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The original advertisement is still an icon: Guinness Is Good For You. With the opening this month of the Irish brewery's only current American facility, the company anticipates that the Baltimore region is good for Guinness.
It's been over 60 years since Guinness occupied a U.S. facility and the time seems right to make the move. "The United States has one of the most exciting and dynamic brewing scenes in the world right now," says Ryan Wagner, Guinness Brewery Ambassador and Baltimore native. "Having a home in Baltimore will allow us to take advantage of the creativity and innovation that makes the American scene so unique and diverse."
The Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House is located just south of Baltimore, in a region with a brewing history that dates back to colonial times. The "vibrant community and special beer culture" make this a milestone for Guinness according to Tom Day, chairman and global sales officer for Guinness parent company Diageo Beer Company USA.
The Maryland brewery won't make the classic stout -- the perfect pint draught always comes straight from Dublin -- so production will focus on Blonde American Lager as well as what Wager calls "special brews" influenced by "American and Maryland brewing tradition." The Maryland brewing team hails from the Baltimore area and around the country and is led by brewmaster Peter Wiens and head brewer Hollie Stephenson.
The brewery is located on the site of an operation that opened just after prohibition to distill, barrel-age and bottle spirits and Guinness hopes that the brewery will become "a center of exploration and innovation in barrel-aging." The taproom and visitor center provide visitors an opportunity to taste new brews as well as Guinness Draught and Foreign Extra Stout and to take home limited-release beers in growlers and crowlers. A brewery restaurant is set to open in the next weeks. In the meantime, visitors can order from local food truck vendors featured on site. Guided tours and tastings are available and opening month festivities are ongoing during August 2018.
"Baltimore and the surrounding areas like Howard County are really leading the way in brewing," adds Wagner. The company anticipates that proximity to New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. will encourage beer-lovers from around the East Coast and the country to include Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House in travel plans and hopes to pull in 300,000 visitors annually.
