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!
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.
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.
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.
Suspended 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.
Stone 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.
Burnish Beer Co: Shaking Off the Rust
Burnish Beer Company celebrated their second anniversary in October 2023. For a relatively new brewery, they have come a long way in that short time. But then, the Burnish team has brought a lot of experience and a diversity of talent to this brewing venture.
Route 50 Brewery Tour
There is a wealth of notable beery diversions not far off US Route 50 along Maryland’s Eastern Shore. If you'd rather sit in a taproom than traffic, drinking a beer than eating sand on the beach, then one (or more) of these drive-ersions may be exactly what you need. Let’s go a little journey, shall we?
The Maryland Hop: Monocacy
It has said that Maryland doesn't have the right climate to grow hops commercially. Yet, there is a growing movement in the beer industry to use locally grown ingredients in their beer. A new hop has been discovered in Frederick County Maryland that may change that.
Liquidity Aleworks
Liquidity Aleworks in Mt. Airy MD, opened their taproom doors to the public on November 10, 2022. The building Liquidity sits in was built in 1904, and formerly housed the First National Bank and Farmers and Merchants Banks. The taproom is bright and open and decidedly family oriented.
Chicago Beer Hunting: Part 3 - Giants and The Mouse
This is the third of three journal entries about my Chicago Beer Hunting treks in April 2023. In this journal entry I visit Crushed By Giants Brewing and Off Color Brewing.
Chicago Beer Hunting: Part 2 - The Goose and Beyond
Originally I hadn’t planned on including Goose Island on my brewery trekking list. A casual conversation from a taproom patron changed my mind. Goose Island Fulton Street Brewery, Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery, and Ørkenoy adventures await.