciting and so challenging to keep up with. As the Maryland columnists for the Mid-Atlantic Brew News, every two months I survey all Maryland breweries to learn what is new for local beer enthusiasts.
Brewery Fire :: Beer, Heart And Easter Eggs
Brewery Fire in Taneytown, Maryland, at the northern end of Carroll County, is a small brewery and taproom in a small town, but its founder and brewer, Jesse Johnson, is a big man with a big heart.
Independent By Design: Inside Independent Brewing
Tucked just off Bel Air’s Main Street, Independent Brewing Company pulses with purpose. Here, founder Phil Rhudy and head brewer Keith Hipsley have carefully constructed a third space—part laboratory, part living room, and part local institution.
Idiom Closes Production Brewery - Sandbox Moves In
Idiom Brewery in Frederick announced that it will relocate all its beer production back to its Patrick Street location. Meanwhile, Sandbox Brewhouse had its official ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 21, 2025, moving into that former Rockwell Brewing location.
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.
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!
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.