Category Archives: United States Brewpubs

APOTHECARY BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

CLAYMONT, DELAWARE

At the Town And Country Shopping Center in Claymont (just outside Wilmington), APOTHECARY BREWING COMPANY took over Hangman Brewery’s former space October 2025. Long time homebrewers John Ponte and Andy Poole craft well rounded fare for the community-focused pub that hosts local talent at its small stage and features an art gallery.

In a mustard yellow side shop, the rustic white-walled, cement-floored, brown aluminum-ceilinged mill opens up to a bark-laden bar with three draught boards (offering 20-plus taps). There are several chaired tables and TV’s at all sides.

During a bustling chili cookoff on a Sunday in February ’26, my wife and I stand at the bar and try four fine draughts amongst the standing room only crowd. We missed out on caramelized Greazed Scotsman Scottish Ale, juicy-fruited In Between Haze IPA, citric Philadelphia Pike Pale Ale and Arch-Bier Amber Ale. Ciders and meads were also available.

Crisply clean pale-cleared flagship, Claymont Cream Ale, placed corn-sugared sweet beading across grassy hop astringency and herbal whims.

Soft-toned, flattish Cupid’s Arrow Blonde Ale stayed mild as tart passionfruit and hibiscus adjuncts picked up floral-daubed kuzu lemon, mandarin orange and tangerine snips.

On the dark side were two robustly full bodied enchanters.

Dry medium-roast coffee nuttiness consumed The Queen Is Dead English Porter, leaving dark chocolate bittering on its wood-burnt hop char.

On the sweet side, Stone School Stout, an Apothecary staple, combined caramelized nuttiness with roasted chocolate, creamy vanilla and milk-sugared coffee tones.

SINEPUXENT BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

BERLIN, MARYLAND

On a rustic farm inside an old wooden-floored barnhouse, Berlin’s unapologetically rural SINEPUXENT BREWING COMPANY came to life in 2020. A certified Maryland farmhouse brewery one mile southwest of Burley Oak Brewing, Sinepuxent’s expansive agrarian territory includes picnic-tabled side deck, planted fruits, hop vines and goats plus a glimmering side-walled blue tile mosaic.

The smallish cabinesque interior features a bark-fronted wood top bar with a few four-seaters and wood-tabled aluminum chairs. Endless beer stickers line the walls and olden wood beams. A centralized refrigerator contains beers-to-go while flatbread pizzas and snacks prove pub-worthy.

Head brewer Matt Kansak joined me and the wife buried eight dandy suds on a windy Thursday afternoon, February ’26.

Placing dark-spiced lemony grapefruit tanginess across musky grain-husked rye breading, Rye-PA Pale Ale picked up a mild herbal nip at the citric-laced finish.

Lightly sea-salted oyster shells gave Werster Erster Saison its buttery umami frontage before strawberry rhubarb tartness, Chardonnay buttering, banana bubblegum and sweet orange peel gathered at its dry peppery barnyard base.

Abbey-styled Belgian Dubbel retained caramelized dry rum spicing as subtle pear, banana and vanilla illusions slowly emerged.

Candied strawberry powdering sweetened almond and coconut toasted macaron knockoff, Strawberry Macaron with Almond IPA, a berry-fortified IPA offshoot with stylish piney grapefruit bittering and orange peel zesting merely backdrop.

Wintry cinnamon-toasted nutmeg, allspice and clove saddled Disgourd Pumpkin Ale, tucking bourbon vanilla inside its pumpkin-spiced finish.

Disguising its pumpkin pie spicing with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Barrel-Aged Disgourd Pumpkin Ale sunk earthen gourd into mild orange oiling and oaken vanilla at the dewy peated whiskey base.

English-styled Pony Kick Porter let roasted Costa Rican and Peruvian coffee sway dark chocolate, espresso, vanilla, coconut and coffee cake subsidies.

Brown chocolate-spiced bourbon molasses saturated exquisite Barleywine, leaving butternut, chestnut and almond flirtations on its sweet mocha-induced spirits.

BERLIN BEER COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

BERLIN, MARYLAND

At a renovated freight train station and feed store in a historic Delmarva downtown, BERLIN BEER COMPANY opened September ’24 (one mile down the road from Burley Brewing). A homebrewer since 2013, owner Adam Davis mans the windowed brew tanks at this rustic aluminum Industrial shed.

There’s a hanging silo and green Berlin Beer Company sign welcoming patrons to the daintily warm and elegant hearth-walled pub. Inside, olden wood beams, original wood floors, Edison-lighted chandelier, barn doors and the oak top bar get displayed below the slanted ceiling. Four-seat tables surrounded the U-shaped bar (with central tap station and a few TV’s). A 50-seat dining room, patioed biergarden and wood porch add further seating.

“Elevated street food” got served alongside five well rounded home brews on my late February ’26 venture.

Spritzy lemon fizz tickled the nose for herbal Saphir-hopped light lager, Lawn Chair, a crisply sessionable pilsner-malted opener.

Flagship New England IPA, Green Suede Shoes, let salty lemony grapefruit and lightly embittered orange rind reach mild oats base in brisk Citra-Mosaic double dry-hopped setting.

A stronger 9.4% ABV NEIPA, Berlin Fog, caressed lemony grapefruit, pineapple and orange rind bittering with pungent pine bluster over creamy vanilla-sugared oated wheat base, gaining fruited vodka, dry rum and candied peach whims.

Brown-sugared peach puree anchored cinnamon-sweetened fruited sour, Ad Libs Peach Cobbler Cinnamon Toast, leaving Fruity Pebbles, limey pina colada and zesty marinade illusions on the tartly tangy peach frontage.

On the dark side, syrupy black chocolate and dark coffee resin swiped nut-charred Forgotten Porter, picking up thin pudding skin crusting.

FIN CITY BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND

Originally operating inside Hooper’s Crab House, FIN CITY BREWING COMPANY moved within walking distance to West Ocean Beach’s Westside Square Plaza, May 2024. Crafting a decent variety of mostly straightforward small-batch fare, the small taproom celebrates Ocean City’s fishing heritage while faring well as a local sportsbar.

A blue-tiled oak top bar (with ten stools and twelve draughts) captures the eye with its simple elegance. Small wood tables, cornered TV’s, exposed pipes and aluminum-ceilinged hanging lights furnish the barroom. A rear nano setup contains the liquid suds. I grabbed a pint o’ pilsner and a mug of stout on my three-day Ocean City venture.

I took home several Fin City canned brews (reviewed in Beer Index) before heading out at nightfall on a Friday in late February ’26.

Honeyed cereal grain sweetness welcomed delicate German pilsner, Pure Lure, letting sugar cookie and lemon cookie confections reach lightly spiced hop pep.

Semi-rich dessert stout, German Chocolate Cake, placed confectionery coconut-pecan frosting inside brown-sugared dark chocolate fudging, picking up black cherry nuances.

CHESAPEAKE & MAINE

United States Brewpubs,

REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE

Completing a Rehoboth Beach expansion beyond its brewpub two doors down, Dogfish Head also operates a proprietary beer and liquor store plus a nautical-themed seafood and suds tavern named CHESAPEAKE & MAINE since 2016. Inside a shipping vessel-like engine room serving Dogfish Head beer, scratch-made spirits and cocktails alongside fine seafood, C&M features an exquisite white marble top bar with beautiful aquamarine columns, gleaming white tile and engineered wood floors.

A raw bar at the entrance and a small banquet room in the back sidle several two and four seat tables – a few by the window. Thirsty landlubbers will enjoy the 20 central draught selections and sports lovers will enjoy the televised competition.

I enjoyed seared rockfish for dinner while consuming five previously untried Dogfish elixirs.

Corn-sugared sweetness contrasted salty lemon-fizzed souring of dry kolsch, Eddy & Maud, picking up mild perfumed herbage atop its white bread base.

Classic summertime pale ale, Still Pale After Summer, let mild lemony grapefruit and orange rind bittering gain light pining (and peachy guava-mango wisps) atop sugary cereal malts.

Classic American IPA, No Time For Sippin’, forwarded sweet orange peel zesting and candy-glazed tangerine, mango, passionfruit and peach tanginess to piney hop dryness over caramelized wheat.

Meanwhile, double dry-hopped IPA, Setlist Shuffle, left piney citrus expectancy in the dust as tart blueberry, passionfruit and redcurrant seeped thru delicate caramelized wheated oats creaming.

On the dark side, nutty dark chocolate and coffee paraded thru oak-aged porter, Cannon Aid, leaving subtle burgundy, black cherry and bitter vanilla extract illusions to fend its ashen hop char.

OCEAN VIEW BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

OCEAN VIEW, DELAWARE

Opened St. Patrick’s Day 2021 in a charmingly mod tan-shingled station (with decorative white silo), OCEAN VIEW BREWING COMPANY is an extension of Rehoboth’s Thompson Island Brewing. Head brewer Jimmy Valm, Thompson Island’s guiding light, assumed control at the start, building a new lineup of rounded beers good enough to satisfy your soul.

Featuring a white-walled and wood paneled interior with decorative antique window frames, Ocean View’s taproom has several tiled draughts lining the bar wall and an open kitchen boasting coastal comfort foods. Several sylvan booths and tables (with leather backing) fill out the main space while a cozy hearth-warmed backroom and small benched front deck provide further seating.

Offering seafood specials, fried chicken, cocktails and wine alongside a dozen well-rounded house brews, spiked lemonade, shandy’s and sodas, Ocean View covers the bases well. During late February ’26, watched Olympics on a cold Friday at noon while downing all brews on the board except Historic Village Hazy IPA and Sunset Shift West Coast IPA.

Ocean View’s most popular beer, Little Bay Lite Lager, bests most ‘delicate’ lo-cal fare as dry lemon spritz coasts thru sweet Easter breading for a crisply clean beige-cleared lightweight.

The second favorite amongst locals, Got Waves Kolsch, contrasted hay-like maize acridity against sugary corn malts as zesty lemon fizz sparkled in the breeze.

Standard American lager, Squad 90, put spicy citrus fizz atop thin pale-malted wheat cracker neutrality.

Sweet orange-peeled coriander and clove spicing spread thru Where The Waves Break Witbier, leaving rummy sugaring upon herbal cilantro, perfumed flowers, tangy marmalade and tart lemon meringue.

Tartly fruited kettle sour, Bliss Raspberry, laced sour-candied raspberry powder with mild lemon-limed acidity, buttery Chardonnay wining and sinister blueberry-boysenberry tease.

Zesty grapefruit jumps out front for tropical NEIPA, Ocean View, a vibrant citric blast with juicy mango, peach and passionfruit gaining lacquered pine at the oats base.

Lemony orange and tangerine tanginess soaked up the honeyed malts bottoming boozy (8% ABV) Double IPA, Asking For A Friend, scurrying ‘candy peach rings,’ dried apricot and yellow plum illusions.

Slightly smoked peat malts scoured the cocoa powdered midst of Dark Rift Roggenbier, a German-styled rye beer with oaken vanilla, sour prune and dried cherry snips.

It’s difficult to get the right nuances for a German rauchbier, but Burning Down The Haus comes damn close, leaving stylish wafting Band-aid astringency and peat charred dewiness on cherrywood-smoked briny pastrami, smoked salami and cured meat ensemble.

The nitro version of lactic milk stout, Cosmic Cow, let vanilla coffee, spiced brown chocolate and Black Cow whims infiltrate the soft eclair surface.

THE ANSWER

United States Brewpubs,

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Maybe my favorite brewpub along the Virginia Beach-Fayatetteville-Savannah-Hilton Head-Richmond post-Christmas Southern state journey, THE ANSWER opened 2014 in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition area on West Broad. Featuring an astounding 56 tap lines, the interactive community pub is the brainchild of Vietnamese restaurant entrepreneur An Bui, whose love for Belgian brews and IPA’s got the ball rolling.

Inside a long-windowed, overhead-doored professional Industrial building with extra seating at the enclosed cement-floored Adirondack-chaired covered deck, The Answer also has a game room for family entertainment. A block wood top bar matches the plank wood floor and the right side lounge (with three TV’s) counters the community tabled spot across the bar.

Topnotch outside brews by Oxbow, Perennial, Side Project and more join the 30-plus Answer fare. Highlighted this cold January ’26 eve were a series of superb stouts.

Spritzy lemon fizz tickled lo-alcohol table beer, Little One, placing roasted corn husk across skunky hop musk and light grassy astringency.

Mild straw clear Japanese lager, Kurisupiboi, retained dry lemony herbal hop musk for its sweet rice adjunct and crusty barley roast.

Brisk India Pale Lager, Hushed Casket, let crisp citrus spicing and sticky pine graze sweet vanilla-daubed oated wheat, leaving Simcoe/Riwaka-hopped grapefruit rind, orange pith and lemon pit bittering on its dry finish.

Mellow beige-yellowed Citra-hopped Imperial IPA, Unfamiliar Sheep, stayed bright ‘n lively as lemony yellow grapefruit bittering softly settled alongside milder mandarin orange, clementine and tangelo tanginess.

Thickly creamed Smoothie-like fruited sour, Quadrupel Mother Of Berries, embraced yogurt-milked boysenberry, loganberry, blackberry and raspberry tartness as slight orange concentrate bittering anchored this melted popsicle alternative.

As for the sturdy stouts, bold Answer variant, King Kahuna with Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, spread sweet coffee alongside toasted coconut, glazed hazelnut, toasted almond and macadamia atop black chocolate malting.

Treacly Christmastime Imperial Stout, Tis The Season, draped Vermont maple syrup upon Saigon cinnamon and Tahitian vanilla atop dark chocolate as black peppered Chai tea pungency and ancho chili heat ascended.

“Decadent” Imperial Stout, Colonel Angus, an Oreo cookie knockoff, soaked milk chocolate sweetness into whipped cake battered vanilla creaming, picking up creme brulee, caramel pudding and floured dough illusions.

Bourbon-aged stout, Swiss Chocolate Macaroon, swept bourbon chocolate sweetness inside biscotti, almondine, creme brulee, shredded coconut and cocoa butter tenacity.

BINGO BEER COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

After some late afternoon big brews up the road a few miles at The Answer, stopped by BINGO BEER COMPANY for a little easygoing dinnertime fare during early January ’26. Opening for business in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition neighborhood during November 2018, Bingo’s family friendly games make it one of the city’s best entertainment options.

An epoxy cement-floored sportsbar/ arcade/ brewpub, the pale blue-walled interior features multiple tap handles on two draught boards. A lager-focused brewery specializing in Detroit-style pizza, Bingo spreads metal-stooled yellow wood tables across the spacious expanse. A dining space and game area fill out the space and an open kitchen exists.

Dry-hopped Italian-styled pilsner, Old Maps, seeped mild Noble-hopped floral spicing into honeyed cereal graining.

Off-dry Mexican amber lager, Costa Chica, a Vienna-malted retained a maize-dried corn tortilla crust for its tingly lemon spurt.

Equally crisp hazy golden German-styled moderation, Bingo Lager, stayed dry, bringing mild floral citrus spicing to ricey toasted oats, picking up latent cherry kirsch and tangerine snips.

Soft-toned Hefeweizen lacked creamy vanilla backing for its banana-clove sweetness, lemon custard tartness and mandarin orange snips, but its powder sugared wheat base held up.

On the dark side, “smooth” cocoa-dried fruticake nuttiness and cold-brewed coffee tones serenaded Black Lager, leaving Brazil nut, hazelnut and walnut upon the dewy carafa malt bottom.

LOCAL LEGEND BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA

At the south end of beach resort-lined Hilton Head Island, LOCAL LEGEND BREWING COMPANY promises High Times at Lowcountry. Opened at a vacant Industrial hardware warehouse March ’25 by Asheville-based restauranteur Alan Wolf, whose conceptual plan, culinary intrigue and ‘dynamic beer culture’ stem from his North Carolina days, the spacious sporstbar includes an Adirondack-chaired biergarten.

Designed for interactive family-friendly activities as well as midrange beer consumption, Local Legend’s right side games keep kids busy while parents gobble and quaff.

Inside a grey warehouse, the cement-floored, wood-tabled interior features a unique 40 bucket-seated bar with twelve draughts, multi-TV’s, exposed pipes, sporty back wall mural and glassy overhead doors.

Flagship off-dry blonde lager, Bombshell, let spritzy lemon and fizzy mandarin orange tickle mild floral spicing over delicate pale malt sugaring.

Nearly as easygoing, well-balanced witbier, Great White Ale, put slim orange-peeled coriander sweetness alongside golden wheat graining.

Brisk orange-peeled grapefruit bittering reached the mild pine tones of King Tide, a moderate-bodied New England IPA in need of stylish oated creaming (instead of commonplace dry pale malting).

Black-peppered chai spicing spotted cinnamon, cardamom and ginger sugaring for Chai Brown Ale, leaving menthol peppermint zesting on its vanilla-daubed mocha midst.

Eagle Rare bourbon-barreled Honey Horn Maibock soaked orange blossom honey into oaken whiskey, peaty Scotch and dry rum spirits.

Wintry Belgian golden strong ale, Holiday Ale ’25, a spicy herbal Christmastime celebrator, allowed rummy brown-sugared cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to penetrate candied orange, glazed hazelnut, fig, date and dried cherry subtleties.

LINCOLN & SOUTH BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA

Going up the road from Hilton Head’s Midland Beach in a secluded Industrial area, LINCOLN & SOUTH BREWING COMPANY came to fruition in August 2021. A family-friendly joint in an aluminum warehouse with beautifully designed sunny day mural and white silo, the overhead-doored pub also boasts a wide open biergarten. The six-seat wood and metal bar services a few small block wood tables in a rustic wood paneled environment.

Brightening Lincoln & South’s interior is a colorful lake-meadow wall painting. A staging area in the rear contains the large aluminum brew tanks. There were charcuterie board cheeses, burgers and sandwiches for munching. Guest taps joined nine homemade L & S draughts my wife and I downed New Year’s Day 2026.

Musically sharp bartender, Christian, played cool tunes, putting on an obscure album by Curtis Knight & the Squires featuring Jimi Hendrix while I imbibed the last few India Pale Ales.

Corn-dried oats sugaring speckled the peaty Scotch licks of German-styled light body, Beach City Pilsner, an easygoing opener.

Spritzy citrus sunshine lathered Golden Hair Summer Ale, an off-dry moderation with light herbal spicing peppering sweet cara-pils malting.

A fine collaboration with Palmetto Brewing, sweet pilsner malt breading grazed lightly spiced lemony herbage of Palmetto Kolsch, a soft-toned moderation.

Crisp tobacco-roasted peat moss surfaced for sweet amber grained The Bog Red Ale, gaining honeyed brown tea spot (and spiced herbal respite).

Soft-toned New England IPA, Afterglow, placed sunny orange-peeled grapefruit tanginess across mild pine lacquer atop vanilla-daubed oated wheat creaming.

Flagship NEIPA, Hearts & Arrows, retained a dry Citra-hopped tropicalia as yellow grapefruit and orange rind bittering joined salty pineapple-mango tanginess before leaving a piney tingle.

Yet another NEIPA, 8% ABV Ales For A.L.S. brought juicy floral-spiced tropicalia to the fore as tangy orange-peeled yellow grapefruit, peach, pineapple and peach pleasantries caressed sugary wheated oats.

On the dark side, mossy nuttiness consumed dark chocolate bitterness for Ace Of Spades Black Lager, forwarding hop-charred cola, macadamia and Brazil nut illusions in a brisk clean water setting.

Dry debittered black malts contrasted maple molasses syruping sweetening up Ditch Gator Oatmeal Stout, tossing in black grape, dry burgundy and fruitcake notions above the dark chocolate base.

TWO TIDES BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

Occupying a historic Victorian edifice on a residential side street, TWO TIDES BREWING COMPANY opened its doors March 2018 in Savannah’s Starland District. Owner-operators Liz and James Massey produce small-batch beers, focusing on, but not limited to, fruited sours and IPA’s, at the pubs first floor brewroom.

A snazzily homey cottage-like retreat, Two Tide’s pale green-walled second floor includes a cozy community-tabled main cafe (with white tile-fronted wood top bar), olden wood floors, an antique hearth plus three furnished parlor rooms and the back balcony where my wife and I quaffed five homemade draughts (and took home five more reviewed in Beer Index) during our post-Xmas Southern jaunt. Homebrewed coffee also available.

Fizzy light lager, Drift, merged crisp cereal graining with underlying whiskey souring, dried maize astringency, mild hop herbage and cabbaged skunking.

Sessionable ‘house pale ale, Rhyming Numbers Vol. 16, tucked lemony grapefruit Citra hop dryness and resinous Chinook hop pining into grassy herbal astringency above caramelized pale malts.

Toasty Octoberfest, Charm Marzen, flanked Vienna malt dewiness with leafy hop oiling.

Tart Smoothie-like Mystic Sour caressed sweet carrot juicing with orange concentrate and salty mango adjuncts, picking up sweet vanilla creaming to counter the ongoing citric alkalinity.

Dark-roast coffee nuttiness inundated rich coffee stout, Forever Never, gaining dark chocolate, espresso and soymilk illusions.

DEBELLATION BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

A Norsemen Viking themed brewpub-sportsbar, DEBELLATION BREWING COMPANY is stationed at a tan corrugated steel Industrial building right off Route 95 just outside Savannah in the affluent coastal town of Richmond Hill.

Upon entering, the wood-floored main space features an L-shaped wood lacquered bar (with 20 draughts including outside ciders and meads) servicing block wood community tables, upper observation deck and fire-pitted back patioed pavilion. Two central chandeliers center the high-celinged wood paneled barn house interior and two TV’s sidle the beer menu above the tap handles.

Displaying its ancient Norse culture, Debellation’s Viking ship mural, walled deer antlers and stacked logs offer interestingly designed Medieval relics to the wood-decked pub.

Owner Dave Goodell’s easygoing fare had a definite European flare on my post-Christmas ’25 journey. I tried all homemade brews except Tree Nail Light Lager.

Well-realized, offbeat peculiarity, Spicy Garlic Pickle, a briny pickled garlic blonde ale, retained a sourly acidic vinegaring for its curious mustard seed, peppercorn and jalapeno subsidies.

An efficient lemony banana-clove onrush secured Mjolnirweizen Hefe, leaving sour apple, dried plantain and mild herbage on its sourdough bottom.

Tobacco-roasted cereal graining embossed Erik The Red Roggenbier, a German rye ale with dewy peat reaching mild pumpernickel-rye finish.

Toasted amber grains and roasted cigarette crisping led Fenair Red Irish Ale, picking up spicy red-orange fruiting and light maple sugaring.

Candy-glazed fruited pale ale, Frigg’s Cran Apple, let honey-spiced red apple sweetness flourish alongside tart cranberry saucing.

Mild juniper berry bittering teased the rye and pilsner malting guarding Finnish farmhouse ale, Berserker Viking Sahti, relegating light herbal spicing.

As for the one dark ale, nutty coffee roast inundated nitrogenated Naglfar Nitro Coffee Stout, placing lightly salted soy graining across dark-roast hops and debittered black malts.