Maryland Brewery Updates: Nov 2025
Heavy Seas Turns 30
Heavy Seas (Halethrope, MD) is Maryland’s largest craft brewery. On December 6, they held a party to celebrate their 30 years of brewing beer. The event was held in partnership with the Brewers Association of Maryland (BAM). A portion of the proceeds will benefit BAM’s mission to support and promote Maryland’s craft beer industry.
The event featured the release of 30 Year Storm, a limited barrel-aged strong ale (11.5% ABV), aged in bourbon, rye, and sherry barrels. “This anniversary beer represents the culmination of three decades of creativity, experimentation, and resilience—everything Heavy Seas stands for,” said Caroline Sisson.
Brewery Openings
Aberdeen Likes Beer
Watchtower Brewing (Aberdeen, MD) had its soft opening on Halloween weekend and its Grand Opening on December 3, in downtown Aberdeen. Watchtower is more than a brewery; it's a community cornerstone. Founded by Managing Partner George Hanlin, Director of Experience Frank Young, and Marketing Director Joe Fino, the team blends diverse expertise with a shared vision: "building community in a glass." The city of Aberdeen has been instrumental in actively supporting the brewery's development and revitalization efforts. Watchtower's location, a transformed dry cleaner, now boasts a bright, industrial-chic taproom overlooking Festival Park, fostering a family-friendly atmosphere. With plans to expand hours, distribution, and the range of events, Watchtower aims to cater to local preferences while driving economic and social growth in Aberdeen.
St. Mary’s County Beer is Growing
There is some exciting news coming out of St. Mary’s County. Jubilee Farm Fermentations owner Daniel Bedford shared, “JFF will be moving operations to Historic St Mary's City in the early months of 2026. The brewery will assume the identity of The Farthings Fermenter and continue to produce rustic and experimental beer. Its offerings will be available at the brand new Farthings Pub and other select accounts in St. Mary's County.”
Everyday Saint Brewhouse (22760 Washington St, Leonardtown, MD) opened its taproom/pub in downtown Leonardtown on December 6, 2025. With an intimate seating capacity of only 24, the space is warm this time of year. However, they do have a lot of outdoor seating with two fire pits. And in preparation for announcing their opening date, there are a few other details to know: ESB will be a cashless establishment — pay is by credit card only — and it’s a nano brewery with 7-10 rotating styles of in-house beer.
This nano-brewery has been producing craft beer in the basement of this building (referred to as The Duke House) for about two years. They have been working on renovating half of the first floor into an upscale, “vintage-vibe” taproom in historic, downtown Leonardtown.
A New Denton Brewery
Eden Town Brewing (Denton, MD) continues to edge forward to fully open its doors. They announced on social media, “FINALLY! We’re thrilled to announce that our doors officially open on December 19th! We’ll be pouring our first five batches of beer along with our house-made root beer, and @carolinesatedentown will be serving delicious food to complete the experience. Join us to celebrate the holiday season as Caroline County’s first brewery opens its doors!"
In November, they stated, “We are on track to open in mid-December! Stay tuned for an exact date when we will open our doors; we're getting closer every day. We're also excited for you to try the delicious menu that Caroline's at Eden Town has in store!
They added in mid-November, “We were finally able to open our doors this weekend for a private event! It was so exciting to see people in this space. We are not fully open yet, but we are CLOSE. We just started brewing beer onsite last week, and we got three batches in the fermenters. We'll be sharing specific details on when we'll be open very soon. Stay tuned!”
Brewery Growth
BabyCat Brewery has officially expanded beyond Kensington, soft opening its new taproom at 4850 Rugby Avenue in Bethesda. The move marks a major milestone for founders Sam Mussomeli and Terry Redmond, who have grown BabyCat into one of Montgomery County’s most beloved breweries. Their vision of a true “community brewery” is at the heart of the new location, which blends the cozy character of Kensington with a more expansive, design-rich environment.
The Bethesda taproom introduces several firsts for BabyCat, including a full kitchen and a fully built-out bar featuring an upcoming menu of eight signature cocktails—an upgrade from the food-truck model in Kensington. Taproom Manager Abby LeNoire describes the vibe as a warm, house-party atmosphere, enhanced by vintage lighting, greenery, and an inviting layout that includes a larger-than-expected patio.
While BabyCat favorites remain on tap, brewer Jon Harahan—trained under Kensington head brewer Phil Zanello—will offer Bethesda-exclusive creations. Seasonal events are already planned, beginning with its Halloween celebration. Early community response has been overwhelmingly positive, with neighbors stopping by even during soft-opening hours.
With its official grand opening on October 31, BabyCat Bethesda is poised to become a new anchor for local beer lovers and a natural extension of the brand’s community-driven identity.
Manor Hill Conflicts
A decade-long zoning dispute between Manor Lane residents and Manor Hill Brewing continues to influence the conversation around agritourism and growth in Howard County’s craft beer scene. Neighbors argue the 54-acre farm brewery has operated well beyond what its farm brewery permits allow, citing concerns about traffic, events, alcohol sales, and quality-of-life impacts on the narrow dead-end road. County officials, however, have conducted multiple investigations since 2022 and reported no violations, prompting a series of appeals and renewed scrutiny of the county’s enforcement practices.
The feud has become increasingly complex, touching everything from the role of farm breweries in rural preservation to allegations of political fallout within county government. Manor Hill, Maryland’s largest farm brewery, maintains that it follows all regulations and contributes positively to local agriculture and tourism. Neighbors insist their goal isn’t to shut the brewery down but to ensure zoning rules are enforced fairly and consistently.
The case arrives at a pivotal moment as Howard County weighs new zoning amendments to support agribusiness while managing development pressure in rural areas. With the latest appeal still pending, the Manor Hill controversy underscores the ongoing challenge for Maryland’s farm breweries: balancing community impact, agricultural intent, and the realities of a changing craft beer market.
Beer Events
Sapwood Cellars is bringing back its popular Holiday Party with an expanded two-night celebration on December 14 and 15 at its Columbia taproom. Designed to avoid overcrowding and ensure every guest gets the full experience, the brewery is offering attendees a 4 oz pour of all 10 featured beers, a keepsake tasting glass, and access to a festive buffet from Albura Taqueria—complete with their favorites and a Christmas ham. Guests can also add a charcuterie board for an additional fee, while extra pours of select special-release beers will be available for purchase.
The beer lineup reflects Sapwood’s signature creativity, ranging from barrel-aged stouts and cocktail-inspired sours to holiday-forward variants featuring ingredients like orange zest, rosemary, sage, truffle, Vigilante coffee, and amburana. Highlights include Get Cracking, Santa’s Little Helper, White Christmas, and seasonal one-offs still in development. Each night will also feature a different vintage barleywine bottle pour: High Value Treat 2022 on Sunday and Dreifeld 2023 on Monday.
Adding to the festive atmosphere, the taproom will be decorated for the season and feature live Christmas music and holiday bingo. With its mix of inventive beers, food, and community cheer, Sapwood’s Holiday Party remains one of the region’s most anticipated year-end celebrations.
Checkerspot Brewing will hold the Cellar Raid 2026 on February 1, 2026. Enjoy a handful of high alcohol, barrel-aged beers with unlimited pours until they run out. Many are the last of these in existence! Participants will receive a souvenir glass and a food buffet. You can look forward to Bear Imperial Porter (Baltimore Spirits Rye 2019), Admiral Buck Imperial Bock (Tobacco Barn Distillery rum barrels aged on the Constellation 2021), and Jean Quad (Dodon Vineyards Fortified Wine Barrel with dates & figs 2021), to name just a few. The VIP experience will also include bottle pours of Wee Chrissy Scotch Ale (2023), and Barrel Buddies Imperial Rye Ale, a collaboration with Sagamore Spirits. Learn more about all of Checkerspot’s events at checkerspotbrewing.com.
