Another New Brewery in Ocean City, Maryland: Assawoman Bay Brewing Company

Ocean City Maryland has a growing craft beer scene and the newest entrant is Assawoman Bay Brewing Company, located in the 45th Street Village. For those unfamiliar with this Maryland beach community, Assawoman Bay is the lagoon that separates the Ocean City peninsula with the Delmarva mainland and the name comes from the Algonquian Indians who originally lived here. This weekend the brewery itself was closed, but the beers were available next door at their sister location: the 45th Street Taphouse.  Over lunch, I sampled through the brewery's eight offerings ranging from the Bayside Blonde to the Commodore Decatur Black IPA. This IPA was one of my favorites, with a creamy, toasted malt flavor finishing with dark chocolate bitterness. It also provides a historical lesson, being named for local Naval hero Stephen Decatur. Another favorite was the spicy Red Head Rye Ale, Angry Clown Brown Ale, and Sunsationale Belgium Pale Ale.  Well done and, as always, theCompass Winery Brewery Distillery app can guide your there. Cheers.

Howard County Maryland's First Craft Brewery: Frisco Tap House & Push Brewery

There are a number of breweries that have opened in the Columbia, Maryland area recently with the first being Frisco Tap House & Push Brewery. Known for providing a comprehensive craft beer menu (56 taps), the restaurant added brewing capabilities last year. On my recent visit to watch a Redskins game, they were pouring four of their Push Brewery brews: Push Meyer Lemon IPA, Push Midnight Mistress Dark Pumpkin, Push/Boulevard Mark Of The Beast, and the Push/Terrapin Dankenstein Rye IPA.

Obviously I started with the rye that is a collaboration with Terrapin Beer Company. Apparently it was inspired by Phish's two night stand at nearby Merriweather Post Pavillion. The beer starts with pine and citrus, then continues with a spicy bold flavor, and finishes with four pound of hops: Columbus, Chinook, Summit, and Simcoe. The Lemon IPA was very refreshing made from Meyer Lemon juice and finished with El Dorado hops. The Push/Boulevard Mark Of The Beast is a Pumpkin Saison in collaboration with Kansas City's Boulevard Brewing Company using Boulevard's proprietary Belgian yeast strains. Fall spices dominate, the pumpkin is subtle, the finish - long. On the other hand, the Push Midnight Mistress Dark Pumpkin is a different beast, over 100 lbs of local roasted butternut squash and 60 lbs of house-made pumpkin purée were used in this mash. This is a bigger beer with even more spices and even lactose to give a milk stout feel. Pretty interesting. Cheers to Maryland beer.

Maryland's Rock Creek Trail - Two Breweries and a Distillery

theCompass View
of Rockville

I've been riding quite often on Virginia bike trails in the DC suburbs, but there are also miles of connecting trails across the Potomac. One such trail is the Rock Creek Trail, which links Silver Spring with Rockville. theCompass Winery, Brewery, & Distillery Locator mobile app also shows the trail links cyclists to two breweries and a distillery in this easy, but windy route.

I started in Silver Spring where Denizens Brewing Co. opened this summer at the intersection of East-West Hwy and Georgia Avenue.Co-owners Jeff Ramirez and Emily Bruno are planning a rather large facility, eventually brewing 15 barrels of beer at one time. While the brewery is ramping up production, their two current house beers, the Southside Rye IPA & Lowest Lord Extra Special Bitter are being brewed at Beltway Brewing Company. They augment their selection with regional offerings, and if lucky, the Brewer's Art Ressurrection may be on tap. And for food, the BBQ Bus brick and mortal establishment is now open downstairs.

When heading to Rockville, head toward Georgia Ave and turn right onto 13th Street, then a right onto Leegate Rd which turns into Myrtle St after 16th Street, then Kalmai Rd (all rights) until you reach West Beach Drive. Turn left onto West Beach Drive which leads to the Valley Trail and then the Rock Creek Trail. After about 14 miles of winding along the trail, it turns into the Westside Trail and a short distance later make a left onto the Gude Trail.

Once you get to Gude Drive cross over and take a left onto the Carl Henn Millennial Trail. Twin Valley Distillers,  the first distillery in Montgomery County since Prohibition, will be on your right (turn into the collision system and to the back of the warehouse). The distillery was started by Edgardo Zuniga who dreamed of the idea two years ago and after deciding to open in the county, spent a year getting the proper permits from the country and federal authorities. After five iterations he developed his final recipe for a 100% sugar cane molasses - the Seneca Bay Rum. Next came the Norbeck Vodka, a 100% wheat vodka distilled 8 times. Both of these spirits are available for tasting and sales directly at the distillery. Bring a backpack.

When leaving Twin Valley stay on the Carl Henn path for about a mile until you reach Taft Street, where you hang a right to reach Baying Hound Aleworks (back in the second group of warehouses). Operating for 4 years now,  the nano-brewery was started Paul Rinehart who's been homebrewing since he was 14 years old.  The brewery has an interesting lineup, with the most interesting the Ball Lick'r Raspberry Lambic. Don't see many of these outside of Belgium. And after a bike ride, the Dumb Blonde Witbier or Rockville Golden Ale are refreshing choices. 

Also note that Twin Valley and baying Hound are closed on Sundays. And if ready for food in Rockville, Branded 72 Pit Barbecue is available past Twin Valley towards the Gude Trail. Cheers and safe riding. 

Total miles: 36

SAVOR Profile: Flying Dog Brewery's Rising Dead OLD BAY Summer Ale

I had heard rumors and SAVOR verified that the latest beer making trend is brewing with crab seasoning. Frederick's  Flying Dog Brewery started the trend by officially partnering with McCormick & Company to add Old Bay to produce Rising Dead OLD BAY Summer Ale. The release honors the spice's 75th anniversary and proceeds are contributed to True Blue, an organization that advocates on behalf of the Chesapeake Bay's 5,500 water men.  The beer itself starts very clean, but then finishes with the familiar taste of Old Bay - sometimes subtly - other times - more intensely. A food pairing, and just not crabs, are in order. Even chips and salsa worked well. Supplies are running low as the beer is in great demand. Before you homebrewers attempt to re-create your own version, don't start dumping Old Bay into your wort. Too much sodium. Flying Dog obviously received the non-sodium part of the recipe.

Delaware's 3rd Wave Brewing Co. actually started the trend of brewing with crab spices by releasing Shore Thing, an amber ale, which they released last year. Unfortunately, the Abbey Burger Bistro was sold out when I went to taste this weekend.  And Ocean City's Backshore Brewing Company just tapped their Baycation, a red ale spiced with crab seasoning. This beer is fuller than the Rising Dead, with more subtle spices - quite enjoyable.

Cheers to summer, beer, and crabs.

Cruising Ocean City Breweries with #theCompassApp

This past weekend I had some house keeping chores in Ocean City Maryland so I decided to utilize our theCompass Winery Brewery Distillery Locator mobile app to navigate to as many breweries along the Route 50 corridor as possible.

 After talking to the folks at Evolution Craft Brewing Company at SAVOR, I started my trip to the beach with a slight detour in Salisbury to visit their Public House for dinner. While listening to Reggae music and a burger, I enjoyed their Special 608 Belgian Amber, that was made originally brewed for the Craft Brewers Conference but seems to have found a stable home. It is sweet and spicy (brewed with honey, lemon peel, orange peel, and coriander) with dark fruit flavors balanced nicely with a slight bitter finish. Next time I need to bring a designated driver so I can sample through their portfolio.

The next day, after several hours of painting, I hopped on my bicycle and pedaled south towards the boardwalk. I passed Ocean City Brewing Company which hopes to be brewing at their 55th Street location this month.  My first stop was at Backshore Brewing Company, between 9th & 10th streets on the boardwalk next to Hammerheads.You may have heard of the brewery as Shorebilly, but because of trade marks have re-branded themselves. They also feature a new brewmaster and signs look bright as I savored their Four-Ten Kolsch and Hop Solo IPA. You can judge a brewery based on their lightest beer, since there's few places to hide faults and their Kolsch was smooth, clean, and refreshing. Perfect for a bike ride. The Hop Solo isn't a west-coast IPA, meaning lighter on the hops, but still exuding a nice flora aroma and clean finish. The brewery has several beers aging in used Jack Daniels barrels as well as a spiced-ale infused with an Old Bay equivalent just in time for summer. I'll be back.

One place I probably won't be back is Fin City Brewing Company, located in Hooper's Crab House just over the inlet bridge on Route 50.  Whereas the restaurant provides nice seafood and perfect views of the bay and inlet, the Fin City Sneaky Wheat was quite under-whelming.  It seemed to try to imitate a Belgium Wit with the coriander and orange peel, but it also appears they may have used Bavarian Weizen yeast so there's also a Banana character that doesn't mesh with the orange flavor.

From Fin City, I rode seven miles to Berlin and Burley Oak Brewing Company. While biking, stay in the bike line on Route 50 and then follow the bike signs for detours to access roads. I've visited the brewery in the past and have enjoyed some of their beers in Ocean City, so knew what to expect - high quality. That started with their Kolsch - Just The Tip. Clean grainy, and refreshing - spot on for quenching a thirst. Trying to stay within lower abv's I then had their Sour Trip Berliner-Weisse checking in at 3.3% abv. Slightly sour after being fermented with lactobacillus bacteria, it is also refreshing and begging to be consumed quickly. For a change of pace, ask for the raspberry puree which enhances the sourness and adds a nice fruit flavor.  Now, time to bike 13 miles back.

The next day I started my return trip stopping by Tall Tales Brewing Co, in Parsonsburg, just a few miles East of Salisbury. Over bratwurst, I sampled six beers starting with a really cool Apple ale - the Johnny Appleseed. Light and fruity, but not sweet, there is great acidity with the subtle hops to make this a nice beer. I sampled two other lighter beers, their Some Beach Island Ale and the Calamity Jane - both Blonde ales with the Some Beach have just a little extra hops to make it more interesting. Next was the Excalibur, an IPA with citrus aromas and a caramel malty palette balanced with a shore bitter finish. Their best seller is the Red Headed Step Child, a sweeter red ale with less of a hoppy feel than your tradition red ale. The final sample was the Sasquatch - an Imperial American Stout that was right on, chocolate and coffee flavors merge into a bitter finish. Nicely done.

On a tip, I headed north on Route 13 to Delmar, Delaware to visit  3rd Wave Brewing Co. who occupy the space once used by Evolution Craft Brewing Company. Unfortunately I didn't use the advice I always give for people to call ahead for hours, and the brewery was a couple away from opening. Delmar is only a few miles north of the Salibury bi-pass, so a side trip will be better planned next time.

The last short pit stop occurred in historic downtown Cambridge where Realerevival Brewing set up shop. The brewery looks like they have equipment for a decent brewing capacity but this day they had only one of their beers on tap: the Bucktown Brown. This brown ale was quite tasty, having a full, malty body with a touch of sweet chocolate followed by a light hop flavor. They also carry beers from several other craft breweries, so plenty of options for consumers. And the food looks good - from sliders to sushi.

There you go, plenty of beer options when taking Route 50 to the shore. More photos are available at out Facebook album: Eastern Shore Brewery Tour. And for those that take the back roads to Delaware, 16 Mile Brewing Company, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, and Mispillion River Brewing are within easy reach. Cheers.

Update: I forgot to mention de Lazy Lizard Brew Pub, which is located just north of the Route 50 bridge. The brewpub was closed when I visited. Hopefully next visit.

Football & Beer at Fire Station 1 Brewing Company

This weekend I met my parents at their Silver Spring office and we decided to watch a few football games at a new brewpub that opened down the street: Fire Station 1 Brewing Company.  The operation is the work of retired firefighter Jeremy Gruber, who incidentally started his career at Fire Station 1, then purchased the old firehouse when the department moved across Georgia Avenue. As you would expect, there are plenty of historical information about the Silver Spring fire department as well as fresh Maryland brewed beer.

On this day there were two Fire Station 1 brews on tap, the Daily Crisis IPA and Something Red. Neither of these were flashy or extraordinary; the IPA was paler than most and contrarily the amber ale could have used a little more hops. (My Father had no problems with either - so maybe my beer geekiness is showing.) But supplemented with a few beers from Baltimore's Heavy Seas Brewing Company there was more than enough local beers for me - plus plenty of television sets to watch every football game - sort of like being in Vegas. The photo on the right show's their page on theCompass. Cheers to Gruber and Fire Station 1.

American Craft Beer Week® 2013: Toasts the Red, White and Brew

Now that Savor has moved to NYC, American Craft Beer Week® is my favorite time to celebrate craft beer.And now that I'm a member of the Brewer's Association I need to spread the gospel. So make plans for May 13-19, I may be heading to Frederick, Maryland for the Brewers Association of MD "Maryland Craft Beer Festival".

Celebrations Expected in All 50 States from May 13-19

Boulder, CO • April 25, 2013—From May 13-19, craft beer connoisseurs and beginners alike will come together for the eighth annual celebration of American Craft Beer Week (ACBW). With the tagline “Big Week, Small Breweries,” ACBW is an opportunity to toast the more than 2,400 small and independent American craft brewers who continue to make the U.S. the world’s most diverse brewing destination. Once again, ACBW celebrations are expected to be held across all 50 states.

“The popularity of American Craft Beer Week is indicative of the craft beer renaissance that continues to captivate the U.S.,” said Julia Herz, publisher of CraftBeer.com and craft beer program director at the Brewers Association. “This week is about uniting for a common cause: support and celebration of our nation’s small and independent brewers and the millions of beer lovers who have helped evolve an industry and put the U.S. on the brewing map.”

New for 2013 is the American Craft Beer Week Coast to Coast Toast. For the first time ever, ACBW will be commemorated by a simultaneous toast. At 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on Thursday, May 16, small brewers and craft beer lovers nationwide will raise a glass of their favorite craft brewed beer to toast ACBW and the delicious beer that it celebrates. To find a toast location near you, visit the official American Craft Beer Week events page, hosted by CraftBeer.com.

Untappd, the mobile-based social network that connects breweries with craft beer lovers, is also offering an American Craft Beer Week Badge for users who check-in during ACBW events.

Additionally, craft beer fans from across the country can sign the American Craft Beer Week Manifesto, pledging their support to craft beer and their love for “the artisans who approach their craft with originality, dedication and passion.” From tap takeovers and tasting tours to food pairings and festivals, ACBW will be celebrated in many ways across the U.S. To find a local celebration, event or promotion, visit the above-mentioned ACBW events page.  A selection of scheduled 2013 celebrations includes:

American Craft Beer Week National Toast

Coast to Coast Toast to Craft Beer w/Stone Brewing Co.; Westerly, RI

ACBW Coast to Coast Toast at Iron Horse Taproom; Washington, D.C.

American Craft Beer Week Toast at Howells & Hood; Chicago, IL
Coast to Coast Toast to Boulder’s Craft Beer Phenomenon; Boulder, CO

Craft Breweries

Gritty McDuff’s Brewpub 25^th Anniversary Celebration; Portland, ME

Mayflower Brewing Company 4^th Annual Open House; Plymouth, MA

Anaheim Brewery Founder’s Day; Anaheim, CA

5^th Annual Short’s to Short’s Paddle; Bellaire, MI

Meet the Brewers of the San Francisco Brewers Guild; San Francisco, CA

Rahr & Sons Summertime Wheat Glass Night; Dallas, TX
Right Brain Brewery - ACBW Firkin’ Friday; Traverse City, MI

Craft Beer Festivals
3rd Annual Ameri-CAN Canned Craft Beer Festival; Scottsdale, AZ

HopFest Kansas City 2013; Kansas City, MO

Brewers Association of MD "Maryland Craft Beer Festival"; Frederick, MD

2013 Wort Transformation Awards Ceremony; Papillion, NE

Third Annual Brews with Attitude Craft Beer Festival; Tampa, FL
Third EVER Mother’s Day Festival; Springfield, MO
Wheatstock; Lincoln Park, MI

Food and Beer Events
American Craft Beer Week – Spokane Style!; Spokane, WA

4 Course Dinner and Pairing Featuring Uinta Brewing Co.; Salt Lake City, UT
Elevation Beer Co. - Chef vs. Chef; Louisville, COKnee Deep Beer Dinner at 775 Gastropub; Reno, NV
Beer & Cheese Tasting with Teton Valley Creamery and 460 Bread; Victor, ID

Craft Beer Tastings and Tours
Brewery Rickoli American Craft Beer Week Releases; Wheat Ridge, CO
Crow Peak Night at the Ale House; Rapid City, SD
Old Chicago Tap Takeover featuring Odell Brewing Co.; All Colorado Locations
Roughtail Oaked Imperial Black Rye Ale Release at Tapwerks; Oklahoma City, OK
Shmaltz Brewing Media Ribbon Cutting Ceremony; Clifton Park, NY

Portsmouth Brewery – Brewing with Botanicals; Portsmouth, NH

State and Regional Beer Weeks Also Happening During ACBW
Chicago Craft Beer Week

Frederick Beer Week (MD)
Lexington Craft Beer Week (KY)

Long Island Craft Beer Week

San Antonio Beer Week

Santa Ynez Valley Beer Month (CA)

Seattle Beer Week

Session Beer Month

Find an expanded list of U.S. beer weeks and join the conversation on Twitter with #ACBW.

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About the Brewers Association

The Brewers Association is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their craft beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The Brewers Association (BA) represents more than 70 percent of the brewing industry, and its members make more than 99 percent of the beer brewed in the U.S. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup^®, Great American Beer Festival^®, Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America^®, SAVOR℠: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience and American Craft Beer Week^®. The BA publishes The New Brewer magazine and its Brewers Publications division is the largest publisher of contemporary and relevant brewing literature for today's craft brewers and homebrewers.

Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com and about homebrewing via the BA's American Homebrewers Association. Follow us on Twitter.

The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 11246 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.

Plenty of #mdwine to sample at #dlw13

I'm looking forward to heading to Baltimore for the 2013 DrinkLocalWine Conference Friday and spent some time last night reviewing past posts on Maryland Wine, particularly The Wine Grapes of Maryland (a little outdated) as well as our trips to Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard and Old Westminster.  And looking at this map reminds me that Maryland is home to several excellent breweries in addition to Blackwater Distilling. Hope to be able to taste these as well over the weekend.

Participating wineries and wines I hope they are pouring:

• Basignani Winery - Vidal Blanc
• Big Cork Vineyards
• Black Ankle Vineyards - Crumbling Rock & Gruner Veltliner
• Boordy Vineyards - Landmark Reserve
• Catoctin Breeze Vineyard
• Cygnus Wine Cellars - Cygnus Red
• Distillery Lane Ciderworks
• Elk Run Vineyards - Pinot Noir
• Fiore Winery - Proprietor's Reserve Chambourcin & Zinnavo
• Galloping Goose Vineyards
• Knob Hall Winery - Chambourcin
• Linganore Winecellar - Terrapin White & Bacioni
• Millstone Cellars
• Old Westminster Winery - Cabernet Franc
• Port of Leonardtown - Chambourcin Rose
• Royal Rabbit Vineyards
• Serpent Ridge Vineyard - Basilisk & Vintner's Reserve Cabernet
• Slack Winery
• Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard - Circe & Comus
• Thanksgiving Farm - Meritage
• The Vineyards at Dodon
• Woodhall Wine Cellars - Gunpowder Falls Red & White

Beer in Berlin - Burley Oak Brewing Company

 On the 4th I took time off from the beach to visit a new micro-brewery - Burley Oak Brewing Company - located in Berlin, Maryland only a few miles from the beaches in Ocean City. The brewery takes its name from local history. The name of the town is a shortened version of a local tavern "Burleigh Inn" - derived from the Burley Plantation - and the building housing the facility was once a cooperage - hence Burley Oak. Since opening in August 2011, owner Bryan Brushmiller has kept a continual supply of about a dozen beers on tap where consumers can sample by the pint or take home with growlers. I was a bit confused by this situation since the brewery isn't a restaurant and thought selling by the pint was illegal in Maryland. And yes it still is; except Brushmiller was able to get the Worcester County in Annapolis to carve out an exemption for Burley Oak so they could operate as a pub and not a restaurant. Nicely played.

On my visit the brewery was pouring nine beers, plus a root beer, and was immediately impressed with the diversity of the offerings. There was a Kolsch, Pale Ale, Belgian Ale, IPA, Saison, Wit, Imperial Red, and a Milk Stout. Wow. And two of the beers, Pale Ryeder and SummaRye utilize local rye from Snow Hill. I included the later, a farmhouse saison, to my sample of four along with the Port d'Orange Wit, Cherry Poppins (Belgium Cherry Ale), and Black Cow Milk Stout. Through previous encounters I've found that milk stouts are excellent beach beers - the lactose infusion creates a creamy brew very compatible with excessive heat. The downside; the Burley Oak version is nitrogenized in the cask so is not available for growler sales.  The SummaRye and Port d'Orange were each good examples of their respective styles and with low IBUs - another example of refreshing beach brews. But continuing my trend this summer, my favorite was the Cherry Poppins - a smooth ale with subtle hints of cherry - not overpowering so like a lambic - just nicely integrated. It reminded me of a concoction a bartender created for us at Fireworks Arlington, who blended the Allagash White with a small amount of Kasteel Rouge. Thus, I think we will be hitting Burley Oak two times each trip to the beach, once to fill growlers for our stay and then again on our return home. Cheers.