compiled by Sylvia Blair
Wineries
Old Westminster Winery
Photo by Walter P. Calahan
Galloping Goose Vineyards and Winery
4326 Maple Grove Road, Hampstead, www.gallopinggoosevineyards.com
A family farm operation since 1970, producing hay, lambs, and of course, wine grapes. Wine is produced and aged on site. Guests are greeted by a private country setting with pastures and encouraged to relax in the pavilion, under a tree or at the vineyard’s edge. All wines are estate wines. Dry reds are the mainstay. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and red blends are barrel-aged. Visit the website to learn about Special Events and activities.
Hours: Saturdays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments for seating times are required.
Serpent Ridge Vineyard
2962 Nicodemus Road, Westminster, www.serpentridge.com
Serpent Ridge Vineyard was planted in 2004, had its first production in 2007, and opened its tasting room doors in 2009. They specialize in small lots of handmade wine from grapes grown in their vineyard, from select Maryland vineyards, and from other carefully chosen sites. There are tables with umbrellas, a covered porch, and a tent in the picnic area that was put up during the pandemic for additional covered seating. The wine is sold at a cozy tasting room. Each vintage is grown and/or vinified in small lots, followed by gentle aging in stainless steel or in flex tanks using French or traditional oak.
Events and activities: As the pandemic protocols allow, scheduled events will continue and new events will be added. On the first and second Saturdays of the month, enjoy live acoustic music performances and food trucks from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Other events include yoga in the vineyard, Sunday sunset slushes paired with wine, cigar and BBQ nights, cupcake pairings, paint nights and more.
Hours: Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from noon to 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Old Westminster Winery
1550 Old Westminster Road, www.oldwestminster.com
Nestled in Carroll County’s rolling countryside, Old Westminster Winery has made itself a destination for good wine, tasty food and local shopping. The winery serves Maryland-grown wines by the bottle and glass and a variety of current seasonal wines rotate frequently. A variety of food offerings and glass and bottle service are only available through table service. The Can Stand offers refreshments and picnic blankets for those waiting for a table to be ready.
Special Events and activities: Live music, a full menu of wood-fired pizza and other treats prepared by a James Beard Award-nominated chef and Sunday farmers’ markets from May through October. Check the website for updated events information.
Hours: Friday noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday noon to 8 p.m.; and Sunday noon to 6 p.m.
Breweries
Johanssons Dining & Brew House
Photo by Phil Grout
1623 Brewing Company
5975 Exchange Drive, Suite H-L, Eldersburg, www.1623brewing.com
With the biggest brewing facility in Carroll County, 1623 Brewing Company is a family-owned business with the brewer living in Colorado (1,623 miles away) and his cousin, an Eldersburg resident, managing day-to-day operations. They pride themselves in crafting high-quality beer with deep-rooted continental connections. The facility offers a large, airy indoor area as well as outdoor seating areas and carryout options.
Special Events and activities: Food trucks are on site on select days and live music is often offered on the weekends. Other events include trivia and music bingo nights. Check the website for scheduled events.
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Brewery Fire
4337 Old Taneytown Road, Suite B., www.breweryfire.com
Brewery Fire is a three-barrel nano brewery, meaning they produce roughly 100 gallons of beer per batch. They offer indoor and outdoor seating as well as carryout. The owners say the theme is “nerdy” with flares of things they love, including video games, heavy metal music, science fiction movies, comedy, and ’80s pop culture.
Events and activities: Every weekend, the brewery has different food trucks on-site. Visitors can enjoy music and monthly fundraisers, and get food next door at Thunderhead Bowl. Check the website for an event schedule.
Hours: Taproom and beer garden hours are Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m.; and Sundays from noon to 7 p.m.
Flood Zone Marketplace & Brewery
50 N. Main St., Union Bridge, www.floodzonebrewery.com
The Flood Zone Marketplace & Brewery offers a variety of craft beer, hard seltzer, and wine. It includes a heated patio, featuring a wood-burning fireplace, firepits, and a large heated beer garden with live bands every weekend. The Marketplace offers fresh, local produce, groceries and crafts as well as the Food Spot, serving flat bread pizzas (including gluten-free options), wings, nachos and great food specials every weekend. The brewery has nine to 12 beers on draft to suit every type of craft beer drinker, including two nitro taps. It also offers hard seltzer and wine.
Events and activities: Live music is held every weekend for three to four days, wrapping around the weekend. A taco bar is being added. Check the website for an events schedule.
Hours: Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 9 p.m.; and Sundays from noon to 7 p.m.
Johanssons Dining and Brew House
4 W. Main St., Westminster, www.johanssonsdininghouse.com
Johanssons Dining and Brew House has 32 taps with six house brews. Reservations are strongly suggested every day because of required spacing limits. Johanssons is also a seafood and steak house, offering a Neapolitan-style wood-fired brick oven in a spacious bar area that features TVs and casual seating areas.
Events and activities: Live music offered occasionally. The new Johanssons Garden, an outside dining area and beer garden, is also in the works. Check the website for events and the status of the beer garden.
Hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, Johanssons is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. for food service and the bar stays open according to demand, but no later than 1 a.m.
Pipe the Side Brewing
721 Hanover Pike, Suite 1447, Hampstead, www.pipethesidebrewingcompany.com
Pipe the Side Brewing offers a taproom with a seating area and limited outdoor seating. The brewery produces small-batch craft beer and cider, in addition to carefully selected products such as soap and candles made in partnership with local small businesses. The space is eclectic and welcoming, and the draft list changes frequently. There is a rotation of classic styles and beers that sometimes push the expectations of what customers may think craft beer can be, offering a unique and different experience.
Events and activities: A collection of vinyl and a record player on site offers up a variety of music choices, and themed vinyl nights add to the fun. Check the website for scheduled events and activities.
Hours: Fridays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m.; and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
Pub Dog Brewing Company
1203 New Windsor Road, Westminster, www.pubdog.com
The Pub Dog Brewing Company is a commercial brewery that produces beer, hard seltzer, and ciders for sale at three Pub Dog locations and on contract for other breweries. The Westminster location is a full-service pub that features draft beer products plus pizza, wine, liquor, and non-alcoholic beverages. Ninety percent of the products that the brewery makes are beer and about 90 percent of that is also sold on draft at one of the locations. The full-service pub and full bar are available to diners, non-beer drinkers and non-drinkers.
Events and activities: There is a large outdoor beer garden, and leashed dogs are welcome in the outdoor area. Check the website for scheduled events.
Hours: The pub is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m.
Ruhlman Brewery, LLC
2300 Harvey Gummel Road, Hampstead, www.ourales.com
Ruhlman Brewery opened in the summer of 2012 and was the first brewery on a working farm in Maryland. Ruhlman sits on 35 acres with a half-acre fishing pond and a 24-hole disc golf course. The brewery operation consists of a brewery building that contains a ten-barrel brewhouse, two fermenters, tanks and bottling equipment. Currently, the brewery offers seven styles of beer that range from a hopped-up light beer, lager, red ale, imperial stout, milk stout and more. Beer is available by the glass for onsite consumption and carryout growlers, bottles and kegs are offered.
Events and activities: The brewery has a large pavilion with a stage and picnic tables for parties, and large events. It is family- and pet-friendly. Check the website for scheduled events.
Hours: Seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with closing at 10 p.m. for special events.
Distilleries
Miscellaneous
Distillery
Photo by Phil Grout
Patapsco Distilling Company
7609 Main St., Sykesville, www.PatapscoDistilling.com
Patapsco produces vodka, limoncello, nocino, gin, rye and bourbon from Maryland-grown grains. Located on Main Street in Sykesville, the distillery offers a tasting room on-site that serves up seasonal cordials and cocktails including treats like a Blood Orange Creamsicle Martini, an Arctic Mule, or a Blueberry Lavender Spritzer.
Hours: Thursday 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday noon to 9 p.m.; Saturday noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Check the website for updated hours and events.
Miscellaneous Distillery
114 S. Main St., B103, Mount Airy, www.miscdistillery.com
Miscellaneous Distillery is a 2,500-square-foot facility in downtown Mount Airy. The distillery produces 10 award-winning spirits and offers rums, whiskies, bourbon, gin and vodka. The rums, gin, and vodka are made from blackstrap molasses and dark brown sugar from Domino Sugar in Baltimore. The grain for the bourbon and whiskies (rye and corn) are grown here in Carroll County at Hickory Hollow Farms. The distillery has a commitment to creating high-quality spirits using local ingredients.
Hours: Saturday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., check the website for other hours and events.
