Traveling to Deep Creek next week for a weekend with friends. We wont likely visit any breweries or have time to hit any bars. I am wondering what interesting brews I can find locally to take to the cabin with us. Really just any great beers I cannot find locally in the Greater Cincinnati area of SE Indiana, SW Ohio, and N Kentucky. What suggestions do you all have?
Mulley’s, Heavy Seas and DuClaw breweries are good Maryland breweries, among others. Not sure how far any of them reach; whether you can get them after you are, or whether they are stocked at Deep Creek.
Thanks, I had some Duclaw when in DC last year, good stuff. It’s now available here in the right places. Familiar with Heavy Seas as well. Will have to look for Mulley’s. SOP when in the road is to just look for stuff I don’t know: anything around there that I should avoid in a bottle shop?
TBH, I rarely buy beer. Mostly just drink my own.
But I don’t know of anything local that’s really bad.
Thanks again
Have they improved? Back when they first opened up I had a couple six packs that seemed to have an infection starting. Last year I wound up with a six pack of stout that was all gushers. Their beers are great when these issues aren’t around, but had stopped buying them since things seemed hit or miss.
Heavy Seas is a good option, as is Flying Dog. DC Brau is good too. Evolution has some good offerings as well.
I’d honestly just pick the freshest of all the options you find interesting.
Thanks Phil. We enjoyed DC Brau as well when in DC last year. Might try to focus in on Evolution if I can find it along the way
I live so close to the Mulley’s Brewery I’ve never had any old beer from them. Sorry to hear you had infected bottles. DC Brau and Evolution are also good choices.
Calvert? Or across the bridge in Charlotte Hall? I live closer to the Ruddy Duck, so that’s typically where I’ll go if I want to go to a microbrewery…though their beers can be hit or miss as well. Recently my wife and I have been just going to Leonardtown when we eat out…there’s a nice restaurant their that has 4-5 taps that get turned over enough that the beer is always fresh.
I’ve never been to their taproom, though I’d expect their beers to be fine there.
Thanks again Phil. We are departing in 3 days. Does anyone know if there is a decent bottle shop on rte 42 between the state line and the park? Probably not, just wondering if we can find something on the way in without going too far off our route
I was in Deep Creek Lake a couple of weeks ago. I’ll save you some time and recommend you don’t try Mountain State Brewing. I think my first extract batch 18 years ago was of higher quality. I should have taken the time to get tasters before getting some growler fills.
If you head over to Wisp Resort, they have an exclusive release in the lodge bars from Jailbreak Brewing called Maple Ridge Porter. Very nice brew. Only caution is they don’t serve alcohol until 1pm on Sundays.
Several of the restaurants in town had some Pennsylvania brews I was not familiar with, and certainly wasn’t disappointed by.
I didn’t stop in, but it looks like the one place in the area to buy bottles was Deep Creek Beverage on 42/219 right next to Archie’s BBQ.
Thanks for all that great info. Will definitely keep it all in mind
I’m in southern Calvert. If you’re close, check out Mulley’s on the second Saturday of each month. We’re trying to get a new club together. Check their website.
I might try and make it, though it’s a hike for me to get up there. Usually I try and go to the Hollywood Hopheads meetings, but lately they’ve all been days that I’ve either had to work or had other plans.
Thanks for the tips. Enjoyed the maple Porter at the slopes. Could not talk anyone out of going to Mountain State even after telling them about your suggestion. Ordered a flight of their beers: the IPA was OK; the stout was way off, maybe almost band-aid like, two of us would not finish that sample; the blond I did not like but the wife did; the amber was the best I thought. After the flight, I ordered an Evolution Pilsner, very tasty.
We were very happy with the selection at Deep Creek Beverage. I picked up 4 different Evolution brews: the DIPA, the red, the pineapple IPA, and the pilsner. Enjoyed all of them, but not much pineapple in the flavor, only in the aroma for the PineHopple IPA. Also picked up a 4 pack of Midas Touch from DFH, always tasty.
Thanks again all.
Glad Deep Creek Beverage worked out for you. I hadn’t been in before, so didn’t know how their selection would be. SWMBO told me there is another bottle shop on 42 besides Deep Creek, but I couldn’t recall seeing it.
I had a 64 oz fill of the blonde and a 32 oz fill of the stout from Mountain State. I dumped the stout after a few sips - I’ve very glad the bartender only charged me the single pint price for that growler fill. I was most looking forward to the blonde, and was really disappointed by it. It was lacking in any malt body, and tasted like stale/stressed Hefe yeast had been used.
The Maple Ridge Porter was the most satisfying find of the trip, to me. I live not too far from Jailbreak (pass them every time I go to get my CO2 filled), so will have to investigate if it really is reserved just for Wisp or if they have it in their taproom as well.
Good call on the Midas Touch! 
Yes, as I said, the wife liked the blonde. I thought it was very bland. I still don’t know how they get away with selling that stout. I’ve brewed better beers and dumped them for what I perceived as smaller flaws. But like I said, they are in a resort town capitalizing on the whole drink local, brewery boom. And there are likely several fanboy hipsters in the area drinking that stout regularly