A flip of the coin led me to post this here (vs. the "what are you watching tonight" thread).

Last night I watched Brewed on the Bay on Maryland Public Television. It was a half hour show about the craft beer movement, focusing on craft brewers in Maryland.

Homage was given to Baltimore's granddad of beers, National Bohemian Beer, with discussion of Mr. Boh and the fondness that locals (especially the old-timers) have for that beer. Natty Boh!!!

Most of the focus, however, was on the new wave of craft brewers, such as Flying Dog, Duclaw, Brewer's Art, and Heavy Seas (formerly Clipper City). There were tavern visits, factory tours and a good general discussion of what goes into beer production.

I swear, Tom and Peter are gonna turn me into a beer-o-phile yet.

And you didn't output onto DVD and send it to them?

I would have!

MPT needs their support, you scurvy dog pirate! They can buy the DVD at the link provided.

Thanks, MARK.

JP, that's an interesting yet fairly common story. Authentic Regional American Brewery gets bought out by multinational conglomerates who keep the label but move production thousands of miles away. We've lost many Northwest beers that way (Heidelberg, Olympia, Rainier, etc.).

Typically, my nostalgia for the brand can't outweigh my contempt for BudMilloors. So, I like to support the entrepreneurs and craftsmen of our generation's beer movement.

(The above is a pre-emptive strike on any speculative future consumption of Iron City beer).

I wonder what National Brewing did during prohibition.

I do quite like "From the Land of Pleasant Living" as a slogan, though.

I'm going to be in beer country and looking for recommendations for breweries (micro), or any other beer noteworthy place to visit. I fly into Spokane for a couple days, then drive to Sandpoint Id, then to Walla Walla for some wine tasting, then we drive to Willamette Valley. I haven't decided where to stay in the valley. This trip is for beer, wine and wee bit of chasing a little white ball around.

I also plan to visit the air museum and take a gander at the Spruce Goose. I have about ten days total and am pretty flexible at this point.

Michael, will you adopt me so I can go to all those places too?

Please take pics and share!


I saw the Spruce Goose years ago when it was in Long Beach next to the Queen Mary.

Well, Mike, I can't help you in Idaho.

A couple worthy spots in Spokane, though. There is a very cool craft distillery called Dry Fly. Good Vodka. I don't like Gin, but people seem to like theirs. They also make a Whiskey, but it's new and in very limited supply. It's next to a brewery, but I'm not a big fan.

Good beer bars worth your time - The Elk and The Catacombs. Both have very good food and excellent draft selection. Waddell's is supposed to be good, but I haven't been there.

If I was driving up the gorge, I would definitely stop at Hood River for the employee-owned Full Sail Ale Brewery, and also the transcendent Double Mountain brewery. Hops, baby.

Also on the way to PDX is the very cool McMenamin's Edgefield in Troutdale. Worth a stop for sure. Not too far from Multnomah Falls, which is also worth a stop.

Portland is just too much for me to comprehend or opine upon at the moment. SO MANY breweries. Maybe later.

Try to find time for Pine State Biscuits at breakfast. Go ahead and get the Reggie and thank me later.

I drank a wine from North Star that I thought was just wonderful. Check them out in WW.

That just reminded me. The July/August issue of Smithsonian has a piece about new findings in the "Archaeology of Beer."

That article is awesome. I'd love to hang out with those guys.

Glad one of you "beer guys" saw it.

Is "beer guys" redundant?