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.