Maryland, Virginia, and DC Area Microbreweries

This page lists known microbreweries in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC area.

All information is current as of the Entry Last Updated date given at the end of each entry. For the most recent information, give the brewery a call.

If you have any comments, or know of a local brewery that is not mentioned here, please contact us.

Quick Reference

Maryland

• Frederick Brewing Company (Blue Ridge): Frederick, MD
• Oxford Brewing Company: Linthicum, MD
• Clipper City Brewing Company: Baltimore, MD

Washington DC

• Olde Heurich Brewing Company: Washington, DC

Virginia

• Old Dominion Brewing Company: Ashburn, VA
• Virginia Native: Alexandria, VA
• Potomac River Brewing Company: Chantilly, VA

Maryland

Frederick Brewing Company (Blue Ridge): Frederick, MD

Beers: American Lagers and Ales

• Regulars

Blue Ridge Golden Ale draught bottled

Blue Ridge Amber Lager draught bottled

Blue Ridge ESB Red Ale draught bottled

Blue Ridge Porter draught bottled

Blue Ridge Wheat Beer draught bottled

• Seasonals

Snowball's Chance Winter Ale

Subliminator Dopplebock

SunRange Sour Mach Summer Ale

Hopfest Brown Ale sincle variety hop that changes each year

Hempen Ale sincle variety hop that changes each year

• Specialties

Steeple Stout draught bottled

An interesting sweet stout made with two-row pale and black patent malts, roasted barley, and flaked rye. Hopped with Chinooks. 17 Plato. 6.8% alc/vol.

Subliminator Doppelbock draught bottled

Hopfest draught bottled

A nice IPA with a big aroma, but not much bitterness.

Availability

• Draught products are available at pubs and restaurants throughout the area.
• Bottled products are available at most good beer retailers in the area.

Comments

Tours

Address

• 103 S Carroll Street
  Frederick, MD
  (301) 694-7899

Entry Last Updated: March 22, 1998

Oxford Brewing Company: Linthicum, MD

Beers: British Ales

• Regulars

Oxford Class Real Ale draught

Oxford Porter draught

Oxford Raspberry Wheat draught

• Specialties

Oxford India-Class Pale Ale draught

An IPA made from Puffin pale malt and crystal malt. Hopped with Northern Brewer for bittering and Goldings in the finish. Dry hopped with Goldings. 5.5% alc/vol. 43 ibus.

• Other

Oxford Class Pale Ale bottled

Oxford Golden Wheat draught

Brewed exclusively for Merriweather Post Pavillion.

Size

• Capacity: ??? bbl/year

Availability

Comments

Tours

Address

• 611 G Hammonds Ferry Road
  Linthicum, MD
  (410) 789-0003

Entry Last Updated: March, 1998

Clipper City Brewing Company: Baltimore, MD

Beers:

• Regulars

Chesapeake Gold

Clasic Pale Ale

Premium Lager

India Pale Ale

Porter

• Seasonals

Marzen (August 15th)

Summer Honey Wheat (May 15th)

Winter Ale (October 15th)

Maibock (April 15th)

• Capacity: ??? bbl/year
• Expected Production: ??? bbl

• ?

• Owner is Hugh Sisson..
• Equipment includes a 50 bbl brewhouse and 4 100 bbl fermenters.

• Directions:
  Take Baltimore Beltway (I-695) to Exit 9 - Hollins Ferry Rd.
  Head outside the beltway (West/South)
  Take the third left (look for "Clipper City" on sign)
  Located the last door in the first building on your right
  

Washington

Olde Heurich Brewing Company: Washington, DC

Beers: Ales and Lagers

• Others

Olde Heurich Marzen draught bottled

An amber lager brewed under contract by F. X. Matt.

Foggy Bottom Ale draught bottled

A pale ale made from pale and caramel malts. Hopped with Tettnang, Hallertau, and Cascade hops. The name refers to the DC neighborhood where the pre-prohibition Heurich Brewery stood. It is brewed under contract by F. X. Matt.

Size

• Expected 1995 Production: ??? bbl

Availability

• Draught and bottled products are available throughout the DC area. They are also starting to expand to Ohio, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania.

Comments

• Although there have been rumours for years about them building a brewery, the owner, Gary Heurich, seems content to expand and continue as a contract brewer.
• Both beers are fairly unremarkable.

Address

• 1111 34th Street NW
  Washington, DC
  (202) 333-2313

Entry Last Updated: July 12, 1995

Virginia

Old Dominion Brewing Company: Ashburn, VA

Beers: Ales and Lagers

• Regulars

Dominion Lager draught bottled

A lager in the Dusseldorf style.

Dominion Ale draught bottled

A nice, amber colored, British-style Pale Ale.

Dominion Stout draught bottled

A British-style sweet stout. The draught product is generally nitrogen-dispensed.

Dominion Root Beer draught bottled

A non-alcoholic soft drink made with Virginia honey.

• Seasonals

Millenium (Winter) draught bottled

Dominion's barleywine was originally brewed as a Specialty to celebrate their 1000th batch of beer. It is so popular, they have decided to produce a batch every year. As with other Dominion products, this is a very accurate to style English barleywine.

Dominator (Winter) draught bottled

A wonderful, true-to-style Doppelbock.

Spring Bock (Spring) draught bottled

A strong, malty Helles Bock.

Summer Wheat (Summer) draught bottled

An unfiltered, traditional German Hefe-Weizen.

Octoberfest (Fall) draught bottled

A malty German Marzen.

• Other

Dominion Real Ale cask

A wonderful cask-conditioned real ale. It can be found served on beer engines at Blue N Gold and at Hero's American Restaurant. Hero's sells it under the name Rickenbacker Real Ale.

Dominion Helles draught

A German lager in the Helles style. Recently reformulated and now made using a decoction mash to enhance the maltiness.

Victory Amber Lager draught

An unfiltered amber lager originally designed for Hero's American Restaurant as a "stepping-stone" beer.

St. George Beer bottled

An amber lager brewed for a Virginia based Ethiopian restaurant distributor.

Tupper's Hop Pocket Ale draught bottled

Brewed for local beer celebs Bob and Ellie Tupper, this outrageously hopped IPA is one of the finest available. It is dry-hopped with both whole leaf Mt. Hood and Cascade hops for an incredible fruity/grassy aroma. It is krausened and allowed to condition in the bottle or keg. A percentage of the Tupper's profits go to charities that help the homeless.

Size

• Capacity: ??? bbl/year
• Expected 1995 Production: 14,000 bbl

Availability

• Because of their size, Dominion's products are available at more area locations than any other local brewer's products. However, many of their products are sold under house names.

Comments

• Dominion is the largest of the local breweries, and many say the best. Their seasonals are all outstanding examples of their styles and well worth searching out. The regulars are all very good basic beers. The three products most worth trying are Tupper's Hop Pocket Ale, Millenium, and Dominion Root Beer.
• They have recently purchased some hand-pumps for their bar and are considering brewing a cask-conditioned ale.

Tours

Tours are given every Saturday at Noon and again at 3:00 pm.

Address

• 44633 Guilford Drive
  Ashburn, VA
  (703) 724-9100

Entry Last Updated: April 13, 1996

Virginia Native Alexandria, Virginia

Beers

• Regulars

Virginia Native Gold

Virginia Native Dark Once known as Darkhorse in the 80's

Availability

• Both beers first shipped March 13, 1998
• Becoming available in Nova bars currently.
• Direct Sales beginning in May, 1998.

Brewers

• Wolfgang Roth (formerly of Virginia Brewing Co.
• Brad Wynn (formerly Wild Goose)
• Mark Pavkov (Formerly Fordham)
• Jonathan Connelly

Comments

• Owner is Heather McGuire. Sales handled by Ed Charping.
• Shares facility with the Birchmere Music Hall. Total size: 60,000 square feet. Total seating 1,200.

Tours

• Beginning in May, 1998

Festivals

• Four "Birchfests" every year. Music, food, beer, etc.

More Information

• Virginia Native Web Site.

Address

• Birchmere Entertainment Complex
  3701 Mt. Vernon Avenue
  Alexandria, VA.
  (703) 549-3880

Entry Last Updated: March 26, 1998

Potomac River Brewing Company: Chantilly, VA

Beers: Ales

• Regulars

Potowmack Ale draught bottled

A very nice Pale Ale.

Rappahannock Red Ale draught bottled

An estery ESB.

Mount Vernon Porter draught

Chocolatey porter with nice bitterness.

Size

• Capacity: 6000 bbl/year
• Expected 1995 Production: ??? bbl

Availability

• Draught products can be found in several Northern Virginia bars and restaurants, as well as Charlottesville, Richmond, Williamsburg, and the Tidewater area. Restaurants in Montgomery County include Dave and Busters in White Flint and Montgomeries Grille in Bethesda.
• Bottled products can be found at most good beer retailers and at some Giant grocery stores, Total Beverage, Safeway, Shoppers Food Warehouse, and Rite Aide. Total Beverage has periodic tastings and case sales. Their beers are also sold for retail in Richmond, Charlottesville, and Tidewater. In Montgomery county, try Country Boy in Wheaton.

Comments

• What they don't have in quantity, they make up for in quality. All of their beers are very nice.
• They are introducing "Honeysuckle Razz" a new summer brew. They will be introducing a new winter brew in the Fall.

Tours

Tours are given every Saturday between Noon and 3:00 pm.

More Info:

• Check out the Potomac River Brewing Company Web Site.
  It's maintained by the head brewers wife.

Address

• 14141-A Parke Long Court
  Chantilly, VA
  (703) 631-5430

Entry Last Updated: May 3, 1997

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Copyright 1995 by Thomas H. Aylesworth and others.