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Nothing earth shattering, but I just saw fresh Jai Alai on the shelf in Severna Park. Did I miss a distribution announcement from Cigar City?

Yeah it sort of came out of nowhere. I’m not a Jai Alai fan, but I like Guayabera. Nice addition if they can keep fresh stuff coming.
 
I just drove by there on Wednesday, and they looked like they were just about to get the sign up.

Really hope the beer is decent. It is 2 miles from my Office.
I do, too. I want them to do well, obviously, since my family is involved, but also, I am just excited to have had the opportunity to see this process from the very start.

I can’t wait to come check it out in August. I am sure you’ll have been in there before me and can tell me what I am in for.
 
speaking of kent island, i'll be in the area next weekend for a few days. any recommendations for bottle shops or other places to grab some good beer? kid friendly is a plus.

i'm actually staying in stevensville but looks like i'll be a little early for the cult classic opening.
 
speaking of kent island, i'll be in the area next weekend for a few days. any recommendations for bottle shops or other places to grab some good beer? kid friendly is a plus.

i'm actually staying in stevensville but looks like i'll be a little early for the cult classic opening.

How far are you willing to travel?

The Place I work directly above - https://www.thewineryki.com/latest-beer-selections/ - has a solid selection. The Growler station will often have some one offs from some of the better local breweries (RAR and Burley Oak).

My only advice wherever you go on the Island - CHECK DATES!
 
How far are you willing to travel?

The Place I work directly above - https://www.thewineryki.com/latest-beer-selections/ - has a solid selection. The Growler station will often have some one offs from some of the better local breweries (RAR and Burley Oak).

My only advice wherever you go on the Island - CHECK DATES!

thanks! 15-20 min drive for food/beer is an option. definitely interested in trying some RAR and Burley Oak stuff while there, and looks like it's an hour to RAR and 2 to BO from where we'll be staying. probably not feasible considering we're also trying to cram in a trip to the aquarium in baltimore in addition to wedding/family obligations.

does the winery fill outside growlers?
 
thanks! 15-20 min drive for food/beer is an option. definitely interested in trying some RAR and Burley Oak stuff while there, and looks like it's an hour to RAR and 2 to BO from where we'll be staying. probably not feasible considering we're also trying to cram in a trip to the aquarium in baltimore in addition to wedding/family obligations.

does the winery fill outside growlers?

The Winery doesn't (or is not supposed to) fill outside growlers, but if the manager Steve is working and you ask him nicely, he may let you slide.

If you are heading to Baltimore from the Island, you can take Ritchie Hwy and pass two of the better stores in the area:

http://fishpawsmarket.com/

http://dawsonsliquor.com/


I used to work on the West Side of the Bay Bridge, and those two always had the best selections. They will probably have some RAR and Burley Oak offerings on their Growler Stations as well. I haven't been to either in a coon's age, though I doubt their selection has gone downhill.
 
any chance of finding some manor hill stuff around there too?

i'd love if we had time to get over to EC and check out their farm and restaurants, but that'll probably have to be another trip.
 
speaking of kent island, i'll be in the area next weekend for a few days. any recommendations for bottle shops or other places to grab some good beer? kid friendly is a plus.

i'm actually staying in stevensville but looks like i'll be a little early for the cult classic opening.
You’re probably 2-3 weeks too early for Cult Classic. I like going to the Jetty when in town, but that’s just the local seafood dive mom and dad take me to. They usually have decent local beer and crab dip.
 
any chance of finding some manor hill stuff around there too?

i'd love if we had time to get over to EC and check out their farm and restaurants, but that'll probably have to be another trip.

You can find manor hill stuff all around the area. Hit or miss on the limited release stuff. I always recommend their grisette.
 
I'll be at a bachelor party next weekend in Kent Island so maybe I'll get a chance to check it out. Any idea what they're pouring?
 
I'm going to try to check out cult classic on my way back from dank day if that works.

Sapwood cellars has some club memberships available: https://sapwoodcellars.com/store/#clubs. Got wood?

It's going to be awesome. If you are in the Columbia are, check them out. Should be open in about a month.
 
Do they do smaller pours / flights?
The menu board says pints and half pints, but they will give you a sample before you order, and the Kölsch comes in a proper stange so their whole and half are 7 and 13 oz for that.

I am headed home in a few minutes, but here is what i decided to take home with me for sharing:
 
At cult classic. You have to buy bottled water here to get water. That is uber ******.

Dank day was fun except for the ****** entry.

Nice to meet you yesterday. After said entry issues, it was a really well run fest.

It was a really good idea to slug as many 8% cloudy-ass NEIPAs as I could in three hours in 100 degree heat.
 
At cult classic. You have to buy bottled water here to get water. That is uber ******.

Dank day was fun except for the ****** entry.
I believe an additional filtration system for drinking water is on the to do list. Right now only the brewhouse is on a filtration system. Not sure if you went into the bathroom, but the island is on well water and the water has a definite aroma when you wash your hands.

As for the decision making on why they don’t just include the bottles of water in the overhead in the mean time, that is over my head, as I am not directly involved in the business. I hope you otherwise enjoyed the beer.
 
Nice to meet you yesterday. After said entry issues, it was a really well run fest.

It was a really good idea to slug as many 8% cloudy-ass NEIPAs as I could in three hours in 100 degree heat.

Nice to meet you too.

Dank day full review:

Entry was terrible. Lots of people had to wait more than an hour to get in. They had one person checking people off of a list. They were not using barcode scanners like seemed possible on the tickets. They should have let people in earlier and not served beer until noon or done something differently. If they just let everyone in I doubt there would have been any major issues. They had to know in advance how poorly the entry would go.

Setup was good. Breweries were good and brought pretty what was advertised. Bathrooms fine. They ran out of water at the end, and the plastic cups melted in the heat. Obviously need to think the water part through a bit more. Location was excellent. It was very hot, but that's not their fault. Could have the fest a month later next year.

Cult classic review:

Plenty of parking. Super dark and not very inviting. Lots of space at tables and bar. Beers were all fine; nothing technically wrong with them. Nothing really interesting on the menu at this point. I like that they do flights. They need to get the water situation figured out. Not putting in a filtration system prior to opening is a poor business decision. I would not seek this place out in the future, but I might stop in on my way back from the beach.
 
Nice to meet you too.

Dank day full review:

Entry was terrible. Lots of people had to wait more than an hour to get in. They had one person checking people off of a list. They were not using barcode scanners like seemed possible on the tickets. They should have let people in earlier and not served beer until noon or done something differently. If they just let everyone in I doubt there would have been any major issues. They had to know in advance how poorly the entry would go.

Setup was good. Breweries were good and brought pretty what was advertised. Bathrooms fine. They ran out of water at the end, and the plastic cups melted in the heat. Obviously need to think the water part through a bit more. Location was excellent. It was very hot, but that's not their fault. Could have the fest a month later next year.

Initially, I was hoping they'd let the fest go an additional half-hour or something to make up for the botched entry. However, I had more than my fill at that point in the afternoon. Especially since around 3:30, I put my sample glass in my pocket, and was getting full pours in one of the plastic water cups. It is me, that guy.

The water tasted like they were pulling it straight up out of the Choptank. It was awful, but you gotta hydrate somehow. Actually, around 3:45 or so, I realized I hadn't peed the entire time I had been there. I was just sweating every ounce of liquid out of my back. When I finally broke the seal, my piss was a nice, dark gold color. I knew then that it was time to hit the Gatorade hard.

My only complaint - and it's a minor one - is that I wish the brewers diversified what they were pouring. Basically...I wanted some damn lagers. Especially in that heat. 90% of all NEIPA tastes practically the same (to me), so a little variety would've been welcome. There were a few good Saisons, and I don't really waste my time on fruited kettle sours, but man a Pils or three would've been nice.



I almost checked out Cult Classic yesterday, but traffic heading West over the bridge was absolutely horrendous, so I had to pull a U-turn and head back home. This is the point in Summer time where I cannot wait for the week after Labor Day, when no more Westerners are ruining my side of this State anymore :)
 
I have been to sapwood cellars. They have a really nice space. All of their beers were really good, with rings of light being the standout wow beer. I am fairly confident the beers will get better as they figure out their system some. Highly recommend. Once the sours are ready in about a year I expect it to be the best brewery in MD, if it isn't already.

They have food trucks most days, and you can bring your own food.
 

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