Maryland Brewery Challenge #5

In the middle of nowhere in Montgomery sits the Waredaca Brewing Company. I should have known it would be difficult to find, especially in the dark. My first clue should have been their web page’s top FAQ: Where is the entrance? Their answer:

“Look for the 4017 numbers and the brewery logo.  Turn in, pull through the gate and park in the gravel parking lot.  If the gate is closed, it should open automatically during normal business hours.  Park and walk up the path to the brewery.  We are a working horse farm so please avoid walking on the road as horses and some vehicles will be using this road.  Follow signs to the brewery for handicapped access.”

By luck, I found the entrance the first time. Driving up the dark, narrow lane, I really wondered if I had made a huge mistake coming here. The gravel parking lot was very dark. As I walked toward what I guessed was the taproom, small ground level lights activated, leading me to the taphouse.

Entering the tiny Waradaca tasting room feels likes visiting old friends. All the rough wood and low ceilings reminded me of a ranch house. The bartenders are knowledgeable and friendly. There are no TVs, but the energy from the staff and guests is welcoming and exciting. They are open Thursday through Sunday. Samples or flights are $2 each. Showing my usual restraint, I ordered all 8 available beers. The flights are wooden planks with small horseshoes on the ends, following the equestrian theme.

The bartender mentioned that the brewer came from Flying Dog, which explains the high-quality choices. I logged all the beers into Untappd. My favorite was 3-2-1 Gose.

Here is my beer list with a few comments:

• 3-2-1 Gose – Very tart and lightly salty. Honey sweetness ends with a lemony tart finish. I liked this so much, I bought a 32-oz. crowler.

  

• Reveille – Very coffee. A little ashy. Very dry finish.
• Runaway – Orangey. Kind of a weird finish. I learned later that this is Baymore with fresh orange juice.
• Baymore – Grapefruity hop. Hoppy but balanced. A bit of honey sweetness
• Beecher – Earthy citrus hop – lots of it. Very dry finish.
• Geedie – A barnyardy tripel.  Honey sweet.
• Blizzard – Nice Winter ale! Cinnamon and ginger taste, vanilla nose.
• Little Dam –  A hoppy wheat beer, sweetened with honey.

Waredaca is a farm brewery. Waredaca stands for Washington Recreational Day Camp. It’s pronounced Where-Dah-Kah, according to one of the bartenders. Waredaca started as a boys’ camp, then became co-ed. Now, it’s an equestrian center. The taproom sits in the old girls’ dining hall.

One of the bartenders had a T-shirt celebrating their one-year anniversary. The front of the shirt had a horse (of course) with the line: “A horse walks into a bar…”  I asked the bartender what was the rest of the joke. She didn’t know and said with a smile that she wasn’t going to wear that shirt again — too many jokes about the joke.  I didn’t remember the joke then but I remember it now.

A horse walks into a bar. The bartender says, “So, why the long face?”

Next time I’ll come to Waredaca in the daylight and later in the year when it’s warm. They have picnic tables and encourage you to bring your own food. It would be nice to spend a warm afternoon with some friends, enjoying a few beers and having lunch outside.

Cheers!

Warren