Maryland Brewery Updates: Nov 2024
Lone Oak Growing
Lone Oak Farm Brewing has announced the expansion of Lone Oak’s legacy with the opening of Fallen Oak Distilling on the existing brewery property (5000 Olney Laytonsville Road). The owners said this will include a speakeasy that will “transport you to the 1920s.”
This is an adults-only (21 and up) venue that “delivers an exquisite range of spirits, meticulously crafted for the discerning palate. The distillery offers Bourbon, Maple Bourbon, Vodka, Rye, and, coming soon, Gin – all small-batch, delicious craft spirits with bold flavors and smooth finishes.”
Paying homage to the brewery’s namesake oak tree, Fallen Oak Distilling showcases state-of-the-art equipment in a space that embodies the passion and dedication synonymous with Lone Oak Farm Brewing. Like Lone Oak’s beers, the spirits at Fallen Oak are crafted using corn and barley grown in their fields.
Silver Branch Expanding
Silver Branch Brewing Co., a brewery and taproom in downtown Silver Spring, is planning to open a new location called Rockville Beerworks at 7301 Calhoun Place in Rockville. According to co-founder Christian Layke, Rockville Beerworks is slated to open in the spring of 2025.
“We’ve been brewing in Silver Spring since we opened [in 2019] and it’s just gotten to be that space is too small for the amount of beer that we are trying to brew now,” Layke reported to MoCo360. The new location formerly housed True Respite Brewing, which closed in September 2023. Layke says this location is “better designed and situated” for beer production.
The Rockville location will become the company’s primary beer production operation, with a taproom and an outdoor dining area to showcase their beer and patron experience. Silver Branch also plans to expand its Mosaic Pizza brand to the Silver Spring and Rockville locations.
Layke said the Silver Spring location plans to use the additional space resulting from the removal of its brewing equipment to add a new kitchen and host events, such as wedding receptions and birthday parties. “We want to just be able to host slightly larger groups, or host groups without having to close down the rest of the taproom,” Layke said.
And, if you’ve ever wanted to own a brewery, Silver Branch is crowdfunding its expansion by offering investors a part in helping the local brewery expand and open its new Rockville location.
Guinness Blonde News
Diageo, the parent company of Guinness, has announced that Baltimore Blonde beer will no longer be available in stores. Over a year after revealing it would cease brewing Baltimore Blonde in Maryland, moving production to FX Matt Brewing in New York state, Diageo stated the beer will now be produced and sold exclusively at the Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe, MD.
Also from Guinness, on November 21, Guinness Open Gate hosted Garrett Oliver, the famed head brewer at Brooklyn Brewery, for the release of their collaboration brew, Fonio Stout. Fonio is an ancient grain from West Africa that Oliver is creating awareness through “Brewing For Impact,” a program to support local agriculture in that region. Oliver is celebrating his 30th year as head brewer at Brooklyn Brewery, and to honor that occasion, they have brewed collaboration beers with seven breweries worldwide, bringing attention to the use of fonio as a beer ingredient. Guinness is the last of these collab beers. Fonio Stout will be available at Guinness Open Gate and certain Baltimore outlets (checking with sources and may be revised).
The evening’s event showcased a four-course meal plus dessert, each using fonio as an ingredient. Guinness hosts beer/food pairing events throughout the year. Check for upcoming events at guinnessbrewerybaltimore.com/brewery-calendar.
South Baltimore Brewery District
Judy Neff at Checkerspot Brewing shared, “The South Baltimore Brewery District (Checkerspot, Pickett, Wico St., and M8) are doing a neighborhood trash clean up on Saturday, November 30 from 10 am-12 pm and in collaboration with Trash Free Maryland. We will be doing this quarterly.” People can sign up online - https://www.trashfreemaryland.org/events-page/cleanupsobo
Checkerspot will hold its big Holiday Market with over 45 vendors on Saturday, December 7, from 12 - 5 pm. They will be releasing two holiday beers on that day.
Judy also shared that they will be releasing Morenita Mia on December 6 - it's a collaboration with Honduran brewers from Dos Osos Cervecería, a porter brewed with Honduran coffee from Daysi's family farm and cocoa nibs from Jose's sister, who is a chocolatier in Honduras. Judy said, “It's so good!!”
Baltimore Beer Festival Review
Baltimore Beer Festival is the Brewers Association of Maryland’s (BAM) classic fall festival, featuring brewers and beer from across the state. This year, the event was held on November 2 at a new location at Baltimore Peninsula. The new location is a growing section of Baltimore and offered scenic views of the Hanover Street Bridge and Patapsco River. This event is always a great way to taste new, exciting beers like Wico Street Brewing’s barrel-aged imperial stout Fatality, Elder Pine’s Roggenbier (rye beer), Belgium-inspired Flanders red and saison styles from Maryland’s latest brewery, Mystique Barrel Brewing, and Lager House. This year’s festival also followed the drinking trend by showcasing non-alcoholic beverages for those choosing not to partake in the alcoholic drinks or just wanting to experience these options.
BAM currently hosts two annual large-scale beer events. The Spring event is Maryland Craft Beer Festival on Carroll Creek in Downtown Frederick, and in Autumn, The Baltimore Craft Beer Festival in the heart of the City of Baltimore. Both of these events directly fund the mission of the Brewers Association of Maryland.
Denton Getting a New Brewery
Construction is officially underway for Eden Town Brewing, Caroline County’s first brewery. Located in the heart of Denton, this 8,000+ square foot facility will feature a tap room, event space, and a beer production area. Eden Town will be located at the corner of 8th and Gay Street.
Owners and Denton locals Matt and Sarah Dahl are excited to bring this new venture to the community. “We’re hoping to create a place where people can bring their families and have a good time,” says Matt. “We love living here and we look at this as making an investment in the future of our community.” No date has been posted as to when they expect to open.
Garrett County Beer
Join Brewery and the Beast for Breakfast (418 S Main St, Accident, MD) for “Santa Dinner with Krampus” for a fun-filled day featuring a German-inspired menu on December 15, 2024, at 11:00 AM. For more information, go to Breweryandthebeastmd.com.
Wico Street Beer Co Celebrates 2 Years in Pigtown
In November, Wico Street Beer Co. threw a 4-day party coined "Fun for Days" to celebrate two years of the craft brewery operating in the Pigtown section of Baltimore. The event highlighted the key aspects of the brewery, including beer and food, pinball, the arts, and being a part of the South Baltimore Brewery District.
Cousins Jordan McGraw and Mike Richardson opened Wico Street Beer Co. in November 2022. The taproom features brightly colored murals and pinball machines line the walls. Wico has a range of beer styles, but it also specializes in more unique varieties such as rotating fruited sours and its Fatality series of barrel-aged imperial stout blends. They are known for their arcade-themed events, including weekly Pinball Happy Hour and Pinball Madness. Richardson says that their spot in the brewery district “brings its own unique vibe - from our eclectic beers such as Whine, a Oenobeer style beer/wine hybrid, to our Saturday Night Vibes summer reggae concert series."
"Owning a small business has been a wild ride. Reaching our two-year mark is a big deal for us, our families, and our regulars. We invite everyone to come celebrate with us (even after the event) and see what Wico has to offer now and into the future to put beer in their glasses and smiles on their faces," says co-owner Jordan McGraw.
Liquidity News
Billy Deavers, co-owner at Liquidity Aleworks (Mt. Airy, MD), reports they have “recently added a new canning line to our facility in hopes that we can bring more beer to the distribution market and our customers can more readily get our beer across the state of Maryland.”
Billy also noted, “We are making the transition to primarily 12oz cans to better serve our retail partners. We will initially work with three core beers, First National - American Style Lager, Bonus Pay - Hazy IPA, and Powers of Persuasion - American Style IPA. There will be short runs of other styles as well but with limited availability. If you happen to be in the area of the brewery, we have our first bottled Barrel Aged beer, The Last Daredevil, available only in the taproom.”