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If you are a hardcore craft beer enthusiast, you should know that Baltimore has played a huge and vital role in the development of the history of beers. As a matter of fact, it is where the beers were first canned by the American Can Co. and the birthplace of the beer cap that was patented in 1829.
Another manifestation of this significant contribution is that Baltimore is flocked by brewery goers worldwide for its highly sought-after breweries in town. Here are some of the major players in the local beer scene that you can swing by.
1. Heavy Seas Beer
We kick off the list big with a 12-minute drive brewery from downtown Baltimore. Heavy Seas Beer is a well-respected and award-winning Baltimore County brewery. Its founder, Hugh Sisson, has been Baltimore’s forefather of the craft brewing industry. From its humble beginnings as a small brewpub to a full-scale production brewery, Heavy Seas never fails to satisfy its customers.
Today, HSB welcomes patrons and visitors with its spacious patio, outdoor seating, and a light-filled taproom perfect for casual meet-ups and gatherings. It also has a game room where anyone can play exciting games like cornholes, giant Jenga, and more. At Heavy Seas, food is never a problem. A readily available food truck offers a great selection of foods to pair with your fresh brew.
- Crowd Favorite: Loose Cannon. An award-winning American IPA hopped with Palisade, Simcoe, and Centennial. A fragrant flagship beer with notes of herbs, pine, and grapefruit.
- Highly Recommended: TropiCannon
- Hop-py Note: Offers drive-thru services. Accepts takeout orders. Handicapped accessible. Dog-friendly. Provides private lot parking spaces. Variety of vegan choices. Outdoor seating. Spacious game room.
- Fun fact: Heavy Seas was awarded as the “Brewery of the Year” in Beer Connoisseur Magazine’s 2017.
Hours: Open Wed – Fri 3pm – 10pm, Sat 12pm – 10pm, Sun 12pm – 8pm, Mon & Tues Closed.
Address: 4615 Hollins Ferry Rd, Halethorpe, MD 21227
Contact: (410) 247-7822 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
2. Ministry of Brewing
The next on the list is a brewery that exudes uniqueness and rich history. Drinking your favorite beers at the Ministry of Brewing will transport you to the rich History of Roman Catholicism and will enchant you with the ethereal ambiance that the high ceiling, stained glass, and towering pillars give to the place.
Apart from the historical glory of St. Micheal’s Church, where this brewery is located, patrons come and go for the grand spectrum of beers made skillfully to satisfy your cravings. Today, MOB continues with its mission of revitalizing the community and its devotion to philanthropy.
- Crowd Favorite: Wispy. A New England hazy pale ale brewed with Mandarina Bavaria and Mosaic Hops. 5.5% ABV with a distinct soft finish.
- Highly Recommended: 7:54
- Hop-py Note: Outdoor seating areas. Street parking. Wheelchair accessible. Accepts takeout orders. Food trucks are available.
- Fun fact: The brewpub was built inside an actual Church in Baltimore, which brings the interior design to a whole new level.
Hours: Open Tues – Fri 3pm – 9:30pm, Sat 12pm – 10pm, Sun 12pm – 6pm, Mon Closed.
Address: 1900 E Lombard St, Baltimore, MD 21231
Contact: (410) 624-5623 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
3. Union Craft Brewing
The Union Craft Brewing is one of Baltimore’s beer staples, and it firmly stands on its philosophy that great beers bring together good people and great memories.
Located in a repurposed Industrial warehouse, UCB operates a production plant and a taproom with a well-lit open space, a spacious bar, and a restaurant with plenty of communal tables serving beers and foods that are off the charts. It also has a sizeable beer garden where you can play with your four-legged friends or just chill with the refreshing outdoor breeze.
UCB also offers genuine Baltimore brewery tours for those who seek to go behind the scenes and are curious enough to understand how craft beers are made.
- Crowd Favorite: Duckpin Pale Ale. An American pale ale with 5.5% ABV. Packed with tropical fruit and citrus flavor and aroma with a strong malt backbone. An authentic Baltimore original.
- Highly Recommended: Double Duckpin
- Hop-py Note: Black-Owned Brewery, Accepts delivery and takeout orders. Offers a variety of vegetarian options. Gender-neutral restrooms. Private lot parking spaces for vehicles and bicycles. Dogs are allowed. Child-friendly. Wheelchair accessible.
Hours: Open Wed – Sat 12pm – 10pm, Sun 12pm – 8pm, Mon & Tues Closed.
Address: 1700 W 41st St #420, Baltimore, MD 21211
Contact: (410) 467-0290 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
4. Peabody Heights Brewery
The Peabody Heights Brewery has been cultivating fresh craft brews since 2012; from where it is now, nothing can stop its development. What started as a contract brewery, PHB, is now a place known for premium tasting beers with beyond reasonable prices–a true bang for the buck.
It never fails to impress both the regulars and the hipster brewery enthusiasts with its nice and friendly vibe and relaxing atmosphere. It has ample seating for all, both indoor and outdoor. It also has its game room where you can enjoy the company of your friends with some old-fashioned arcade games like pinball. Finally, you don’t want to miss the weekend live music with some tasty grubs to partner with your fresh cold craft beer.
- Crowd Favorite: Astrodon. A New England-style hazy IPA made with Vic Secret, Galaxy, and Citra hops.
- Highly Recommended: Mr. Trash Wheel’s Lost Python Ale
- Hop-py Note: Accepts deliver and takeout orders. Great for children. Heated outdoor seating. Offers many vegan choices. Ample parking spots. Child-friendly. Dogs are allowed.
Hours: Open Tues 4pm – 8pm, Wed & Thur 4pm – 9pm, Fri 4pm – 10pm, Sat 12pm – 8pm, Sun 12pm – 6pm.
Address: 401 E 30th St, Baltimore, MD 21218
Contact: (410)-467-7837 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
5. Checkerspot Brewing Company
The Checkerspot Brewing Company is everything that you want in every brewery. Everything is but ordinary, from its skillfully crafted beers to the people behind the towering success of Checkerspot.
Its taproom is strategically located nearby the local stadium and casino and has ample indoor and outdoor seating that can accommodate the surge of customers. Its place is packed with a contemporary-industrial vibe and offers private spaces to host parties, business meetings, and other events. It also offers immersive brewery tours that you would enjoy if craft breweries were your thing.
- Crowd Favorite: Juniperus IPA. 7.4% ABV American IPA brewed Mosaic and Idaho hops and juniper berries packed with rich notes of pine and dank candy.
- Highly Recommended: Invisible Pink Unicorn
- Hop-py Note: Accepts Takeout orders. Dogs are allowed. Several vegetarian and pescetarian options. Offers catering services. Gender-neutral bathrooms. Private lot parking spaces. Wheelchair accessible. Outdoor seating.
Hours: Open Mon – Wed 3pm – 9pm, Thur 3pm – 10pm, Fri & Sat 12pm – 9pm, Sun 12pm – 8pm.
Address: 1399 S Sharp St, Baltimore, MD 21230
Contact: (443) 388-8912 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
6. Diamondback Brewing Company
Diamondback Brewing is a company that started out of a pure passion for craft beer brewing and the active pursuit of entrepreneurial ventures. Since it started in 2016, it has grown to become one of the top-tier craft breweries in Baltimore, MD.
Its spot in downtown Baltimore comes with a sizeable indoor area with a long communal table, an outdoor spot with ample seating, and a large bar. It has a classy vibe and an industrial-modern interior that perfectly complements the vibrant live music and casual interaction among friends and family with fresh beers on hand.
- Crowd Favorite: Green Machine. An IPA with 6.2% ABV, brewed with wheat and American barley. Packed with notes of grapefruit and citrus with a soft finish.
- Highly Recommended: Hop Broth
- Hop-py Note: Accepts takeout orders. Offers numerous vegan options. Free WiFi and television. Dog-friendly. Outdoor seating. Garage and private lot parking. Handicapped accessible. Bicycle parking is available.
Hours: Open Thue – Thur 4pm – 9pm, Fri 2pm – 10pm, Sat 12pm – 10pm, Sun 12pm – 8pm, Mon Closed.
Address: 1215 E Fort Ave #008, Baltimore, MD 21230
Contact: (443)-388-9419 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
7. Oliver Brewing Co.
The Oliver Brewing Company is all about distinctive American beers made with tradition-inspired craft brewing methods that have endured through the years. It is famous for its original craft brews that push beyond boundaries and offers new styles, unconventional ingredients, and refreshing flavors that regulars sought after.
Its brewpub is located in downtown Baltimore that has a casual-industrial vibe that comes along with it and indoor seating with lots of space that makes the interior less crowded, unlike other brewpubs. OBC is famous for its $5 beer flights that give you the taste of authentic English beers fresh from the tap.
- Crowd Favorite: 206 IPA. An American IPA, dry-hopped with Amarillo and Mosaic, packed with a distinguishable hop-forward flavor and 7% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: Creator/Destroyer
- Hop-py Note: Offers Curbside pickup. Accepts delivery order. Gender-neutral restrooms. Bicycle parking. Wheelchair accessible. Street parking and private lot parking spaces. Outside seating.
- Fun fact: Oliver Brewing Company is one of the pioneers of Baltimore’s craft brewers, Established in 1993.
Hours: Open Fri (Pickup Only) 12pm – 4pm, Sat 12pm – 5pm, Sun – Thur Closed.
Address: 4216 Shannon Dr, Baltimore, MD 21213
Contact: Facebook | Instagram | Website
8. The Brewer’s Art
The Brewer’s Art is a brewpub and a restaurant that offers beer enthusiasts and casual drinkers an elegant space, well-prepared contemporary continental cuisines, and award-winning house-brewed ales. All for a reasonable price.
The brewpub exudes a trendy and classy atmosphere, foreshadowing the fancy tastes of its all times favorites. It is located in the heart of Mt. Vernon in a historic townhouse that adds up to the whimsical vibe it brings to its regulars.
- Crowd Favorite: Resurrection. An Abbey-style brown ale brewed with a complementing interplay of three hops and five malt varieties. 7% ABV with rich flavor and dark amber color.
- Highly Recommended: Beazly
- Hop-py Note: Accepts reservations. Outdoor seating. Bicycle parking. Gender-neutral bathrooms. Accepts takeout and delivery orders. Offers vegetarian options. Street parking spaces. Serves dinner.
Hours: Open Daily 4pm – 11pm.
Address: 1106 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Contact: (410)-547-6925 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
9. Full Tilt Brewing
Full Tilt Brewing can be considered one of the hidden gems among the other breweries in Baltimore. It is strategically located in a part of the town with diverse individuals making it the best place where people come together regardless of age, race, and social status.
From a simple homebrew kit, the founders have turned FTB into a great spot filled with an exciting and casual atmosphere packed with hippy industrial decors and hints of contemporary accents.
Aside from enjoyable arcade games, board games, and shuffleboards, you can also join in with the live music performance every Friday and Saturday and cap off your Full Tilt Brewery experience with some unique brews and great food.
- Crowd Favorite: Baltimore Pale Ale. American-style Indian Pale Ale made with the finest barley and American Hop that bring out its rich aroma and flavor.
- Highly Recommended: Hops the Cat IPA
- Hop-py Note: Accepts catering services. Gender-neutral restrooms. Caters deliver and takeout orders. Child-friendly. Street parking. Bicycle parking is available. Offers a variety of vegetarian options. Handicapped accessible. Accepts reservations.
Hours: Open Mon 12pm – 10pm, Tues – Thur 3pm – 10pm, Fri 3pm – 12pm, Sat 11am – 12am, Sun 11am – 10pm.
Address: 5604 York Rd, Baltimore, MD 21212
Contact: (443)-835-2248 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
10. Monument City Brewing
Monument City Brewing offers its customers everything that anyone wants in a brewery: A large selection of drinks to choose from, exciting events, live music, and local food. When visiting the MCB, you could literally not ask for more.
Located in the heart of Downtown Baltimore, It is a perfect space to come and hang out with your people and experience some of the finest lagers and ales that MCB has to offer. As part of its efforts to give back to the community, Monument City has “Philantrophic Wednesdays,” where it clears its taproom for fundraiser events of non-profit organizations and other community partners.
- Crowd Favorite: 51 Rye IPA. A unique IPA with 6.5% ABV, made with 51% rye creating an earthy spice flavor that balances the citrus hop notes.
- Highly Recommended: NOBO
- Hop-py Note: Dogs are allowed. Wheelchair accessible. Private lot parking spaces. Offers military discounts. Bicycle parking.
Hours: Open Fri 5pm – 10pm, Sat & Sun 12pm – 7pm, Mon – Thur Closed.
Address: 1 N Haven St, Baltimore, MD 21224
Contact: (443)-835-2248 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
11. Nepenthe Brewing
Nepenthe Brewing is located in the urban part of Baltimore, MD. Its beer list mainly focuses on IPAs. Besides that, NB is notoriously known for its original pub food with a twist and a large menu of cocktails, which is quite unusual for any brewery.
Its brewery has a distinct industrial hip vibe that matches its unique brews that are readily available fresh from the tap.
- Crowd Favorite: Space Jellyfish. An American IPA with 7.1% ABV, double dry-hooped with Motueka, Galaxy, and Simcoe, responsible for the distinguishable notes of tropical fruits with a soft finish.
- Highly Recommended: Lord Bones
- Hop-py Note: Accepts takeout orders. CAters reservations. Offers various vegan options. Gender-neutral restrooms. Wheelchair accessible. Street parking spaces for vehicles and bicycles.
- Fun fact: Named Baltimore’s best brewery food in Baltimore Magazine, Best of Baltimore 2022
Hours: Open Tues – Thur 5pm – 9pm, Fri 5pm – 10pm, Sat 12pm – 10pm, Sun 12pm – 5pm, Mon Closed.
Address: 3626 Falls Rd, Baltimore, MD 21211
Contact: (443)438-4846 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
12. Mobtown Brewing Company
The last brewery on our lists truly deserves its spot among the best craft breweries in Baltimore, MD. Mobtown Brewing Company oozes creativity from the murals, interior designs, and unique beers served to its customers fresh from the tap.
Truly, MBC gives spice to the long list of local Baltimore breweries with its industrial warehouse vibe taproom with a friendly and casual atmosphere. Being locals themselves, the founders make sure that Mobtown brewing value and bring the community the long-standing beer brewing tradition of Baltimore.
- Crowd Favorite: The Doctor Says I’m Hazy. A New England IPA with 6.5% ABV. Triple dry-hopped with the finest Mosaic, Citra, and Motueka hops.
- Highly Recommended: 41-Year Lapse
- Hop-py Note: Dogs are allowed. Child-friendly. Offers many vegan options. Street parking. Accepts takeout orders. Limited outside seating
Hours: Open Wed & Thur 5pm – 9pm, Fri 3pm – 10pm, Sat 12pm – 10pm, Sun 12pm – 6pm, Mon & Tues Closed.
Address: 4015 Foster Ave #400, Baltimore, MD 21224
Contact: (667)309-3653 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
