Brew Daddies

Franchise and other laws in Maryland leave craft breweries at the mercy of distributors. In this episode, Adam and Richard talk to Brendan O'Leary of the Supporters of Maryland Brewing PAC about how they are working with state legislators to change the laws to create a fairer system for all.

Learn more about the PAC, a subsidiary of the Brewers Association of Maryland, and how you can help them support craft breweries in the state,...

Richard speaks with Kimberly Bender, Executive Director of the Heurich House Museum, about the history of the District's most successful brewer – Christian Heurich.

Christian Heurich immigrated from Germany to America in 1866 with $200 in his pocket. He opened his first brewpub in Washington, D.C., in 1872 and became the city's most successful brewer. The Chr. Heurich Brewing Co. was the city's longest-operating brewery, operating ...

The Brew Daddies visit with Sarah and Jeremy Meyers, owners of Bad Wolf Brewing Company in Manassas, Virginia, a hyper-local nano brewery producing two to three 40-gallon batches of interesting and experimental beer every week.

Sarah and Jeremy talk about their approach to small-batch brewing and their experiences with opening, and then closing, a production brewery and taproom. Their dedication to their community is rare inspiring...

Structural engineer Brian Tarantino, the founder of Tarantino Engineering Consultants, has worked on more than a dozen breweries and taprooms in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. His team's expertise has helped Jailbreak, Oliver, Black Flag, Silver Branch, Guinness, Heavy Seas and many more.

We talk to Brian about the particular challenges of engineering brewery and taproom spaces and hear some of his stories about the interesting situ...

The Brew Daddies speak with Bryan Van Den Oever and Simon Bee about the brewpub they're opening in NOMA DC, Red Bear Brewing Company.

We don't usually feature brewpubs on the show, but Red Bear has had an interesting path to brewing in DC and, with a historic location in a rapidly growing neighborhood, we thought it would be fun to highlight this coming-soon neighborhood gem during DC Beer Week.

Notice: Richard's mic malf...

We were both traveling so we each visited a brewery. What a surprise.

Adam went to Sigma Brewing Company in Houston, Texas, a brewery that likes heavy metal music, comedy wrestling, and has Adam's favorite beer transportation, Crowlers.

Richard spent some time at Full Steam Brewery in Durham, North Carolina, which has a mission to celebrate the farm and food traditions of the South.

We hope you have a chance to visit one of these g...

Dragon Hops Brewing Company is a brand-new brewery in the boozy town of Purcellville, Virginia — home to breweries, distilleries, and wineries galore.

Adam and Richard spent an afternoon with owner James Horris learning how local hop farm Dragon Hops expanded their business into a brewery and talking to head brewer Mitch Pilchuk about his dedication to traditional brewing styles.

Dragon Hops Brewing has a big spacious t...

If you've ever thought about opening a brewery, listen up! Richard returns to Silver Branch Brewery to talk to Christian Layke and Brett Robison as they prepare to begin the build-out of their brewing facility and taproom in Silver Spring.

Christian and Brett talk about the anxieties and thrills as they enter the final stage before opening, and explain their priorities for being a community gathering place. You can be a part o...

The Brew Daddies return to Hellbender Brewing Company in Washington, D.C. A neighborhood favorite, Hellbender has a comfortable game-filled taproom and a well-rounded selection of brews.

Co-owner and head brewer Ben Evans shares some of his challenges scaling up canning operations and gives us a preview of some of their summer plans, including experiments with 15 strains of Norwegian farmhouse ale yeast. We can't wait to try them o...

Right Proper Brewing Company in Washington, D.C., is a yeast-forward brewery with a full-service brewpub restaurant in D.C.'s Shaw neighborhood and a production facility and taproom in Brookland. 

Adam and Richard visited the Brookland taproom, a cozy neighborhood place with a fantastic (and shocking) wraparound mural inside. They serve flights, glasses or growlers to go, and a few pre-packaged snacks. If you want re...

Waredaca Brewing Company in Laytonsville, Maryland, is Montgomery County's first farm brewery. For much of the 20th Century, Waredaca was a camp for area youth (WAshington REcreational DAy CAmp), and today is a working equestrian farm. 

This brewery has a cozy tap room with a huge outdoor beer garden and yard, perfect for a family day trip or a romantic outing. They have a great ...

Peabody Heights Brewery in Baltimore, Maryland, was the first brewery to open in Baltimore in 35 years. Started as a contract brewery, they now have a great selection of standard and unique brews of their own as well.

This brewery has a very inviting tap room with three completely different spaces plus a beer garden in Spring and Summer. Perfect for families, couples, and singles, the combination of great beer, fun space, and ...

In this special episode of Brew Daddies, Richard talks to Christian Layke and Brett Robison of Silver Branch Brewery, a brand new brewery based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Just days before this recording, Silver Branch signed the lease on space for their production facility, taproom, and beer garden, and they plan to open in the Fall of 2018. (They're already releasing collaborations with other breweries!)

Christian and Brett talk ...

In the very first LIVE episode of Brew Daddies, Adam and Richard visit Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Maryland. The 28th largest craft brewer in the USA, Flying Dog has been innovating the craft beer industry for more than 20 years. Their brewery and taproom offer incomparable hospitality to beer lovers from around the world.

The Brew Daddies speak with pilot brewer Todd Kelly about Flying Dog's extremely experimental styles, inc...

Jailbreak Brewing Company in Laurel, Maryland has been forward-thinking since the founders quit their successful tech companies to build something they love. With a beautiful taproom expanding to a full-service restaurant and 15 beers on tap at any time, this family-friendly pub should be a top destination for anyone living in or visiting the DC/Baltimore area.

Brewmaster Ryan Harvey, a 20-yr brewing veteran, tells the Brew Daddies...

In this "Site Unseen" episode Adam and Richard sample Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, Connecticut. They introduce you to the 7-days-a-week taproom and taste the Workers Comp Saison Farmhouse Ale, No Limits Hefeweizen, a specialty hop release, and the Road 2 Ruin Double IPA. With a great selection of 3- and 4-stein beers, Two Roads Brewing is high on the Brew Daddies list of places to go...

Manor Hill Brewing in Ellicott City, Maryland, produces hop-forward IPAs as well as other popular varieties. As a "farm brewery", Manor Hill has some interesting characteristics, including growing their own hops and sourcing their ingredients locally. Their reservations-required taproom has a 50-person limit, creating an intimate environment with little or no wait to be served.

Find them at http://manorhill...

In another "Site Unseen" episode, featuring breweries we haven't visited (yet), Adam and Richard sample Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Southern California. They try the Union Jack IPA, the Easy Jack IPA, the Luponic Distortion (Evolution 008), and the Pale 31 California Pale Ale. With three taprooms, Firestone Walker is a must-visit brewery for anyone in (or visiting) the Los Angeles area. This episode is also a lesson in chec...