Pubdog's truck

Pubdog and Midnight Homebrewers’ League

Breweries, craft beer, Homebrews, MD Brewery Challenge, , , ,

Westminster, MD

MD Brewery Challenge #35

When I discovered the Pubdog Brewing Company in Westminster was offering tours, I jumped at the chance to head up there. 

Outside Pubdog
Outside Pubdog

After a long drive from Columbia, we pulled off busy New Windsor Rd and parked near an industrial looking building. Inside was crowded, many with homebrew T-shirts. For $5, we would get a tour and a couple of beers, so I paid up, sipped a beer and waited for the tour.

Pubdog's tasting room
Pubdog’s tasting room

Tour guide George Humbert, who is also the owner and brewer, took us through his 15-barrel brewery. I was pleasantly surprised by the clean, efficient brewery. Pubdog is well-known for their Dog Deal” – 2 mugs of beer for $4.50. After experiencing their Columbia restaurant packed with 20-somethings looking for cheap beer, I expected a rather fly-by-night operation. Instead, George displayed a knowledge and love of good beer.

Inside the Pubdog brewery
Inside the Pubdog brewery

The brewery is 11-years old. George says they keep very busy, supplying beer to their 2 restaurants in Federal Hill (Baltimore) and Columbia. They also send kegs to some local restaurants and pubs.

 

Pubdog owner/brewer George
Pubdog owner/brewer George Humbert

The tasting room is scheduled to close for about a month for some improvements (like better bathrooms and improved doors). George says they hope to reopen before Thanksgiving. They will also have a Carroll County liquor license, I’m assuming so they can sell other people’s beer and alcohol besides beer. The tasting room will be open more regularly and a beer garden will be added.

I had the Pumpkin Ale and Oktober Fest. The Pumpkin was well-made and true to the style (Nice use of rye). The Oktober Fest was a lager, making it crisper than expected with fewer fall flavors than this already mild style offers. I also had a sip of the Ginger Lime Shandy. It was a bit on the sweet side, but I could see having a few of these on a lazy fall afternoon. I was also intrigued with their “Mixed Breed” series, where they mix their house beers, e.g. DIRTY DOG, ½ Thirsty Ale & ½ Brown Dog and  BEAGLE, ½ Peach Dog & ½ Brown Dog.

List of Pubdog's beers
List of Pubdog’s beers

Overcoming the industrial feel of Pubdog was an energy and friendliness throughout the crowd.  It seemed wherever I was, I found myself in a conversation with an interesting stranger. We got to know some members of the Midnight Homebrewers’ League: Steve and Eric.  The Midnight Homebrewers’ League is the organizing club for the annual Maryland Microbrewery Festival Homebrew Competition, held the last Saturday of every September. (Perhaps next year’s goal for the Columbia Pint Night crew?)

Homebrewers Steve and Eric
Homebrewers Steve and Eric

Maryland Brewery #35 was a fun experience. (Click to read about the Maryland Brewery Challenge or view a current map of the Challenge.) I might be tempted to make the long drive to Westminster again to have a beer in the beer garden. A definite scheduled stop is the Pubdog in Columbia, part of the 2nd Annual Columbia Pub Crawl, scheduled for November 25th.

Cheers!

Warren