I stopped in at Prospect Point Brewing in Frederick, Maryland with my wife and my son and his wife. We enjoyed a few hours of relaxing and talking and enjoying great beers. Their Homebrew English Mild is one of the best beers of this style I have ever tasted. I also enjoyed their Chocolate Thunder Stout. My son and his wife enjoyed several of their other beers. All of their offerings are great. My wife doesn’t drink beer so we brought in a coffee mug with wine for her – shh! – don’t tell the brewer. We also brought in some food from Friscos Restaurant. Friscos’ sandwiches, salads and exploded potatoes are all delicious. The beers paired wonderfully with the food. We have been eagerly anticipating the opening of Prospect Point Brewing because it is literally a mile down the street from my son’s house. I know it will be a family favorite. Their beer and their relaxing setting will bring us back again and again. We were also blessed to have met the brewers at the Maryland Craft Beer Festival where my sons and I have volunteered for the past several years. So, I’ve got three takeaways for you. Go to the Maryland Craft Beer Festival and try new beers and get out and support Maryland breweries, enjoy great food at Friscos, and by all means head to Prospect Point Brewing and have a beer!!
Maryland
Lone Oak Farm Brewing Company, Olney, MD
Had a great time with my family in one of the rental tents. Nice and warm on a chilly January day. I enjoyed a flight and all of the beers were tasty. Their Hazy IPA’s are good. Flip Coast IPA is also good. General Sherman Double IPA is strong and tasty. Kodiak is sweet and delicious. the beers paired well with snacks we brought. And Kodiak went well with chocolates.
Crooked Crab Brewing Company, Odenton, MD
I stopped into the Crooked Crab Brewing Company in Odenton, Maryland, on the way home from a business meeting. The flight of beers and the pork belly from the food truck were a wonderful accompaniment after a tiring day. I enjoyed all of the beers. My favorites were A Raspberry & Peach Walked Into A Bar, their delicious fruity sour, and A Mango & Key Lime Get Salty, their refreshing gose. Both of these beers had great flavors.
Chesapeake Brewing Company, Annapolis, MD
I stopped in at Chesapeake Brewing Company in Annapolis, Maryland. After a local business meeting I stopped in with an industry buddy to discuss what we had heard. Nice tap room feel. We felt right at home. The Orange Crush Lager was delicious. Very fruity. Just like it sounds. Like a radler on steroids. And just what i needed after a long meeting.
Astro Lab Brewing, Silver Spring, MD
I stopped in at Astro Lab Brewing in Silver Spring, Maryland. What a cool place in revitalized Silver Spring. The tap room was filled with young families on an early Saturday evening. With several tables and games it’s conducive to families hanging out. At the bar, I decided to try a few beers and reached the conclusion that Jupiter, one of their IPAs, is my favorite. It’s juicy and bitter and balanced and delicious. My only regret is that I didn’t bring any home with me.
Black Flag Brewing Company, Columbia, MD
What do Black Flag Brewing Company, Fathers Day and Kidnapping have in common? This past Sunday, Fathers Day, my family kidnapped me following church and took me to Black Flag Brewing Company in Columbia, Maryland. If you’re gonna be kidnapped, this is the place to be held hostage. We had a great time. Family members brought snacks. We also stopped and brought in food from a local restaurant. We spent several hours there relaxing and enjoying.
The beers I enjoyed were very good. I tasted a few, but started off with Spell Czech. The Czech Pilsner is crisp and clean and was very nice paired with the food we had. It didn’t last long. Other family members had pints of various beers and some even tried flights. Every one of the Black Flag beer styles was consumed and shared at our tables Sunday afternoon. My wife even ordered a beer – King Kolsch – and she doesn’t drink beer. The second full beer I ordered was Maple Bacon Porter – it’s everything the name suggests. Rich, sweet, slightly savory, delicious. I finished with a small pour of Café Cruiser – and I’m regretting not coming home with a four-pack. With a beer like this you never need dessert.
If we lived closer I’d spend more time at Black Flag Brewing Company. It’s a neat space. Great energy. Nice people. Friendly for families and dogs. Wonderful beers.
Guinness Open Gate Brewery and Barrel House, Baltimore, MD
I stopped in at Guinness Open Gate and Brewery and Barrel House with my son for a beer. This was the first beer with my youngest son since he turned 21 and could order in public. We enjoyed the drive to the Baltimore suburbs near BWI airport. The brewery was quite busy on Saturday afternoon. This was our first visit, having recommendations from close family friends. Although we had not planned in advance and were unable to take a guided tour we did walk through a number of the exhibits self-guided. We enjoyed sharing a burger and a flatbread in the restaurant and each had a flight of beers. There’s nothing like Guinness draft and that was clearly my favorite. Velvety smooth, easy to drink and easy to pair with any food. Having one at the only US Guinness brewery was a delight. Hopefully some day I’ll have one in Ireland.
Saints Row Brewing Company, Rockville, MD
I stopped in at Saints Row Brewing Company in Rockville, Maryland to taste their beers and pick up a growler or two for Thanksgiving. Neon Suede New England IPA was just perfect to serve with dinner. A nice, hazy IPA; a little fruity, a bit hoppy, easy to drink. And, the coffee milk stout was perfect to serve with dessert. Both made for a memorable Thanksgiving.
Attaboy Beer, Frederick, MD
My son and I stopped in at Attaboy Beer in Frederick, Maryland. It’s great to have kids old enough to enjoy beer and breweries with me. Hopefully this is one of several brewery visits we chronicle together while he’s home on break from school this summer. We enjoyed Attaboy Beer. Their flight was tasty. A.C.E. Double IPA was hoppy and tropical. Golden Fields Saison was fruity. I enjoyed hints of pineapple in Pina Fresca Hoppy Saison. My son liked the Simple Belgian House Beers. We agreed that Galaxy Maid New England IPA was best – in our opinion – and we purchased a crowler to take home.
The brewery tap room had a great vibe. The brewery, observable through the glass windows, is cool to check out.
Adding to the experience, our stop at Attaboy Beer was following the 2017 Maryland Craft Beer Festival. We volunteered during the festival and also enjoyed checking out Maryland brewers both before and after our volunteer slot. So many beers to try – every imaginable style. Frederick is such a great location for this. I recommend you check out this great Maryland craft beer lover’s event next year.
Jailbreak Brewing Company, Laurel, MD
I stopped in at Jailbreak Brewing Company in Laurel, Maryland for lunch and a beer. I enjoyed a cheesesteak and fries from Jeno’s Steaks tent in the parking lot. In terms of the beers, Imperial Carrot Cake was tasty and true to its name. Maple Ridge amber ale was also sweet, smooth and malty. White Russian coffee cream ale is a delight. Although there are many coffee stouts there are few coffee cream ales. This is light and tasty. Welcome to Scoville Jalapeno IPA is spicy and hoppy – a great mix – and paired perfectly with the heavy cheesesteak and fries. Jailbreak is a great place to stop.
I also recently enjoyed Poor Righeous IPA with dinner at a restaurant and really enjoyed it. And this evening I enjoyed The Infinite amber ale with dinner at a restaurant and enjoyed it as well.
I Stop For Hops 