Baltimore has long been a beer town, thanks to generations of German and other northern European immigrants who brought their brewing traditions with them when they settled here. Brewers moved into Canton and Highlandtown, establishing so many facilities that the neighborhood became known as Brewers Hill.
Baltimore’s first commercial brewery was established in 1748 and the bottle cap was invented here, revolutionizing how beer was sealed and carbonated. The American Can Company was instrumental in establishing the commercial canning of beer in the 1930s. And the National Brewing Company, founded in Highlandtown and known locally as Natty Boh, became a Baltimore symbol—its one-eyed sign, recently restored, still shining over Brewers Hill even though the brewery itself has closed. (More on that legacy, here.)
The region’s breweries have risen, fallen, and risen again, brewing impressive varieties of the sudsy sips and providing welcome third spaces for Baltimoreans to drink, eat, and gather with friends—and more often than not, dogs.
Here’s an updated list of more than a dozen places to grab a pint and some neighborly conversation in and around Baltimore City, just in time for Oktoberfest. For even more taprooms to explore throughout the state, check out our feature, “Ain’t the Beer Cold.”
Checkerspot Brewing Company
South Baltimore
A few convenient blocks away from Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium, Checkerspot is a neighborhood hangout started by a husband-and-wife team eight years ago. Judy Neff—a certified cicerone who holds a PhD in microbiology from Johns Hopkins—is the head brewer, and her husband, Rob, handles sales and distribution. Judy also helped found Baltimore Beer Babes, a craft beer association formed to bring more women into the industry.
Those serious credentials are evident in the beer, from the Juniperus IPA made with juniper berries and the Hillbilly Gold German pilsner—also used in the house Spaghett—to the Locally Delicious sour made with strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Checkerspot also often works with an actual beer historian, Catonsville-based Maureen O’Prey, who advises the brewery on historic beers that they reproduce on-site.
Dogs are welcome, as evidenced by the water bowls strategically placed around the huge industrial space, and there is a kitchen offering loaded hot dogs, pizzas, quesadillas, and sandwiches. Given its proximity to the stadiums, the taproom is a go-to for pre- and post-gaming, or watching from one of the many flat screens. And occasionally in the back room? Special evens like Baltimore’s revered Stoop Storytelling Series.
Diamondback Brewing Co.
Locust Point
When it joined the local beer scene near McHenry Row in 2016, Diamondback quickly became a favorite for city dwellers looking to down pints of the Green Machine house IPA and Locust Point lager, either in the sleek taproom or on the massive (dog-friendly) patio.
Throughout the years, the facility—which was started by three University of Maryland grads who experimented with home-brewing in their dorm—has grown to include its own Neapolitan pizza program and host countless community events. In 2024, the founders debuted a Baltimore County outpost in Timonium, which serves Aveley Farms coffee and pastries in addition to the pies and brews.
Guilford Hall Brewery
Station North
Because Guilford’s elaborate brewing system is from the Czech Republic, they brew two Czech-style beers, a lager and a pilsner, among myriad others. Beers rotate frequently, but there are always 10 on tap. The location is remarkable, originally constructed in 1898 to house the Crown Cork & Seal Company, which manufactured metal bottle caps. (We told you they were invented in Baltimore!)
These days, Guilford Hall, which opened in 2021, upholds the property’s legacy with a bar, taproom, and outdoor beer hall, in addition to the huge brewery operation. Nearly a city block long, with 20 stainless steel tanks, Guilford’s facility is a terrific addition to Baltimore’s modern brewery culture. There’s also an on-site restaurant (fish and chips, pierogies, German-style flatbreads) that offers plenty of food to soak up all the suds. And dogs are welcome, albeit only in the outside beer garden. Not to be missed are the occasional “Profs & Pints” nights, in which academics and experts give ad hoc talks about scholarly subjects as you drink.
Guinness Open Gate Brewery
Halethorpe
Large-scale production of Baltimore Blonde may have moved out of state, but the first modern Guinness brewery on U.S. soil is still churning out small-batch beer in its huge Halethorpe facility. Though the exterior presents more like an Amazon warehouse, inside the gates is a beer lover’s paradise—complete with an outdoor beer garden (dogs allowed) and a spacious interior that includes a gift shop, dining room, and what they call an “experimental brewery.” In other words, it’s kind of like a Guinness museum, documenting the Dublin fixture’s history dating back to 1759.
So you can brush up on Irish drinking lore while you down a pint or two of milk stout, extra stout, amber ale, IPAs, or salt-and-lime ale. To get the full experience, order from an impressive menu that includes Guinness brown bread and stout butter, London sausage rolls, bangers and mash, and, of course fish and chips.
Heavy Seas Beer
Halethorpe
Just up the road from the Guinness (take note if you’re doing a crawl), local trailblazer Heavy Seas—founded as Clipper City Brewing by Maryland craft beer champion Hugh Sisson in 1995—is the home of some of the region’s powerhouse beers, and a seemingly endless party. The taproom hosts trivia nights, yoga, open-mic nights, book fairs, even sourdough bread workshops, all happily accompanied by the famed Loose Cannon IPAs, plus pale ales, pumpkin beers, imperial stouts, witbiers, porters, lagers, and seasonal specials.
Can’t decide? Try a flight or pick up a six pack to-go. There’s a rotating schedule of food trucks parked outside and even a house dog, named Toothless, whose duties, according to the brewery’s well-followed Instagram feed, include “crumb cleanup, vibe regulation, and the occasional emotional support shift.”
M8 Beer
South Baltimore
Yet another brewpub in the South Baltimore Brewery District adjacent to the stadiums—with a handy parking lot across the street under Cal Ripken Way—M8 bills itself as an Australian brewpub, as the brewers use Australian hops and the original owners and staff were Australian. It has an excellent food menu, featuring fried pickle chips, salads, fish and chips, smashburgers, grilled haloumi sandwiches, and falafel burgers. The beer’s pretty good too, with witbiers, hefeweizens, blonde ales, IPAs, and various lagers. There are also seltzers, ciders, and NA options, plus a cocktail menu.
Open since 2023, the place has pool tables upstairs, plus some impressive events including rugby watch parties, plenty of Ravens football, and Murder Mystery Co. nights where diners solve crimes with dinner theater actors. An added bonus: On Fridays, teachers get 15 percent off with a valid school ID. The space is both kid- and dog-friendly, even offering a jar of biscuits to treat your furry friends.
Ministry of Brewing
Upper Fells Point
Open since 2020 in the former St. Michael the Archangel Catholic church in Upper Fells, Ministry of Brewing is not only one of Baltimore’s best examples of “adaptive reuse,” but a bonafide community hub. When preparing to open, partners and architects preserved much of the beautiful space, as well as much of the art. Now, it hosts almost daily events, including flea markets, trivia nights, life drawing, Tarot clubs, “Beer and Ballet,” and more, as well as food trucks in the back lot.
Meanwhile, nine vats stationed where the altar once was produce stellar beer—like the Berliner Weisse, oatmeal stout, hazy IPAs, Czech-style pilsner, American porter, Bavarian hefeweizen, German kolsch, and more. There are a dozen taps under the old stations of the cross, plus recycled wooden pews, the occasional pigeon in the rafters, and the historic organ still upstairs, albeit now silent. (No dogs, sadly.)
Mobtown Brewing Company
Brewers Hill
While Brewers Hill was once home to so many breweries—including the National and Gunther Brewing Companies—that the neighborhood was named for them, the only one left now is Mobtown. Named after Baltimore’s 18th-century moniker, Mobtown opened in 2019 in a former Westinghouse Electric Co. factory building. The industrial space still has open ceilings, a loading dock, and, near the taps, a massive crane hook. The brick walls now boast a huge octopus mural near all the steel tanks in the back, which brew an impressive list of beers.
Mobtown highlights everything from IPAs and lagers to sour ales, porters, and stouts. They also have cider, hard seltzer, and NA drinks to tip back while enjoying trivia nights, live music, Ping Pong, and local food trucks. Plus, look out for the cushy bed that’s home to Ernie, co-owner and brewer David Carpenter’s cat, who has been in residence at Mobtown since its opening. (Ernie is very tolerant, so dogs are welcome inside the taproom.)
Monument City Brewing Company
Highlandtown
At the intersection of East Baltimore and North Haven streets in Highlandtown, Monument City was founded by two brothers in 2013 after they initially brewed out of Peabody Heights. Four years later, Ken and Matt Praay opened their own taproom in a circa-1901 building that was once the Williamson Veneer Company. A huge brick and exposed beam space, Monument City brews not only its own beer, but, as of two years ago, it’s also a homebase for Dundalk’s Key Brewing Company. The joint collective is now known as Brewers’ Haven.
There’s a small stage for live music; a shelf loaded with board games; two dart boards in the back; and two flatscreens showing football, baseball and Premier League games. There are almost two dozen beers on offer, both on tap and in a cooler to take home. Among them are the flagship 51 Rye IPA made with rye grain, the fan-favorite Dundalk Calling West Coast IPA, and the Mexican Hot Chocolate barrel-aged stout, and a brown ale named after the owner’s German shepherd, Abbey. (Yes, dogs are welcome.) It’s also a great spot to curate flight with pilsners, sours, hazy IPAs, a Belgian-style blonde ale, a hefeweizen, and more. There’s no food made in-house, but food trucks routinely park outside, and, even better, the excellent Korean-American restaurant, Motte, is conveniently next door, with menus on Monument’s wooden tables.
Mystique Barrel Brewing and Lager House
Pigtown
When owner Tom Pagano took over this Washington Boulevard brewhouse in 2023, he already knew his way around. It was formerly the longtime home of Suspended Brewing, where he cut his teeth before he took the leap to open a spot of his own. As someone who is fascinated with the science behind the brewing process, Pagano specializes in mixed-fermentation options like the Quartet Saison—an aged sour made with four different yeasts and microbes.
For purists, there are three or four lagers always on tap, as well as house hard seltzers and NA sips. Eats on deck in the spacious taproom range from pierogies and pulled pork sandos to jumbo wings and a house Ruben. If you can’t decide which day to visit, consider a Sunday, when the recurring live jazz shows are a neighborhood favorite.
Nepenthe Brewing Co.
Hampden
Since early 2019, Nepenthe has occupied an inviting space with exposed brick, soaring ceilings, and dark woods off of Falls Road—just a block north of The Avenue. It’s a suitable aesthetic, especially, as in this case, the building was once a sports bar and meatpacking operation. Husband-and-wife co-owners Brian Arnold and Jill Antos have been leaders in the local beer scene since the days of Nepenthe Homebrew—their beer-making supply store that used to operate in nearby Woodberry—so they have plenty of expertise.
Utilizing a 10-barrel brew house with four fermenters and a taproom with 16 draft lines, the beers run the gamut from an American lager and a vanilla-coffee porter to three double IPAs, two sour ales, and a witbier, among others. As there’s a restaurant on-site (offering some of the best Korean cheesesteaks, tofu clubs, cheeseburgers, and frites with dipping sauces you’ll find anywhere around town), dogs are only allowed outside, but there’s plenty of sidewalk seating. Inside are three flatscreens showing sports and a full cocktail bar, as well as a rack of T-shirt merch.
Peabody Heights Brewery
Abell
This place is worth going to not only for the excellent beer and close-knit sense of community, but for the site’s history. The location was once the site of Old Oriole Park—previously home to the Federal League Baltimore Terrapins, the International League Orioles, and the Negro National League Baltimore Elite Giants. Peabody’s taproom now stands in the former left field, which somehow seems apt for a place devoted to brewing hazy IPAs, thermal oak-aged stout, Mr. Trash Wheel’s Lost Python Ale, and the namesake Old Oriole Park Bohemian Lager.
With a revolving schedule of visiting vendors and its own Korean-fusion food truck helmed by chef Anthony Lanasa (offering burgers, kimchi quesadillas, shrimp tempura, and bibimbap), there are a lot of options to help you wash down your suds. And given its reputation for hosting non-stop get-togethers (think: trivia nights, competitive karaoke, LGBTQ+ art markets, Baltimore Record Bazaars, and Baltimore Plant Swaps) it’s no wonder we recently gave Peabody a Best of Baltimore award for Best Community Events Space.
Pickett Brewing Company
South Baltimore
A proud member of the South Baltimore Brewery District since 2022, Pickett’s taproom features a dozen taps, as well as an open industrial space with pretty rugs, long wooden tables, comfy chairs, and a huge leather sofa. There’s also kombucha and NA beer available for the non-drinkers or those under 21. Among the beers might be a raspberry sour, a few high-ABV IPAs, a double oat brown ale, a lager, and a few pilsners, many of which are available to-go.
Dogs are welcome, if the resident BARCS working cat, Tuna, approves, as there’s no on-site restaurant, though there are snacks and the occasional food truck. If there’s no food truck, folks are welcome to bring their own eats. On Sunday afternoons, Pickett hosts local and regional bands in its famed Big Little Bluegrass Room, “for those of us who like our IPAs with live music.”
Union Craft Brewing
Medfield
Founded in Hampden in 2011—and now the anchor for Union Collective’s makerspace hub visible from I-83 in Medfield—Union is known for its Duckpin pale ale, Divine IPA, Zadie’s lager (an ode to co-owner Adam Benesch’s late grandfather Henry “Zadie” Benesch, who worked at the brewery until he passed away at the age of 101), and Steady Eddie IPA (named after Orioles legend Eddie Murray). As evidenced by the beer names, Union takes its Baltimore roots very seriously, so it’s no surprise they have pretty great merch, too.
Dog-friendly and frequently hosting SPCA events, sports watch parties, and big concerts, Union is a true neighborhood watering hole. While hanging out in the taproom, be sure to stop into the photobooth and grab some grub from the on-site restaurant, Carroll & Son Fine Foods, which serves items like blue catfish tacos, cheesesteaks, crab dip, and cheeseburgers that go great with beer.
Waverly Brewing Company
Woodberry
Open since 2015 in a former commercial equipment rental facility just off the JFX, Waverly Brewing Company is the opposite of most of the brewpubs on this list. It’s a deeply idiosyncratic spot that looks like something between your granny’s house and your dad’s garage—in the best way possible. Everywhere you look, you’ll find something like a life-sized cut-out of Cal Ripken, over-stuffed chairs, taxidermy heads on the wall, or Christmas lights. There’s a list of current beers scrawled on a chalkboard, a shelf full of big ceramic mugs belonging to regulars, and a jar of dog treats behind the bar.
Started by local musicians and artists, it’s now owned by brewer Roy Fisher, who began home-brewing when he was 13, and Melissa Yukna, a mother of four who is often behind the bar. There is no trivia, no karaoke, no live music, no booze, wine, or food—though Blue Pit BBQ & Whiskey Bar is conveniently around the corner. But they do host the Baltimore Honky Tonk country-western dance parties, as well as occasional weddings, neighborhood potlucks, even a funeral once. “The only way this makes sense is for us is to play small-ball,” says Yukna one evening, as a small group of folks—including a woman knitting a hat—order pints.
Wet City
Mt. Vernon
The name of this Mt. Vernon microbrewery is a nod to Maryland’s resistance to Prohibition—it was the only state in the union that refused to pass laws to reinforce it—which seems particularly fitting when you pull up a seat at the blonde-wood bar and take in the long row of taps and shelves of booze.
The welcoming neighborhood joint just celebrated a decade in business, brewing hazy IPAs, amber lagers, American stouts, fruited sours, and bourbon-barrel-aged marzens. They also brew signature beers for local businesses like Fadensonnen, Royal Blue, Snake Hill, and Mera Kitchen Collective. It’s all perfectly paired with the food menu, featuring items like fried pickles, kimchi tots, pimento-cheese chicken sandwiches, and ancho double smashburgers. Add all-night happy hours and food specials (wing nights, Taco Tuesdays, Whiskey Wednesdays)—plus a vinyl station in the back with two turntables and shelves of records—and you’ll forgive them for not allowing dogs.
Others worth the drive: BC Brewery, Big Truck Farm Brewery, Farmacy Brewing, Inverness Brewing, and more here.