Baltimore, MD June 30, 2018

Despite a nasty heat wave and the Hawaiian shirt giveaway at Oriole Park, a steady stream of customers trickled into Checkerspot Brewing for their grand opening.

Mrs. Adventures had dropped me off near the Horseshoe Casino. A Red Bull event had blocked off our route, so I hopped out and walked the remaining half mile through an industrial section of Baltimore. My final destination was 1399 S Sharp St, Baltimore, MD.

Checkerspot Brewing is just a short walk from the Raven’s and Orioles’ stadiums. Many in the taproom were wearing the Orioles Hawaiian shirts. I guess O fans showed up at Camden Yards to collect their shirts then headed for the new brewery rather than watch the struggling birds. I was impressed with Checkerspot’s beer selection. They had 2 casks and 10 beers on tap – pretty amazing for an opening day offering. Not only did they have variety, but there was plenty of it. Although 2 tap lines failed (Grand Opening hiccups), they never ran out of beer while I was there.

The Ales

Here are the beers I sampled:

• Daydream – Sweet, balanced cream ale. Great on a hot day. I could drink this easy drinking ale all day.
• Southside – This fruity pale ale was one of my least favorite samples.
• Strongman – A very sweet Belgian strong ale. Too sweet for me.
• Locally Delicious Sour – Just a sipped of this kettle sour made with totally local ingredients. The tartness mixed well with the sweet fruit taste.
• Juniperus IPA – I only had a sip which left me wanting more. This piney, dank IPA had a unique flavor (junipers?). I’ll look for this one next time I visit.
• First Whisper – The first cask beer served at Checkerspot. Steve “The Cask Whisperer” Marsh tapped this cask. He started the very successful cask program at Heavy Seas. An enjoyable cask beer.

One I missed:

• 2 Paws 2 – A collaboration with Flying Dog. This beer was made with tons of local pawpaws. Pawpaws are native fruit that grows in Maryland. This beer’s pawpaws were provided from Carroll County’s Deep Run Pawpaw Orchard, handpicked from their 1000 pawpaw trees.

Checkerspot Brewing

The Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly is Maryland’s state insect, who knew? They are apparently endangered and a rare sighting.

The owners of Checkerspot Brewing are Judy Neff, Steve Marsh, and Rob Neff. Judy and Steve are also brewers, while Rob is head of sales and distribution.

Their brewery is located at 1399 S. Sharp Street in Baltimore, MD 21230. They are open Friday and Saturday from 12pm-12am and Sunday from 12pm-8pm. They offer free tours every Saturday at 2 and 4 pm or whenever by appointment.

Checkerspot makes some very good beers. With their prime location and adventurous libations, I’m sure Ravens and Orioles fans will “flock” to this local watering hole.

Cheers!

Warren