Many consider Cascade the quintessential American Hop, and with good reason. It was the first hop out of the USDA hop breeding program and has become an essential addition to many American Pale Ales and most West Coast IPAs.
The Maryland Hop: Monocacy
It has been said that Maryland doesn’t have the right climate to grow hops commercially. Yet, there is a growing movement in the beer industry to use locally grown ingredients in their beer. A new hop has been discovered in Frederick County, Maryland that may change that — The Maryland Hop var. Monocacy.
MARYLAND BREWERIES 2023
This graphic apparel has the names of every craft brewery in Maryland in 2023. The text is in the colors of the Maryland flag: red, yellow, white, and black. The 2023 edition adds a few breweries but also removed some that either closed or moved out of state.
MARYLAND BREWERIES 2022
This graphic apparel has the names of every craft brewery in Maryland in 2022. The text is in the colors of the Maryland flag: red, yellow, white, and black.
BUY ME BEER
People who say I am hard to shop for obviously don't know where to buy beer.
HOP HEAD SKULL
“Hophead”, a friendly term for folks that love hoppy beer. A new design based on an old rock and roll theme. If you fit that description, be proud, share it with the world.
Available in multiple styles: including t-shirts, tank tops, long sleeve, sweat shirts, and hoodies.
HOMO LUPULUS - COMMON HOPHEAD
Homo Lupulus, common name “Common Hophead”. Folks that love their hops are a special species that has evolved on the craft beer scene. If you fit that description, be proud, share it with the world.
Available in multiple styles: including t-shirts, tank tops, long sleeve, sweat shirts, and hoodies.
Homo Lupulus - COMMON HOPHEAD
Homo Lupulus, common name “Common Hophead”. Folks that love their hops are a special species that has evolved on the craft beer scene. If you fit that description, be proud, share it with the world.
Available in multiple styles: including t-shirts, tank tops, long sleeve, sweat shirts, and hoodies.
Drink More Maryland Beer
Maryland has some amazing breweries producing some of the best beer in country. Proudly display your loyalty to Maryland beer with this T-Shirt. Great for beer enthusiasts and their family and friends.
Hop Bomb Squad
There are bomb squads, thankfully! And there are hop bombs, big IPAs that are loaded with hop bitterness, flavors and aromas. And now there is the “Hop Bomb Squad”, those who seek the hop bombs.
When Hops Scratch You Once
There is a saying that “when hops scratch you once, they scratch you forever”. If you have ever grown or harvested hops, you know they will leave marks on your unprotected skin. But they also just may scratch your soul, too!
Do Work For Beer
There are those that will work for food, and other that do work for beer. If you are in the beer industry at any position or capacity, you know what I mean. It is a labor of love and passion.
Hops A Most Wicked & Pernicious Weed
The story has been passed down the England’s King Henry VIII has posted a ban on the use of hops in beer. He described it as a “most wicked and pernicious weed.” Even some popular breweries have picked up on that phase in their name and some beer. Others write to dispel that myth, but it does make for a great story and a great shirt.
Have a Nice Flight
Like many words in the dictionary, there can be many meaning across a words usage. For example, when ready to board a plane someone might wish you well be saying “have a nice flight”. To a beer geek getting ready to test our a new brewery it holds a unique meaning of its own.
When traveling I want to try some of the local beer fare. While I know I have a limited amount of time available to sample new beer I want to try as many as practically possible. In the EFFICIENT BEER ACQUISITION article I share some rules I've found useful.
Stout Season
Stout Season — My Favorite Time of Year.
When the days grow short and a nip comes to the air, summer’s days have past and give way to autumn. And with this season comes many favorite things — the brilliant colors of the maples, sweaters, and stouts.
Oh yes, I love a great summer sipper like the next person, but beers have seasons. With Spring I look forward to Saison. October comes Märzens. But November, like the honking of the geese overhead, the stouts come out. Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout, Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout and many other favorites.
The desire for a cold beer has subsided and now I want my beer warming, in temperature, taste and attitude. There are many autumn song playlists — just pick a genre. For me, make mine a stout. Yes, stout season is my favorite time of year.
Beer Geek
The Beer Geek Handbook: Living a Life Ruled By Beer. This was a book with many great gems if you whether you are already a full-fledged beer geek or someone just getting started on that path. Wherever you are on the path of beer geekdom, this is a fun and clever road map. It is full of pithy life lessons, beery vocabulary, and warnings of pitfalls that anyone who chooses to walk this path will benefit from. This tee shirt was inspired by the Deep Beer journal post - The Role Of Beer Books.
Let Us Drink Beer
Martin Luther had some interesting opinions about having a beer. “When the devil says to you: do not drink, answer him: I will drink, and right freely, just because you tell me not to.”
This tee shirt was inspired by the boldness of Martin Luther plus his interest in beer — No Beer For You.
Have a Nice Flight
When I want to maximize my tasting options at a new brewery I like test flight, a row of 4 or 5 four-ounce samples. Red Rocks [Salt Lake City] was an easy walk from my hotel, so I stopped in for a few of their beers. I looked over the beer menu, asked if they offered flights. "We can give you two", was his reply. I tasted from my two and ordered a couple more. "Nah, you have to finish those before I can serve you any others", said my barkeep. "Really!" This tee shirt was inspired by the Deep Beer journal post - Beer On The Road: Utah
Barrel Aged - American White Oak
I simply find barrels fascinating. The fact that we can take something as simple as a wood plank, fashion it in a way that can create a liquid-proof container is amazing. And yet, the wooden barrel has been around for some 2,000 years. Beer aged in a bourbon barrel, or any liquor barrel for that matter, gets my attention. I love the complexity that this additional element brings to the flavor of a beer. Of course, working as a professional forester for 40-years helps develop a natural attraction. The white oak (Quercus alba) of which most domestic whiskey barrels are crafted from, has been a favorite tree for as long as I remember. Strong, majestic in form, and full of utility. This tee shirt was inspired by the Deep Beer journal post - Bourbon Barrel Genius.
