Spotlight on Sapwood
Sapwood Cellars in Columbia is quietly and confidently making national waves. The brewery recently earned the second-highest number of medals in the second annual Untappd Community Awards, which recognize the top three beers in a variety of styles and sub-styles in each of the 50 states and in 50 countries.
Sapwood earned 96 awards (47 gold, 26 silver, 23 bronze) for best in Maryland, and nine (three each of gold, silver and bronze) for best in the United States.
That places the brewery between Tree House Brewing in Massachusetts and Hill Farmstead Brewery in Vermont, two of the most revered names in American craft brewing.
Sapwood has mastered a wide range of brewing traditions.
Standouts run the spectrum from their decadent imperial oatmeal stout BSCV 2024 to their nuanced and tart Flanders oud bruin Wrath of Grapes to their bold rye IPA Green Dragon.
Beer and Tacos
It's not just about what's in the glass at Sapwood. April marks the long-awaited debut of Albura Taqueria, the brewery's own kitchen, along with an expanded tasting room. The menu promises tacos in an assortment of global flavor combinations — imagine Korean gochujang next to Oaxacan mole.
Sapwood also is introducing its first year-round core beer: Albura Lager. This Mexican-inspired lager-brewed with corn masa (the flour used to make tortillas) and Virginia-grown pilsner malt from Murphy & Rude— will anchor their tap list with an easy-drinking but flavor-rich option. Incidentally, "albura" is Spanish for "sapwood."
Frederick Flyover
Sandbox Brewhouse in Frederick has opened at 880 N. East St., #201, occupying the original site of Rockwell Brewing (which moved to its present location in May 2023). Grand opening was March 14, followed by the official ribbon-cutting on March 21.
The tap list shows the expertise of brewmaster John Burroughs, who has over 15 years of experience in the Frederick beer scene. Favorites include the creamy Nitro Stout, Blood Moon Stout (with blood orange), crisp Bonnie Blonde Ale and lime-zested Key West Blonde. Hop lovers can explore True Grit, a hazy IPA, or New World Samurai, an 8%-abv American IPA in the West Coast style. More adventurous pours include Wonderlust (a lemongrass saison) and Riversong (a raspberry rye IPA).
The Sandbox is dog-friendly, and they're building a backyard dog park to make it even more so. They also offer live music and rotating food trucks, and plan to expand into coffee and pastries in the mornings.
Baltimore News and Brews
Guilford Hall Brewery was preparing a five-course dinner on April 23 to celebrate its new Tmave Pivo, a Czech-style dark lager. A maibock is set to follow in May, and an Italian pale lager in June.
Welcome to Ben Little, who takes over as head brewer at Guilford Hall after previous stints at Fourscore Beer Co. in Gettysburg, Manor Hill Brewing in Ellicott City and Other Half Brewing in Washington, DC.
Barn Raising and Beer Gardens
Waredaca Brewing in Montgomery County was set to open The Barn at Waredaca Brewing in May. Co-owner and head brewer Keith Kohr describes this new events space as "a reservable open-air pavilion that provides some of the best views on the farm." Waredaca is taking early reservations via its "Barn Raisers Club." Signing up in April allows you to prepay for your reservation in 2025 or 2026 at a discounted rate. Find out more at orderwaredaca.com.
Elsewhere in the county, Dacha Beer Garden in Washington, DC is moving into Maryland, taking over the former Denizens Brewing site at 1115 East West Highway near the Silver Spring Metro. Patterned after traditional Bavarian beer gardens, Dacha offers a selection of American craft, German and Belgian beers. The company was going through the licensing process as we went to press. Dacha has yet to set an opening date.
Heading West
Hub City Brewery in Hagerstown is now offering First Harvest Hard Cider (with a "bright, juicy" flavor from a blend of apples) and a hard seltzer (you can customize your flavor). Plus, they will host a Farmer's Market and Food Truck Festival every Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. starting April 6. 1812 Farm Brewery in Cumberland plans to finish installing a new 15-bbl brewhouse this summer, upgrading its current 10-bbl system. The brewery also is planning an eighth-anniversary celebration for June 6-7.
Just five minutes off of Interstate I-68, 1812 Farm Brewery features a taproom, patio, playground and soccer field and hosts a farmer's market on the first Sunday of each month April through December.
Still Farther West
While traveling through Garrett County — Maryland's westernmost region — I had the chance to meet the owners of the county's newest (and currently only) brewery: Brewery and the Beast at 418 S. Main St. in Accident.
Both Brandy Wilt and Craig Frazee have strong culinary backgrounds. Brandy's knowledge of hospitality and tourism was shaped by a study-abroad tour of Europe's gastronomic heartlands— breweries, vineyards, cheese caves, foie gras farms.
Craig trained at the New England Culinary Institute and cooked at the Four Seasons at Pebble Beach and Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Maui. He also studied brewing at the Siebel Institute in Chicago. He and Brandy met in 2012; they started with a food truck called the BarB-Q'ed Beast, transitioning to a brewpub in 2021.
