Tag craft beer

Liberty Reservoir & 1623 Brewing Company

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Eldersburg, MD

Liberty Reservoir is one of those amazingly peaceful places that I am more than happy to drive over an hour to visit. But I’ll be honest that it was originally 1623 Brewing that brought me to the Eldersburg area. When I’m on the hunt for a new Hikes & Hops, I actually start with a brewery and then find out what trails are nearby. Finding Liberty Reservoir was my lucky day since it has quickly become one of my favorite hiking spots in Maryland. Not to mention that 1623 Brewery is worth the drive in their own right! They have excellent beer and a HUGE space with lots of indoor and outdoor seating. They never disappoint. So let’s get to it!

THE HIKE: Liberty West-Morgan Runs Trail (Includes Coots Peninsula) 

Length: 7.3 miles
Elevation Gain: 987ft
Difficulty: Moderate 
Time: ~3 hours
Trail use: Hiking, biking, dogs
Parking: Lot on side of busy road so be careful when parking
H&H: 4/5

Liberty Reservoir is pretty big and there are no shortage of different trails you can take. My absolute favorite hike here is Coots Peninsula, so much that I hardly ever try anywhere else in the park! If you’re looking for a shorter hike than this, just the peninsula loop is about 4 miles and starts at the end of Bollinger Mill Road. J and I have been wanting to build up to longer hikes so we chose this extended loop that starts from a parking lot off of 32. Please be careful when pulling in and out of this space, there are some blind corners and it’s a major road. 

Although many of these trails are listed as “heavily trafficked” in the AllTrails app, every time I’ve been here it’s felt so peaceful and I hardly ever see anyone else. The highlight of this area really is the reservoir with its sparkling clear waters. The Reservoir is owned by the city of Baltimore and brings water to nearly 1.5 million people in the city and surrounding suburbs. It wasn’t always a lake though and in 1954 the city made a LARGE purchase of the land. It had once been a thriving mill town and after all of the buildings were abandoned they were left intact and the reservoir just filled in around them. Kinda spooky to think of factories and houses just sitting under that pristine water! 

Anyway, now the reservoir is perfect for hiking, especially since only paddle boats are allowed on the water, so you feel miles and miles away from civilization. Coots Peninsula is particularly beautiful as you are surrounded by water as you walk through the pine woods. The point at the end of the peninsula was really stunning with some of the clearest water I’ve ever seen! No swimming is allowed but we bent the rules and dipped our feet in. I’d call this trail moderate since the loop back had quite a few steep hills which I really enjoyed! If you go in the summer, make sure to bring plenty of bug spray! Even with it, at times the gnats and flies got pretty annoying. This has definitely been a favorite spot of ours and we’ve been back a few times! 

THE BEER: 1623 Brewing Company 

Address: 5975 Exchange Dr Suite H-L, Eldersburg, MD 21784
Distance from Trail Head: 4.3 miles, ~8 mins 
Website: https://1623brewing.com/
Food?: Snacks and Food Trucks (Everyday) 
H&H Rating: 5/5

1623 Brewing has been brewing since 2018 but only opened their brand new taproom in February 2020 right before all of the ‘rona shutdowns. But it never seemed like it held them back because their brand new facility was AH-Mazing! We were so impressed with the amount of seating available and the living room vibes. We settled in on their patio under a pergola which was so inviting and kept the sun from frying us. Although they don’t have a kitchen, they do have food trucks every day that they’re open. Score! But the most important thing: how was the beer?! 

We were really excited to finally get some 1623 on tap, having had cans of their Dry Irish Stout in the past (Go get it, it’s delicious). Everything we had on tap was great! I didn’t get it this time around, but my favorite 1623 beer is their Hefeweizen. It’s the brewer’s specialty and really it shows. It’s quite honestly the best hefe I’ve had on draft! This time around I wanted to have a sour since it was hot and muggy out. Dang, this was the sourest sour I have ever had! Still delicious though with a subtle passionfruit flavor. J opted for the Ella Mental Lager which was part of a series of Single Hop Single Malt lagers. I’m always really into SMaSH series because I love to learn more about beer ingredients and to single out flavors. This one was made with Australian Galaxy hops and was quite refreshing. They also made a version conditioned on spruce tips that my nature heart desperately wanted, but I know I don’t like sprucy beers so we passed on that one. Oh and we got a 6 pack of the pilsner to take home as a porch beer. 

(Also I’ve been having a moment with pilsners? So underappreciated and yet it’s one of the harder styles to make! Yup, I’ve already got plans for a pilsner appreciation post for one of my beer bytes soon!) 

Another thing I really appreciate about this brewery is all of their glassware. No basic pint glasses here! They’ve got all of the proper glassware for the style of beer! Ah, it’s the little things. 

Our Beer:

  • Tart Attack – Sour – 3.1%
  • Ella Mental – Lager – 6.4%
  • Pilsner – Pilsner – 5.2%

SUM UP: Liberty Reservoir has a variety of trails and the Coots Peninsula Loop is particularly beautiful and is of moderate difficulty. There is ample off-street parking at the trailhead. While the water views are beautiful, be prepared for mud and bugs. Nearby is 1623 Brewing Company which always has rotating food trucks and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. It’s a perfect combo!

Beer Byte – July 16

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Hops Lightning Round – Beer’s Misunderstood Ingredient

What are hops? – they are the flowers of the Humulus lupulus plant, which needs a lot of sun and a moist environment to thrive. That’s why most American hops come from the Pacific Northwest

Why add them to beer? – hops add flavor (often balancing out the sweetness of the malts) to a beer, but most of all they stabilize it! Back in ye olde days, beer was made from a herb mix and was very prone to spoiling. Hops actually helped preserve it, plus were much cheaper then those herbal concoctions. Fun Fact: Beer made without hops is called a gruit. Not too many people make them anymore but I’m now determined to track one down someday!

All of these beers have hops!

Hops are only in “hoppy” beers, right? – NO. All beers have hops. Along with water, yeast, and malt, they make up the four main ingredients of beer. If someone tells you they don’t like hops, I give you permission to set them straight!

When are hops added? – Hops are generally separated into two main categories: bittering and aromatic. Bittering hops are added earlier in the beer making process but lose much of their flavor during the boiling. Aromatic hops are added later in the process and are more what we think of as “hoppy”. And of course, it can get a lot more complicated with things like dry-hopping, wet- hopping, hopback…honestly I think we’ll save all that for another time!

Can I grow hops? – It depends. Although you might see a small hop plant at your local brewery, the best environments for growing hops are temperate and moist. Today about 75% of the American hop market is grown in the Yakima Valley area of Washington State.

Hop Farm in Washington State (Source: Creative Commons)

Hoppy and bitter are the same thing right? – Yes and No. So hops do add bitterness which helps to balance the sweetness of the malts. But bitterness in beer can also come from other things like fruit or herbs (think spruce tips). And remember, all beers have hops but not every beer is bitter! I think people think this because IPAs and hop-forward styles have just flooded the market. If you don’t like bitterness, try a malty beer like an Oktoberfest, or a nice thick stout. Or if its summer go for a refreshing Gose! There’s plenty of beers out there without the bitterness!

But wait, why do hops in a brewery look like rabbit food? – okay yes, this was my first thought when I saw pelletized hops for the first time. I wasn’t entirely convinced the brewer hadn’t just gone to Petsmart. In order to preserve the fresh hops, they are dried, ground up and made into pellets. This is the most common form of hops on the commercial market.

Pelletized vs fresh hops (Source: Creative Commons)

Thanks for reading all about hops! It’s so fun learning more about my favorite beverage as I grow this blog. Got any fun beer facts for me? Or resources I’ve got to check out? Let me know!

Resources:

Annapolis Rock & Cushwa Brewing Company

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Williamsport, MD

Okay so this one is a throwback hike but I couldn’t not share it! According to the Alltrails app this is the #1 hike in Maryland. Like seriously, the #1 in the whole state! J and started doing a ton more hiking last year (thank ‘Rona) so we set ourselves a challenge to do 20 hikes in 2020. Since getting outside was pretty much the only thing we could do, we ended up hitting our goal pretty quickly. We wanted our 20th hike to be a big one so we tackled a section of the Appalachian Trail leading to Annapolis Rock and Black Rock. It was amazing and so worth it and you should all hike it. Plus it was a great excuse to hit up a brewery I had heard tons of good things about. 

All Trails Map

I had heard A LOT about getting to this hike early so we got there around 8am. J and I are not morning people so this was quite a struggle for us. Thankfully we managed to get ourselves up and moving. By the time we finished up our hike, the lot was absolutely PACKED so we’re not kidding about getting there early!

THE HIKE: Annapolis & Black Rock via Appalachian Trail
Length: ~7.4 miles
Elevation Gain: ~900ft
Difficulty: Moderate (Some rocks and mostly uphill the first mile)
Time: 3-3.5 hours
Trail use: Hiking, running, leashed pets allowed
Parking: Limited parking, get there early!
H&H: 5/5

At the time, this was the longest hike we had ever tackled, but despite some inclines and rocky terrain, neither of us felt like this trail was particularly difficult. It was the perfect mix of challenge and payoff at the overlooks. The first overlook you’ll come to is Annapolis Rock. This is actually about 0.25 miles off of the Appalachian Trail so keep your eyes open for the signpost! The view is really incredible but we found that the popularity of the trail meant that the overlook was crowded. We didn’t stay too long and decided to head onto the next overlook. Black Rock really was a delight. It has all the views of Annapolis Rock with far fewer people. In fact, we were the only ones at the overlook when we arrived! We spent a lot of time taking pictures, clambering over rocks, and just taking in the incredible views. 

Annapolis Rock Overlook

The great thing about this hike is being right on the Appalachian Trail. If you need a bit more, keep on going! Or if you’re feeling done after one overlook, that’s cool too. This hike took us close to 3.5 hours, so make sure to bring plenty of water and maybe some snacks too. We did this hike in the dead of summer but it’s completely shaded the whole time so that helps to keep down the heat. Also watch out for ground hornets! I got a nasty sting through my pants on our way back down. A less than gentle reminder that I need to pack a small first aid kit. Overall, this was a fantastic hike to celebrate our 20th outing and I will absolutely do it again! I’d love to start at a different point along the AT and end at Black Rock again. I’m hoping to hike all of the AT in Maryland. I’ve got a ways to go!

THE BEER: Cushwa Brewing Company
Address: 10210 Governor Lane Boulevard #2010, Williamsport, MD 21795
Distance from Trail Head: 14.2 miles, ~20 mins
Website: http://cushwabrewing.com/
Food?: Full Menu – Rad Pies (in house restaurant)
H&H Rating: 4/5

I had been hearing good things about Cushwa Brewing Company since moving to Maryland, but they always seemed pretty far away. Thankfully, this hike proved the perfect opportunity to bring us to the area! The drive from the trailhead to brewery is a little longer than my past combos, but it’s a very easy route and Cushwa is definitely worth it! They have indoor and outside seating and offer up a surprisingly large tap list. They have offerings for every palate but seem to focus in on the Pale Ale/ IPAs. Which was perfect for me! They also offer local wine, cocktails, and beer slushies in the summer. 

Probably the best thing about Cushwa (especially after nearly an 8-mile hike) was the in-house pizzeria, Rad Pies. And let me tell you, they were fricking RAD. Seriously, every hike J and I pack sandwiches or veggies and hummus in hopes that we don’t order food at the brewery. Ya know, health and all. But honestly when a brewery is slinging some Rad Pies, what were we supposed to do?! 

We’ve been back to Cushwa twice now and it’s been really solid both times. There’s also a brand new brewery in the same plaza called Homaide that we absolutely need to check out next time. Maybe when we’re back to do another section of the AT. 

Our Beer: 

  • Fraction of Fiction – NEIPA – 6.6%
  • Cush, Jr. – Table Beer – 4.2% 
  • Me, Myself & Citra – NEIPA – 6% 
  • Tenuous Pawn – Brown Ale – 6.6% 
  • French Fog – Saison – 6.4%

SUM UP: Annapolis and Black Black via AT is a 7.5 mile, out-and-back trail that is moderate in difficulty. It is very popular so parking can be limited. The two overlooks are breathtaking and make any difficult inclines worth it. About 15 miles away is Cushwa Brewing Company which has a delicious in-house pizzeria and offers up a solid beer selection. Perfect after a morning out on the trail!

H&H Overall Rating: 4/5

Weverton Cliffs & Smoketown Brewing Station

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Brunswick, Maryland

Weverton Cliffs and Smoketown Brewing Station might just be my new favorite combo. The cliffs sometimes get overshadowed by longer, more famous hikes near Harpers Ferry (looking at you Maryland Heights!). But you really get an incredible view for a pretty quick hike. And Smoketown Brewery is the perfect place to unwind in the quiet town of Brunswick, Maryland. Let’s dive in!

THE HIKE: Weverton Cliffs

Length: 2.0 miles (Continue along the Appalachian Trail if you want more) 
Elevation Gain: 567ft
Difficulty: Moderate (Some rocks and mostly uphill the first mile) 
Time: 1 hour (but leave plenty of time for relaxing at the overlook)
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets allowed
Parking: No entry fee. Small lot but parking is allowed along road. Head along road towards the intersection. Trailhead starts there. Look for the AT signpost
H&H: 5/5

We did this hike on a camping weekend with friends. It was the perfect hike for a group because it has a gorgeous overlook and is only 2 miles! I’ve rated this trail as moderate because although it’s short, the incline to the top is no joke! Be prepared to take breaks and bring plenty of water. And the hike back down can be a little hard on the knees so I’d recommend walking poles if you have any knee or balance problems. But don’t let this deter you, this is the perfect workout with a big payoff at the top. If you’re into a challenge, the Weverton Cliffs trail connects to the C&O Canal which leads right into Brunswick. Round trip from the brewery to the cliffs and back would be just over 8 miles!

When doing this trail, just be aware that it’s very popular so parking might be limited and there could be some trail traffic. When we went, the parking lot was full but we were able to park along the road with no trouble. When do you park, don’t head directly into the woods; that’s not the right trail! From the parking lot, head back to the road and make a right. Across the road, you’ll see some stone steps leading into the roads, that’s the right trailhead. 

THE BEER: Smoketown Brewing Station

Address: 223 W. Potomac St.Brunswick, MD, 21716
Distance from Trail Head: 4.4 miles, ~8 mins 
Website: https://www.smoketownbrewing.com/
Food?: Snacks and Food Trucks 
H&H Rating: 5/5

Smoketown Brewing is in the old Brunswick Fire Station and everything in the brewery is a testament to that. I loved checking out of the history and fire memorabilia on the walls as we drank some really delicious beer. This brewery has a ton of seating both indoor and outside and offers up a small menu of bar snacks if you get hungry. Smoketown’s tagline is “Blue collar craft” which I think is really great. I love that they are pushing back against the idea that craft beer is super exclusive. They keep their place down to earth and have an impressively wide range of beer to suit any taste. We really enjoyed the vibe here and loved that it was full of hikers and locals. Smoketown has definitely shot to the top of my brewery list! 

If you’re looking for other things to do in Brunswick, check out River and Trail Outfitters for tubing and rafting and also Beans in the Belfry coffeeshop. 

Our Beer*: 

  • Cranapple Crush Cider – Cider 8.1%
  • Troy’s Bucket – NEIPA 6.1% 
  • Smokestack – Black IPA 6.5%
  • The Patsy – NEIPA 6.7% 
  • Gandy Oatmeal Stout – 6.1% 
  • Potomac IPA – American IPA  7.4% 

*it was so good that we went two days in a row!

SUM UP: Weverton Cliffs is an out-and-back, 2 miles hike with an incredible view over the Potomac river at the top. It’s steep but so worth it. Smoketown Brewery is only 5 miles away in Brunswick and serves up a wide range of beers in a really approachable environment. 

H&H overall rating: 5/5

Maryland Heights & Harper’s Ferry Brewing

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Maryland Heights has been on my hiking bucket list ever since I moved to Maryland. Which is ironic since the hike technically starts in Harper’s Ferry, WV! This is one of those amazing hikes where the view at the top makes it all worth it. I love to be rewarded for a really tough climb by an incredible view! Okay so let’s get into the quick details: 

Incredible view of Harpers Ferry

THE HIKE: Maryland Heights 

Length: 4.6 miles Out and Back (option to add on a loop to the summit for a total of 6.6 miles) 
Elevation Gain: 1115ft 
Time: 2 hours 
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets allowed
Parking: Park at Harpers Ferry Visitor Center, $20 for 3-day pass ($80 for the annual NPS Pass)
H&H: 2/5

Okay so this hike is an UNDERTAKING which is why it probably took me so long to finally do it! The only way to access the trail is from Harpers Ferry National Park. There used to be a parking lot at the trail head but that has since been closed. So unless you are already hiking the AT (go you!) or biking along the C&O Canal (also go you!) there’s no nearby parking except for the National Park. So that means that this hike is a little more costly than others. The entry fee per vehicle is $20 and that gets you a three day pass. This is great for anyone planning an overnight hiking trip. You can also get an annual Harpers Ferry pass for $35 or the American the Beautiful Pass for all National Parks for $80. Totally worth it if you’re planning on visiting more than one Park in a year. And if this seems steep to you, just remember that your money is going to maintain these beautiful parks for years to come! 

So you park at the Visitor’s Center and then you can either take the free shuttle down the town (it comes every 15 mins) or you can follow the trails down. Just keep in mind that walking will add about 2 miles on either end of your hike! J and I did this hike after our very first time camping so needless to say, we were pretty tired already, so opted to take the shuttle down. It’s quick and plops you right out where you need to be. From there, just cross over the bridge and follow the C&O towpath to the trailhead! This is an extremely popular trail, so be prepared to share the trail with lots of people, including large groups of people. The trail incline is nothing to sneeze at, so make sure that you’re prepare to walk ~2 miles directly uphill. Just remember, it’s not a race and you can always let people pass if they’re going too fast for you! 

Personally, I found the uphill trek to be a good challenge but the sheer number of people on the trail made it less ideal. Plus I found the trail itself to be, dare I say, kinda boring? But that’s all fine because That. View. Guys, the overlook was everything I wanted it to be. Such a glorious view out over the town. Buuuuuut again, other people ruined it for me. I was pretty upset at the amount of people littering and smoking at the overview. Plus it was so crowded that it was hard to find a spot to even take in the view. I would highly suggest trying this hike during the week or earlier in the day. Overall, I’m glad I finally did the hike, but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I much preferred Weverton Cliffs which I’ll go over in my next post! 

After finishing this hike, we relaxed and took in the views at quite possibly the most beautiful brewery I’ve ever been to: 

THE BEER: Harpers Ferry Brewing

Address: 37412 Adventure Center Ln, Purcellville, VA 20132
Distance from Trail Head: 3.1 miles, ~5 mins 
Website: http://hfbrew.com/
Food?: Full Kitchen, no outside food
H&H Rating: 4/5

By the time you get to the brewery you’ve been in three states today! Crazy right? Harpers Ferry Brewing is located right next to Harpers Ferry Adventure Park so there’s plenty of parking for everyone. I was pretty surprised at how huge this place was. There was plenty of seating in front and inside. But the real draw was the back yard full of adirondack chairs facing an incredible overlook of the Potomac River. After a long weekend of hiking and camping, this really was heaven. 

The beer was pretty good but we decided to stick with one since it was a bit pricey ($8 for a draft). I had the NEIPA which was good, and I’m usually quite picky with my ratings. J opted for the IPA which was quite hoppy. There weren’t many other options, but we were pleased with our choices. And honestly, I could have been drinking anything with that view. This was a much needed relaxing afternoon for us. I hope you get to check it out too! 

The Beers: 

Potomac Pale Ale – American Pale Ale – 5.7%
The Needles – American IPA – 7.0%

SUM UP: Maryland Heights is a very popular hike out of Harper’s Ferry that is an out-and-back moderately challenging hike. There is a park entry fee and a free shuttle close to the trailhead. Only 3 miles away is Harper’s Ferry Brewing, with incredible views, a full kitchen, and tasty but pricey beer. 

H&H overall rating: 3/5