Milkhouse Truck

Milkhouse Brewery – MD Brewery Challenge #7

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Rural Frederick County

Flushed with excitement after our Febrewary competition submission at Maryland Homebrew, we headed to bucolic Frederick County. Our destination was Milkhouse Brewery at Stillpoint Farms. This is the 7th brewery visit this year in the MD Brewery Challenge. For those keeping track, here is a list of the brewery visits, so far:

Milkhouse Farm Brewery
Milkhouse Brewery at Stillpoint Farm

While driving to the countryside, the conversation quickly turned from our imagined successes from the Febrewary competition to the Milkhouse Brewery and its owner, Tom Barse. Uncapped has a great podcast about Tom, his wife Carolann McConaughy and Milkhouse Brewery.

Tom Barse

Tom is a lawyer instrumental in enacting the Maryland Farm Brewery Act. A Maryland farm brewery can self-distribute their beer and have a taproom. Milkhouse is one of the first production farm breweries in the state.

It seems everyone has a “Tom” story. Many of us have seen him out on the farm, mowing hay. He’s not a fan of pumpkin beers and gets quite agitated if you bring it up. When I asked about the stout on cask, the bartender mentioned that Tom has been making this beer for 40 years. It was delicious, by the way. I passed a patron at one of the high tables and heard the start of his conversation. “Do you know Tom?” and he began to tell his own Tom story.

Although I’ve never met Tom, even I have a Tom story. One day, my son and I were checking out the brewery, watching a fermenter burp when Tom drives in on a tractor holding a Dogfish Head beer. He guiltily looks at his beer, then us and then puts his finger to his lips with a sly grin — don’t tell anyone.

The TaproomInside Milkhouse

The taproom is cozy with some high tables and a serving bar at one end. I’ve visited the Milkhouse taproom a couple of times and always receive a warm hello, often from other patrons. For food, they serve salamis and cheese as well as snacks. Beerwise, you can order a pint, a flight, have a growler filled or buy bottles of Milkhouse beer.

Outside are picnic tables, some under an enclosed area and others near upright gas heaters. One summer I visited while a bluegrass band was playing. Families brought picnic lunches with children and dogs. We played cornhole and walked around the farm.

The Ales

Showing my usual restraint, I ordered a flight of all 9 of their beers. Here are my notes:

  • Dollyhyde Farmhouse – a honey Milkhouse flight of 9Belgian farmhouse. Very good!
  • Goldies’ best bitter – nice earthy bitter
  • Dunkel Weizen – sweet, smoky and tart
  • IPA – 70 bitter IBUs
  • Green Farmer 2 – lemony tart, rye spiciness. This is an all Maryland ingredients brew.
  • Red Porter – sweet & smoky
  • Cask – dry stout – delicious
  • Green Farmer – rye & malt sweetness
  • Imperial stout – nice alcohol & roasted malt taste

The wifi was down the Sunday we visited. The bartender seemed a bit flustered by the line caused by technical difficulties, but we were all content. We were all enjoying some delicious beers on a sunny Sunday afternoon and being part of Tom’s honorary family.

Cheers!

Warren