This past Thanksgiving weekend provided an opportunity to re-visit the growing Ocean City Maryland craft beverage scene. There are currently three breweries, two distilleries, and a winery in the surrounding area. That's not counting the wineries and breweries heading towards the beach along Route 50.
The first stop was to
Seacrets Spirits, an extension to the popular resort bar. It is the first distillery built in Worcester County since 1933 and offers an array of rums, vodkas, gin, and whiskey. In order to sample their spirits you must participate in the $10 hour long tour, but for those like me lacking the time, there's an ABC store in the parking lot. Initially I was interested in purchasing the whiskeys but the labels were very suspect, displaying "bottled in Ocean City", but not indicating where the whiskey was distilled or aged. Sounds like a MGP of Indiana product - which isn't an issue unless they hide that fact on the label. Instead I purchased a bottle of their top seller
Spiced Rum, but aged on a limited basis in used Bourbon Barrels. The oak seems to subdue the spices and immediately I thought of eggnog. I hope the bottle lasts until Christmas.
A dozen blocks north resides the
Ocean City Brewing Company and
OC Distilling Company. The later offers a
Vodka whereas the former is a spacious sports bar with a game room and a plethora of craft beer options. I didn't get a chance to sample the vodka, but sampled several of the beers with mixed feelings. Some were rather uninspiring but I found success with their
OC Lager,
Route 50 Pale Ale,
Buying the Cow Milk Stout, and
Mad Scientist Pecan Pie Chocolate Stout. Fortunately there's a large enough selection for anyone to find a favorite. Isn't that the raison d'être for samplers?
A visit to the Maryland beach must include a side trip to the Hallmark friendly town of Berlin and
Burley Oak Brewing Company. This has been one of my favorite Maryland breweries for what, a half dozen years now? They are always solid, have a diverse variety of beers, and are friendly and engaging in the tasting room. Plus, dogs are allowed inside. A standard sampler includes six pours which gives visitors a chance to engage several styles. Here are the highlights. The
Coffee N' Creme proves again that coffee flavored cream ales and kolsches are a great pairing. For sour lovers, the Burley Oak
Jream series is a major winner courtesy of both their
Blueberry Peach and
Apricot Raspberry imperial fruited sour ales with lactose. Yet the standard
Sour Chicky dry hopped sour hour was no slouch and the beer I brought home. Finally, try the
Fudgy Slipper - a dark chocolate inspired pastry stout. I probably wouldn't drink more than a pint, but in small pours, a delicious beer. Cheers to Burley Oaks, Seacrets, and OC Brewing and as always,
theCompass Craft Beverage Finder will guide you to these destinations.
It looks like Lafayette, Louisiana will be our second home for the next 4-5 years and I'm excited about the small craft beverage scene in the city and parish. And these establishments take advantage of the numerous sugarcane fields in Cajun country. The excitement started last year during our first trip and a lengthy visit to Parish Brewing Company in neighboring Broussard. Their flagship beer is Canebrake - a wheat ale augmented with sugarcane syrup from Louisiana sugarcane. The Double IPA Ghost in the Machine is another popular beer but I prefer the Envie -- a juicy pale ale. And a new favorite is the refreshing Parish Pilsner. Yet, a conversation about Parish Brewing must include the SIPS sour series. On our first visit, we returned home with the Sips Pinot Noir Black Current Berliner Weisse (as we did this trip) - a juicy and tart sour ale brewed with what its name suggests. On this trip, we were able to finally sample Sips Chardonnay Apricot Berliner Weisse - a citrus and stone fruit version with a little less tartness and sourness. The future question will be how much I can fit into our return trips without having to utilize their shipping services.
Wildcat Brothers Distillery is the oldest continuously operating distillery in Louisiana and holds post-prohibition license #2. This Lafayette rum distillery leverages the local sugarcane and a proprietary distilling method to create rum in the agricole style directly from fermented sugarcane. Co-owners David Meaux and Tait Martin both trace their ancestry to the original Acadians who were exiled from Eastern Canada and Maine after refusing to pledge loyalty to the Crown in the mid-18th century. Furthermore, Meaux's grandfather purchased 750 acres of land in southern Louisiana that contained forests of long-leaf pine and various hardwoods as well as a mixture of fruit trees. These trees would have a very important role to play in the future of the distillery. Wildcat Brothers' signature spirit is the 40-proof Sweet Crude white rum which is a very clean spirit offering both honey and sugar notes. The Fifolet Spiced Rum is a finely balanced spirit where the baking spices and coffee do not overwhelm and overshadow the base rum. Sip slowly and enjoy. The final rum we tasted was the most interesting; the Noire is an aged rum -- aged in barrels made from the various timber harvested in the Meaux homestead. This "unique combination of charred ancestral hardwoods and Louisiana fruit trees has resulted in an entirely uncommon and delicious flavor profile." And we agree. There's vanilla and tobacco, plus an odd assortment of fruit flavors, providing a Bourbon-ish profile intertwined with the sweet honey of the sugarcane. 
Adopted Dog Brewing is the latest craft beverage establishment to spring up and the only one in the city of Lafayette. Based on the large number of families during our visit word of their recent opening has spread. Unlike the previous two establishments, there's a full kitchen onsite making this an excellent lunch or dinner option. Try the Crispy Brussels appetizer. As for beer, I partook in a flight consisting of the Fleur de Lis Golden Lager, Sunny as Helles Lager, Krayt Dragonfruit Sour, and the Oatmeal as Cream Pie Porter. All were well-made beers, very clean for the first two, slightly sour for the third, and a dessert finale. Looking forward to more meals at Adopted Dog.
