Inside Guilford Hall Brewery with Ben Little
Baltimore’s Guilford Hall Brewery doesn’t chase fads. It doesn’t pile fruit purée into tanks or serve dessert in a glass. Instead, in a city with deep German brewing roots, it’s quietly carving out a niche built on European tradition, technical excellence, and a passion for process. At the helm is Head Brewer Ben Little, whose career has spanned sales floors, seven-barrel brewpubs, and massive production facilities. Now, in the historic Crown Cork & Seal factory, he’s found a home where beer is as much about patience as it is about creating a superior drinking experience.
Ben Little - Head Brewer, Guilford Hall Brewery
A Brewery Built on History—and German Malt
Guilford Hall Brewery in the Station North neighborhood
Guilford Hall is unapologetically lager-focused. Its beers are brewed on Austrian-made equipment, using traditional techniques such as multi-step mashing and triple decoction—methods most modern breweries skip in favor of speed. “We’re building foam stability beyond belief in these beers,” says Little. “Doing things the way they’ve always been done, just with modern precision.”
Most of Guilford’s malt is sourced from Germany, stored in a silo full of the pale gold grain. Hops are equally curated—Little will sample multiple lots of the same variety to find the perfect fit for each recipe. It’s a level of detail that shows in the beer’s texture, flavor, and presentation.
Not Yet Smoky, But Maybe Someday
With so many classic European beer styles on tap at Guilford Hall, I asked Ben if he has plans for a rauchbier (smoked beer). Despite his affection for smoked beers, Little is pragmatic. “I don’t think our customer base is ready for six different pilsners, let alone a smoked beer,” he says with a grin. For now, he’s educating drinkers on the nuances between styles—such as the brewery’s Baltimore Pils and its Crown 10 Czech-style lager—so that when a rauchbier finally appears, the audience will be ready.
From Pandemic Construction to Defined Identity
“What’s old is new again. Consumers want something they can trust.”
When COVID-19 hit during Guilford’s buildout, plans shifted. “We opened to something different than what we thought we would be,” says Little. It took a few years to define the brewery’s identity, but the team has settled into its role as a European-focused producer in a market dominated by IPAs. “What’s old is new again,” Little says. “Consumers want something they can trust.”
For him, that trust is earned through time—sometimes six weeks of lagering instead of a two-week IPA turnaround—and through consistency. The result is beers that feel timeless, not trendy.
Baltimore Brewing Roots
“William Painter, an Irish-born American, invented the crown cap for bottled carbonated beverages in 1891 and obtained patents for it on February 2, 1892. He founded his own manufacturing business, the Crown Cork and Seal Company, in Baltimore.”
William Painter’s 1892 Patent Drawing of a Bottle Sealing Device
The brewery’s location is a nod to Baltimore’s beer history. The Crown Cork & Seal Factory connects directly to the city’s German brewing heritage, which once supported dozens of breweries. “Baltimore was a brewing hub,” says Little. “There’s a massive history here.” It’s a history Guilford Hall hopes to keep alive.
The building and the renovation drips with history of old Baltimore. They have worked to maintain many of the history features such as doors, floors, wooden beams, and bricks.
Historic elements adorn the upstairs.
A Career Forged in Many Brewhouses
“This place is so technical. If you screw up, everybody knows it. That’s a good challenge.”
Little’s path to Guilford reads like a tour of the Mid-Atlantic beer scene: Flying Dog, Manor Hill, Fourscore Beer Co., Other Half D.C. At Other Half, he ran the highest-volume facility in the company, producing over 20,000 barrels annually and overseeing a vast barrel-aging program. But the commute and scale eventually wore thin. Guilford’s location—less than nine miles from home—offered both technical challenge and work-life balance.
“This place is so technical,” he says. “If you screw up, everybody knows it. That’s a good challenge.”
Brewing with Intent
Since arriving, Little has rebuilt recipes to hit style guidelines first, then refined them for character. He’s invested in sensory training for the brewing team, ensuring everyone speaks the same flavor language. “When we make changes, we’re making them with intent,” he explains.
Distribution with Restraint
While many breweries chase distant markets, Guilford is focusing on a one-hour distribution radius. “I still feel like we’re leaving a lot on the table just in that radius,” Little says. The goal: saturate the local market before expanding. It’s a strategy that supports sustainable growth and keeps beer fresh.
Food, Foam, and the Guest Experience
“We’re building different flavor profiles, different textures, just creating foam stability beyond belief in these beers.”
Little sees beer and food as inseparable, and he’s working with the restaurant side to match service quality to the beer program. Staff training days cover both brewing and cooking, with cheat sheets at the ready for servers. He’s also embracing European draft culture, installing side-pull faucets for Czech lagers and intentionally serving foam-positive beers.
Ben Little is quite proud of the foam he can achieve on the beers he brews. “We're building different flavor profiles, different textures, just creating foam stability beyond belief in these beers.” He added, “When I see a glass leave here without foam, it bothers me.”.
Flagships and Favorites
Ask Little his favorite, and the answer comes without hesitation: Crown 10. Brewed with 100% floor-malted Bohemian pilsner malt and Czech Saaz hops, triple-decocted, and lagered with care, it’s a beer that demands 16-hour brew days. The Guilford Lager—a crisp, dry Helles—comes close behind.
Events and Atmosphere
The brewery’s taproom and upstairs event space host everything from trivia nights to weddings. A partnership with D.C. United has even put Guilford beers into Audi Field. The building itself, with brick walls and industrial beams, is a showpiece. “We’re primed for growth,” says Little, “but we’re putting the right people in the right places first.”
Upstairs at Guilford ready for events and weddings.
All the Pieces of the Puzzle
For Little, the appeal of brewing isn’t just in the mash tun. “It’s all the things,” he says. “The science, the business, the creative process, the people.” His days start with spreadsheets and end with beer in glasses, touching every part of the operation in between.
Ben Little in the brewhouse
Flying Fish
Flying Fish brand seasonal on the canning line
In a bankruptcy auction held in February 2024, Guilford Hall acquired the brand, trademarks, recipes, packaging, web domain, and wholesale distribution contracts of Flying Fish Brewing in New Jersey for approximately $152,500. The purchase did not include the physical Somerdale brewery facility, which has since closed.
Regarding their relationship with the Flying Fish beers, Ben stated, “So we produce any of the seasonals and stuff like that, and a couple of the other ones like Hazy Bones, which is the core of the flagship beer. We do produce that just to sell only in Baltimore. Any of the seasonal stuff does get produced out of here. October Fish is on the line today, but otherwise we own them. We're one entity. But I'm building the brands where they're purely symbiotic. So what Guilford doesn't offer, Flying Fish does, et cetera. But any of the beer made sold in Baltimore, sold in Maryland, 95% of it's made here.”
An Introvert Who Can Turn It On
I'd mentioned to Ben that most of the brewers I've met are introverts, but he seems very comfortable talking in front of a camera or in an interview. Despite his easy rapport, Little considers himself an introvert. “I’ve done this enough times that I can turn it on,” he says. “But at the end of the day, I want to be home with my family.”
Guilford beer hall
Music, Banquets, and Smoking Lounge
Guilford Hall Cigar Lounge
Whatever the venue, an establishment has to bring in customers and provide an experience. Mike Rowe bourbon, music events, whiskey and cigar lounge. Crown Hall wedding venue. Maryland Yards dining experience near the Camden Yards.
“Located at the heart of Downtown Baltimore, just steps from the ballpark and blocks from the Inner Harbor and the Baltimore Convention Center, Maryland Yards promises an unforgettable culinary experience that celebrates the rich heritage and flavors of Maryland.”
Looking Ahead
The next chapter for Guilford Hall will likely bring expanded local presence, more collaborations. But no matter the project, the brewery’s foundation remains the same: Old World precision, modern execution, and an unwavering focus on quality.
In a beer market where trends shift overnight, Guilford Hall is playing the long game—and for drinkers who value depth over novelty, that’s exactly the right move.
Guilford Hall Brewery
1611 Guilford Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21202
web : guilfordhall.com
Hours:
Mon : Closed
Tue/Wed/Thu : 4–11 pm
Fri : 4–Midnight
Sat : 11 AM–Midnight
Sun : 11 AM–9 pm