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Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Breweries 

Update Page

It's finally here: the online update for Virginia, Maryland, & Delaware Breweries. Any breweries that are new, or have undergone major changes -- name changes, moved, etc. -- are noted in italics; those that have CLOSED are so noted, and may God have mercy on their souls.

The book is available for sale here -- click on the cover to order through Amazon.

 

 

Brewery Name

Section

Status

Updates / Comments

Alt Platz BC -- NEW Tidewater OPEN 8/11/06: Got wind of this new brewery open in the Hampton Roads area. Not many details, just an address/phone -- 615 High St, Portsmouth, VA, 757/295-0700 -- and three beers: steam, nut brown, and pale ale, with an IPA coming. 

Anheuser-Busch

Tidewater

OPEN

 

Baltimore BC-- closed

Baltimore & The Bay

CLOSED

Baltimore Brewing closed in February of 2005 after a long struggle with neighborhood construction and Theo DeGroen's "absentee brewmaster" stint. The core beers are being brewed under contract at Fordham in Delaware, and by all reports, they're doing a good job. Sorry, I'll miss this one.

Barley & Hops Grill

Western Maryland

OPEN

 

Blue & Gray BC

Tidewater

OPEN

 

Brewer's Alley

Western Maryland

OPEN

 

Brewer's Art

Baltimore & The Bay

OPEN

 

Calhoun's -- name has changed to "Cally's"

Blue Ridge

OPEN

7/26/07: Just learned that Calhoun's had to change their name to "Cally's" due to legal action by another "Calhoun's" in Tennessee. Everything else is the same (thank God). 

Capitol City BC Inner Harbor

Baltimore & The Bay

OPEN

 

Capitol City BC Mass Ave

The District

OPEN

 

Capitol City BC Shirlington

DC Metro

OPEN

July '05 update: John Bryce has left Cap City, and recently e-mailed me that he is a few months away from re-opening Blacksburg Brewing. More on that when I get it. (6/27/06: Blacksburg Brewing is on the back burner again...)

Castlebay Irish Pub

Baltimore & The Bay

OPEN

 

Clay Pipe BC

Western Maryland

OPEN

 

Clipper City BC

Baltimore & The Bay

OPEN

 

Deep Creek BC

Western Maryland

CLOSED

Deep Creek closed to "re-theme." Brewing will not be part of the new "theme." A pity.

District ChopHouse

The District

OPEN

 

Dogfish Head Brewery

Delaware

OPEN

 

Dogfish Head Brewpub

Delaware

OPEN

 

DuClaw BC

Baltimore & The Bay

OPEN

 

Ellicott Mills BC

Baltimore & The Bay

OPEN

 

Extra Billy's

Tidewater

OPEN

 

Flying Barrel (BOP)

Western Maryland

OPEN

 

Fordham Brewery

Delaware

OPEN

 

Founders' -- CLOSED

DC Metro

CLOSED

12/23/05: Bye-bye, Founders'. They've lost their lease, and will close on Dec. 31 '05. Negotiations are ongoing to continue brewing at the Birchmere (!), with the restaurant to open at another location. Weird. Sad.

9/6/05: Bill Madden's replacement is Barbara Gerovac, wife of Greg Gerovac, who brews at Sweetwater Sterling. Good luck to her; I've no doubt she'll do just fine.
8/10/05 update: Bill Madden has left the building. Sounds like 'creative differences,' but for whatever reason, Big Bill has left Founders' and, at least for a time, the brewing industry. Most of DC fervently hopes he returns.

Franklin's

DC Metro

OPEN

 

Frederick BC

Western Maryland

OPEN

5/4/06: It was announced yesterday that Frederick Brewing has been bought by Flying Dog Brewing of Colorado. This has been in the works for months, kind of an open secret, but it's done now. This means the brewery will definitely stay open; about the home brands? Don't know. Wait and see. 
Gordon Biersch Tysons Corner-- NEW DC Metro OPEN 9/16/05: This one caught me off-guard -- A new G-B will be opening in the new extension on Tysons Corner Center (Tysons Corner Center One, 7861-L Chain Bridge Road, McLean, VA, 703/946-9850) on September 30. More when I have it.
Gordon Biersch Rockville -- COMING SOON DC Metro PLANNED 3/1/07: Allen Young (see below) just announced that Jim Sobchak has left Ram's Head in Annapolis to train with Jason Oliver at GBDC, in order to open up the new Gordon-Biersch Rockville, which will be opening later this year. That's all I've got, more as it comes. Congrats...now when do we get a GB in Philly?

Gordon Biersch

The District

OPEN

 

Gordon Biersch -- NEW

Tidewater

OPEN

11/7/06: Gordon-Biersch opened in VA Beach in July, and I knew it, and I never got it up here: sorry 'bout that. Really sorry, because you need to know that Allen Young is the brewer; an interesting set of circumstances, because he brewed near here back in the 80s at Chesbay. I told you that mid-Atlantic brewery DNA was tangled! (4561 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, 757/490-2739)
Growlers -- NEW DC Metro OPEN 8/4/06: Growler's has their license and opens today, with 8 beers on tap.

Hilltop BC -- CLOSED

Tidewater

CLOSED

Not sure when Hilltop closed, just got a note to that effect from a reader. 

Hops! Alexandria

DC Metro

OPEN

 

Hops! Richmond

Tidewater

OPEN

The Hops on Broad Street is closed: guess the map folks didn't get the word. Sorry for this screw-up in the book.

Iron Hill Brewery Wilmington

Delaware

OPEN

 

Iron Hill Brewery Newark

Delaware

OPEN

 

Johansson's Dining House

Western Maryland

OPEN

September '05 update: Joey McMonagle will leave Johansson's, amicably, and is helping them find a replacement. He's taken a brewing position at Stoudt's; good luck to him there.

July '05 update: Jeff Warthen has left Johansson's, amicably, and was replaced by former Lancaster Brewing brewer Joe McMonagle.

John Harvard's DC -- CLOSED

The District

CLOSED

1/22/06: John Harvard's closed abruptly (much like the former brewpub tenant, Dock Street II), leaving no word other than a note on a bankruptcy sale site.

John Harvard's Wilmington -- CLOSED

Delaware

CLOSED

Got the news in December 2005 that this John Harvard's has closed. Wonder what's going on...and what's next?

Kegler's

Blue Ridge

OPEN, NOT BREWING

Still not brewing...
Kelvin Brewing/Old City Bar -- OPEN Tidewater OPEN, BREWING SOON 10/6/06: The Old City Bar has added a brewery in-house, and will be on-line shortly. 1548 E. Main St., Richmond, (804/644-4411), open Tuesday through Saturday. I'm visiting next week, hope to have a report. 

Legend BC

Tidewater

OPEN

 
Middleburg Brewery DC Metro FIZZLED 8/11/06: Middleburg's deal will not go down: their site now says that the deal fell through, and they plan to open as Virginia Brewing Co. in Winchester in January 2007. Watch for further developments... (thanks to reader John Sherman for the tip.)
5/26/06: Middleburg Brewery
is planned to open in late June, a brewpub at 14 E. Federal St., Middleburg, VA. DC Metro? Blue Ridge? You tell me. This place looks good, I'll try to find more.

Old Dominion BC

DC Metro

OPEN

3/8/06 update: (from a press release spotted at BeerAdvocate) OD has been sold to Terry Fife (OD's marketing director, who has been with the company since 1996) and Kip Olson (managing partner at Capital Grill in Tysons Corner, previously with the Clydes Restaurant Group). According to a friend, Terry "was at the Hard Times Cafe in Clarendon selling good beer there before Roratonga/Amdo/Bardo was on the scene." Good to know beer folks are involved. Olson and Fife said no major changes are planned.
Piccadilly's Brew Pub -- NEW Blue Ridge OPEN 6/27/06: Caught me napping. Another new brewpub has opened on the Blue Ridge: Piccadilly's Brew Pub (125 E. Piccadilly St., Winchester, VA; 540/535-1899) is open. I haven't been yet, but the reports on the beer are not good: sounds like an E-Z-Bake Oven kind of brewery set-up. I'll stop in next time I'm through.

Queen City Brewing Ltd.

Blue Ridge

OPEN

Travis Smithdeal has left the business, but Queen City did recently get their commercial brewing license; look for their beers in Staunton.

Ram’s Head/Fordham Brewing

Baltimore & The Bay

OPEN

 

Red Brick Station

Baltimore & The Bay

OPEN

 

Richbrau BC

Tidewater

OPEN

 

Rock Bottom Bethesda

DC Metro

OPEN

 

Rock Bottom Arlington

DC Metro

OPEN

5/06: Next round of the Brewer Do-Si-Do: Dean Lake moves to Sweetwater Sterling (Greg went west for a brewing job), his assistant Colin Peterman takes over. 
August '05 update: Dean Lake
(formerly the brewer at Thoroughbreds -- see below) has taken over brewing duties here.

Rocky Run Tap & Grill -- CLOSED

Baltimore & The Bay

CLOSED

9/5/08 -- Learned today that Rocky Run closed in early August. Should have guessed this was coming when I learned Matt Hahn was making Web-movies.

Ryleigh’s

Baltimore & The Bay

OPEN, NOT BREWING

August '05 update: Sandy Mitchell tells me that the brewhouse has been ripped out of Ryleigh's. I'm saddened, but not completely surprised.

Shenandoah BC

DC Metro

OPEN

 

South Street Brewery

Blue Ridge

OPEN

 

St. George BC

Tidewater

OPEN

 

Starr Hill

Blue Ridge

OPEN, NOT BREWING AT PUB

Brewing has moved completely to the new facility out of town. 

Stewart's BC

Delaware

OPEN

 

Summit Station

DC Metro

CLOSED TEMPORARILY

6/02/06: Very good news! Growlers plans to open June 21, as a brewpub, and with ace brewer Joe Kalish. I got this from Mid-Atlantic Brewing News reporter Steve Frank (thanks again, Frank!), who added that not only is Joe staying, "he is being given greater flexibility in what he brews." All right! The rest: expect an expanded focus on wines, a "complete" change in decor, and an expanded menu with a Mediterranean flair from a CIA chef. Steve got all this from the general manager, so we should be good to go. G-burg, here I come!

5/30/06: Summit Station was sold and is currently closed. There are signs in the windows saying that it will re-open as "Growlers;" no word on whether it will re-open as a brewpub. I hope so...

2/7/06 update: Summit Station is for sale at an asking price of $450,000. Reason given: "expanding in other area," which I assume means Frederick, maybe not. Hope it goes like the last purchase: pretty much transparently. 

Sweetwater Tavern Merrifield

DC Metro

OPEN

 

Sweetwater Tavern Centreville

DC Metro

OPEN

 

Sweetwater Tavern Sterling

DC Metro

OPEN

5/06: Greg Gerovac leaves; Dean Lake takes over.
Thoroughbreds Grill -- RE-OPENING, NEW NAME DC Metro RE-OPENING 10/26/06: Bill Madden sez: soft opening November 6, with beers that were left in the (refrigerated) tanks ("unfiltered and lagering all this time.  They are tasting pretty good," Bill said) and a limited menu. Ready, set... The restaurant will be called Vintage 50, the brewing arm will have a separate name. They hope to be open by the end of October. Oh, and one more little item you might be interested in: the brewer will be Bill Madden. Yeah, THAT Bill Madden. Thanks to Gregg Wiggins of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News for this scoop. Hot damn.

6/27/06: Thoroughbreds closed without warning last week. Doesn't look like they'll be back open.
This brewpub just missed deadline for the book. It is out in Leesburg, at 50 Catoctin Circle NE, 703/554-1207. The original brewer, Dean Lake, left for a job at Rock Bottom Arlington; his replacement is Kevin Kozak, formerly at Cap City Shirlington. 

Twin Lakes BC -- NEW Delaware OPEN 5/8/06: Not sure when it happened (keep me in the loop, guys!), but Twin Lakes is open and shipping draft beer: Rt. 52 Pilsner, Greenville Pale Ale, and Tweeds Tavern Stout. I'll visit as soon as I can.

9/10/05: I actually reported on Twin Lakes months ago in my Ale Street News column, and it's about time I added them here...because they're finally about to open. "We're just waiting on licensing approval," said partner Matt Day. I spoke to him and partner Jack Wick at my signing at Total Wine in Wilmington; everything's in place, they've fired the boiler and water-tested the system, they just need ATTTB approval and they're a brewery, with Deschutes alumnus Mark Fesche running the brewhouse.

Uncle Tucker's Brew House

Western Maryland

OPEN, NOT BREWING

9/6/05 update: Just heard from reader Nick Nichols that Uncle Tucker's has been sold, and the new owners are apparently not interested in brewing. Nick says there are about 20 kegs left, get 'em while you can.  CONFIRMATION: New owners take over November 1, and they are not going to continue brewing in-house. 
Vintage 50 -- NEW DC Metro OPEN 11/7/06: The re-opened Thoroughbreds (50 Catoctin Circle NE, Leesburg, 703-554-1207). They have their brewing license and Bill Madden has started brewing.

Wharf Rat

Baltimore & The Bay

OPEN

 

Williamsburg BC -- CLOSED re-opened as
Williamsburg Alewerks

Tidewater

CLOSED, RE-OPENED

10/11/06: A strange re-cycling: Williamsburg Alewerks has opened in the Williamsburg Brewing site, with new owners, a new brewer (Mike Pensinger, formerly at Hilltop in VA Beach), and a new brewhouse, a 25-bbl. Peter Austin system. Wow, 25 bbls.! (757/220-3670)

12/19/05: Hugh Burns has sold the brewery, it is currently closed, but new owners plan to re-open soon. More when I get it.

9/21/05 update: Has Williamsburg closed? I heard that from another brewery on Sunday, and their phone has been disconnected, rarely a good sign. 

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Revised: September 05, 2008