Beer in Baltimore

Baltimore has a rich history steeped deeply into German heritage and, of course, beer. (It is said to have been Baltimore's first industry). Natty Boh is not the only symbol of Baltimore's history as a beer town. The American Brewery, proudly restored as the Hunanim headquarters is another, just as an entire neighborhood called Brewer's Hill and the conversion of Gunther's into a mixed use complex are just a few other well known monuments to Baltimore's past as a Mecca of breweries, as many as 100 as the Kilduffs website enumerates. What they all have in common, though, they don't make beer here any longer.

Baltimore's beer history (Kilduff)

But in Baltimore's presence beer once again plays an increasingly larger role, even if almost everything, including the beer, is different today. Across America beer is all the rage again, this time not as the drink of the working man but as an expression of  lifestyle and a heavy emphasis on experience, fun, leisure and entertainment. Craft beers now make up over 12% of all beer sales.

It also fits this new role of beer that Union Craft Brewing has hired local star architects Ziger Snead to design their new facility at the former Hedwin Manufacturing facility in Hampden. Ziger Snead's modern architecture is most known in Baltimore for its Brown Center at MICA. The new site will allow for an initial production capacity of 30,000 barrels, with space to grow.

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, but our little brewery on Union Avenue has reached capacity, both on the beer front and as a gathering place. This neighborhood is our home, and I’m thrilled to say that we will be here for a long time to come. Our new space provides us the opportunity to develop a bigger and better Baltimore brewery. It will be a true destination experience for local beer lovers as well as those visiting our city from outside of Maryland.” Jon Zerivitz, UNION’s Co-founder and Director of Marketing (website)

Anticipated Union draft room (Ziger Snead)

Best of all, the new design promises a real beer garden, a feature originating in Munich (at least that's where many famous original beer gardens still are) that had been adopted in the new world in unlikely places like Austin (around since 1866: Scholz) and in the Baltimore area at the now defunct Blob's Park in Jessup. In Baltimore City biergartens have been anemic adaptations such as Leinenkugel's at PowerPlant Live which hardly deserve the name or dreams that haven't yet been realized, such as beer garden on Howard Street near Franklin.

In addition, UNION’s brewing facility will be the anchor tenant of a new commercial project, UNION Collective, which will transform 10.5 acres and 138,000 square feet of warehouse space into an interactive and collaborative assembly of several of Baltimore’s growing independent businesses.(Union press release)

Thus, Ziger Snead's beergarden at Union Crafts new digs are good news, with their hops growing green walls and all.

"One of the big goals with the taproom and the new brewery is beer education," Chris Attenborough, manager of "brand experience" at Union Craft (BBJ)

That a brewery has a "Manager for Brand Experience" says it all. Historic breweries may have been numerous and local, but they were low key compared to what we see today. Historically beer was mostly tailored on the famous but narrow assortment of German beer styles such as Lager or Pils ("head" is desired) or the British variety of Ales and Bitters (flat is desired). The German Reinheitsgebot (purity law) dating back to monks making beer in monasteries, didn't allow much playfulness. Prohibition pushed beer into dark and dank speak-easy type corner bars where, in the end, only the big national brands such as Coors, Miller and Anheuser Busch survived with their watered down version of beer, bereft of flavor, alcohol and calories.

Union Craft beergarden in Hampden: Hops on display  (Ziger Snead)

What the new craft breweries lack in numbers or distribution system, they make up in ever new creative variations of beer which would make the Reinheitsgebot monks rotate in their graves.

Craft breweries have become the symbols of urbanity. Brewpubs have nothing in common with the claustrophobic neighborhood bars of old where one can still get a can of Natty Boh for $2.50. The new places open roll-away windows to the sidewalk in summer and have beer tanks as backdrops for large loud open spaces. They set you back $7 or more for a 16 ounce pint glass, their assortment of specialty beers can be outright confusing.

In spite of all this Baltimore talk about beer, the city didn't make it to the top ten craft beer towns in America, compiled by Business Insider in the spring of this year. Just to spite Monument City, Pittsburgh made the list on rank #10, so did Milwaukee, Seattle, Cincinnati, Denver, San Diego and, of course, Portland which the article claims to have more breweries than any other city in the world. Fortune, in a less scientific approach, even put Tampa, Asheville and Nasville on their top ten list , no mention of Charm City.

Natty Boh: Branding only (photo Philipsen)

According to 2015 Maryland craft beer sales statistics, the state ranks 34th in the United States with 1.4 breweries per capita (100,000 people, age 21+), and ranks 26th in the country, producing 1.8 gallons per adult (age 21 and older). In 2016, The Brewer’s Association named Baltimore/Washington D.C. one of the top five fastest growing markets for craft beer sales.(Union website)

The fact that Maryland and Baltimore isn't tops in their own (historic) game has not been lost on Maryland's Comptroller, Peter Franchot: a man who often pursues matters that seem outside his portfolio. He has made the support of craft brewing his personal mission by advancing legislation that would allow brewers to sell more beer on their own premises and allow larger qualities of production.

Beer statistics

Meanwhile, local brewers offer something for almost any whim and customers don't have to worry about a shortage of bars, pubs and restaurants selling local brews. Increasingly even the large chain hotels have a local flavor in their assortment at those cheese cube receptions that are so  common before Christmas.

Gentrification? Maybe. But I rather drink one Rye 51 from Baltimore's Monument City Brewing Company than two Buds. Actually, I never drink Buds.

Klaus Philipsen, FAIA

BBJ: Union Craft Brewing sneak preview
BBJ Baltimore area breweries
Is Baltimore a beer town?
Baltimore has always been a beertown (City Paper)
Brewing in Baltimore, by Maureen O’Prey

Related on this blog:

How Beer and Art Revitalize Southwest Baltimore

Why Baltimore really needs a beer-garden