1812 Brewery

On 190 acres rests a barn built in 1812 refurbished into 2.500 square feet and two stories of brewery. The perfect place for beer enthusiasts to relax and enjoy a craft beverage and enjoy the beauty of the mountains.

The first and only farm brewery in Allegany County, Maryland is located 18 miles from Frostburg State University, 3 miles off exit 46 on I-68 East.

Atmosphere

Starting with when I first arrived at 1812, approaching the farm brewery I see the initial staples of any farm, the silos, fields, gravel driveways and parking spaces.

Everything appears clean and well maintained. I park in the gravel lot and am greeted with the smell from two food trucks parked outside the brewery, the outdoor seating area is packed but still somehow quiet.

I walk past all of the people and enter the brewery, it is a hot summer day, but it is cool inside, you know you are in the bottom of an old barn, but all of the wood has been covered in a polyurethane resin giving everything a clean and new looking shine.

Selection

I approach the bar and am greeted with a smile from the bartender who then walks me through the beer they have available to sample. I order their sample 6 beer sample tray for $11. I took the sampler outside to enjoy the weather and the atmosphere.

Their selection changes frequently but when I went they had 7 beers on tap of which I tried 6, I did not try their Coffee Stout because I know that I am not a fan of most. I tasted the beer from light to dark, starting with their FenceMender Ale, with a 4.5 ABV it would be a great session beer, in terms of IBUs (International Bitterness Units) it ranks at 33, so a little more bitter than some ales, but still very refreshing.

The next beer in my sampler was the Maddy Golden Ale, my personal favorite of their ale selection, with a 4.8 ABV and only a 10 in the IBU department, it was a light refreshing beer that I could easily see myself drinking for an all day drinking session.

The next and last of the ales was the Monroe’s Ale, an English style ale with a smooth texture and a malty flavor, high in ABV for an ale at 5.6, and 30 IBUs giving it a bitter bite with each sip. It was a pleasure to drink, but it sits heavy, so I wouldn’t be able to drink a lot of it.

Moving onto an IPA with the Beach Creek Session IPA, a very drastic change from the ales that came before the IPA is my preferred beer, with the familiar bite of bitterness that is promised with an IPA provides with its 58 IBUs. A lower ABV than expected from the taste of this IPA at only 5.6. I could drink this IPA for an entire evening, great with a heavy steak dinner.

Now when I hear 1812 I think automatically of their Ambush IPA which I have been familiar with for some time before my visit to the brewery. The website description of the IPA perfectly sums up this beer; ” A bold, unfiltered IPA created for hop lovers. Dry hopped with whole leaf hops to amplify the hop character and aroma, which is balanced by a crisp refreshing finish. ” This is your traditional IPA with a 6.5 ABV and 68 IBUs, a strong and satisfying beer with a strong bite at the end. This is the beer that most people fill their growlers with before leaving.

The last beer on my sampler flight was the F.C. Porter, which was my favorite of the night, a dark porter with 5.4 ABV and 32 IBUs, this is the beer that I want to drink with any red meat dinner, or have a growler full of on any outing. The F.C. porter while a little bitter was full of flavor. The F.C. porter was released in November of 2018, and $1 of every glass of this beer is donated to the Schwab Center Cancer at the Western Maryland Health System. Now when I asked what the name stood for I was told “Well the ‘C’ stands for cancer, you can guess what the ‘F’ stands for. Needless to say this was the beer that filled my growler.

Prices

Their prices are consistent and all taxes are included, so you can bring cash and you don’t have to worry about loading up your pocket with loose change.

4 Beer Samplers: $8 • 6 Beer Samplers: $11 • Beer by the Glass: $6 • Growler Fill 64 oz: $17 Growler Fill 32 oz: $10

However they offer deals on Thursday:

Conclusion

Overall 1812 was a great experience with great beer, the company is focused on providing a good product and experience to their customers, I will definitely return.