Ah, The Brewer's Art

So, we went out to dinner recently to The Brewer's Art, located in downtown Baltimore. It has stood as one of our absolute favorite restaurants to visit whenever there is a performance we're going to attend or if we're celebrating a special occasion.

Why would the place be called The Brewer's Art unless they (you guessed it) brewed their own beer!

With my appetizer, I enjoyed a great beer they call Twelve Labors, in honor of their 12h anniversary, as well as the 12 labors of Hercules. From what I was able to tell, TL is a very tasty, savory potion, made from an interesting mix of wheat, some coriander, some generous hopping that offered a citrus kick, and the herbaceous/floral notes I believe provided by the yeast. I heartily recommend this beer to anyone who can get there in time. It's a limited seasonal, and once gone, I'm sure it's gone.

The beer selected to accompany my entree was their Beacon Ale. Unfortunately, it didn't have enough complexity to cut through the TL. However, I am confident, on its own, it is a wonderful session beer!

I can't tell you how much I missed this place--it had been a good 2+ years since we last visited. I hope we don't wait another 2 years to go back.

Only 17.5 hours left!

There are only 17.5 hours left to vote on the next beer style that I brew! It looks like Pumpkin Spice Ale is going to win, with 50% of the vote. Get out there and vote! It's not even 10 seconds of your time. The poll is on the right of the page, under the picture.

On a somber note, remember that tonight is the global toast to Michael Jackson at 9 PM. The Brewer's Art is having a special charity dinner and toast tonight from 7 to 9 PM, where 20% of the entire restaurant's take will go to the National Parkinson Foundation. So, everybody who is able, please make this event. It will go toward some wonderful, life-saving research!

Best Brewpubs in the Baltimore-Metropolitan Area

Last night, at dinner, Rachel harped upon a great idea: make a list of Maryland brewpubs we have visited, in order of those we really enjoyed to those that left a little to be desired. At the bottom, we included a link to a Google Map of the brewpubs.

A formality: brewpub - must brew and serve their own beer, along with casual fare.

<drum roll, please> Here is our list! At the same time, did we leave some one off? What are your preferences? We'd really like to see them, so leave a comment!

1. Dogfish Head Alehouse, Gaithersburg
   
2. The Brewer's Art, Baltimore
   
3. DuClaw Brewing Company, Arundel Mills
   
4. Red Brick Station, White Marsh (T-4)
   
5. Ellicott Mills Brewing Company, Ellicott City (T-4)
   
6. Capitol City Brewing Company
   
7. Barley & Hops, Frederick
   
8. Johanssons, Westminster
   
9. Brewer's Alley, Frederick
   

A few places that we have to revisit or go to for the first time:

• The Wharf Rat
  
• Growlers
  
• Franklin's
  
• Ram's Head Tavern
  
• Rocky Run
  
• Ryleigh's (if they are still open...)

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