I took my craft beer fandom to Baltimore for Memorial Day weekend. As preparation for my trip I studied up on the local breweries, beer bars and other amazing craft beer destinations.
Though my trip was not entirely dedicated to craft beer guzzling (As my love for craft beer is trumped by my love for my girlfriend, who certainly enjoys beer but is not as much of a nut about it as I) I did get to sample some amazing brews.
As most road trips go, you start out with a loose plan and then end up doing a bunch of different things you never thought you would do. Case in point: We originally had dinner reservations at craft beer mecca, Brewer's Art but when we found ourselves in a different Baltimore neighborhood on Sunday night, meeting up with an old college buddy, we ditched those plans and ended up spending the afternoon/evening at Max's Taphouse instead. So while I can't say for certain that Brewer's Art isn't an AMAZINGGG place, we are so glad the we ended up at Max's.
 |
| Main Entrance to Max's and yes that dog on the scene has both a beer and a cigar |
Max's Taphouse is located in the historic and gorgeous Fell's Point area of Baltimore. Fell's point was founded in 1730 by William Fell and was a shipbuilding and commerical center for many years. Now the area, which maintains it's historic and rustic charm, features more than 120 pubs (That's right 120 Pubs in a 75 acre area). The area sort of has an Olde Boston-ish feel to it. The craft beer scene in Fell's Point and Baltimore for that matter is headlined by Max's Taphouse. First lets look at the numbers:
- 140 Rotating Draft beers!!!!!!! (If you pooped your pants upon reading this, you might not be alone)
- 5 Hand Pumped Cask Ales
- 1200 Bottled Beers
 |
| That's not some ancient scroll, that's the draft beer list!!! |
 |
| Just one of a few tap stations scattered around Max's |
Beyond the stunning Beer stats at Max's the place is simply awesome. A little dive-y. Just my kind of beer bar...one with character. Max's is one of those unique places that is frequented by both tourists (such as myself and girlfriend) and the locals. The places is irresistible and unavoidable.
They also offer a food menu, though we did not eat there, as we had just had some Boog's Barbeque at Camden Yards (Very solid BBQ, especially when factoring in that it was a baseball stadium). My old college buddy had some fish tacos at Max's that looked good and according to him, tasted good as well.
As best as I can recall (as I have had many beers in between now and then) I had the Black Diamond Rampage, Flying Dog El Dorado Imperial IPA, Laughing Dog Devil Dog and Schlafly APA.
Another part of our trip that was surprisingly craft beer-y was our trip to Oriole Park at Camden Yards to see an Oriole's game. We had a great opportunity to catch a little bit of the game but mostly explore the park because I am a Yankees Fan, while my girlfriend is a Red Sox fan (yes we are one of those divided couples) and neither team was in town. First off, the park is beautiful. Everything that a baseball stadium should be. New to the stadium for this season is Demspey's Brewpub (how convenient) out on Eutaw Street (The closed off road between the right field wall and the giant warehouse building, for those who have seen the stadium on TV). Though it is a faux-brew pub, it was still a nice feature nonetheless. I had their "home-brewed" IPA...not the greatest but also not a bad way to start a day at the ballpark.
Another welcomed sight was the various Flying Dog stands throughout the stadium. For those that haven't been to a major league baseball game in a few years, the beer situation/selection has changed quite a bit. The prices still stink but offerings are far more diverse.
Although I wasn't at the game on a Friday, I couldn't help but be amazed/happy that I came across this sign on the side of the Flying Dog stand. That's right, on Fridays they offer Cask-Conditioned beer!!! I find that to be so cool that you can find cask-conditioned craft beer at a baseball stadium. We have come a long way from the beer menus that used to read: Light Beer or Dark Beer.
We had an amazing time in Baltimore. We did most of our craft beer consuming at the ballgame and at Max's but given another trip (or more time) there is still plenty of new places to check out. In terms of beer bars/brew pubs, Brewer's Art is at the top of that list. There are also plenty of breweries in the are that offer tours and tastings, namely Flying Dog Brewery, DuClaw Brewing Company and Heavy Seas.
Another Baltimore Beer staple that can be found throughout town is National Bohemian, or Natty Boh as all the locals call it. Natty Boh is a bohemian style beer (go figure) that dates back to 1885 and in the 1940's the National Brewing Company became the first beer company to market canned six-packs. Although Natty Boh is now brewed in Milwaukee and distributed by the Pabst Brewing Company, the beer can still be found throughout town and the presence is everywhere.
 |
| The Old National Bohemian Brewery, Now filled with other businesses in what is known as The Natty Boh Towers (Though Mr. Boh is still there on top) |
 |
| Mr. Boh, The National Bohemian and unofficial Baltimore mascot since the 1930s |
Overall I think that Baltimore is a great place for any craft beer connoisseur to visit. There are several breweries in the local area and many great beer bars as well. The prices are similar to what you might find throughout CT, and a little cheaper than the prices you find throughout Fairfield County. There is a definite beer culture and craft beer atmosphere/scene in the area. If you head down for a weekend dedicated to craft beer then you should be able to fit quite a bit in. If you plan to mix in some craft beer consuming with some other adventures then a 4-5 night trip would definately make sense. There is the Maryland Zoo (which actually was having a "Brew at the Zoo" craft beer event while we were down there), the renowned National Aquarium , the great sights at the waterfront of the Inner Harbor . As well as the popular night time spot Power Plant Live! (Like an "R" rated Pleasure Island at Disney. You can also catch Orioles or Ravens games depending on the time of year.
