Four Breweries to Check Out in Frederick, Maryland

Located in western Maryland, Frederick is a city known for museums, scenic landscapes, and Civil War-era buildings. Frederick is located less than an hour from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Gettysburg, PA.

Recently I spent a rainy Saturday afternoon exploring Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, located just 20 miles west of Frederick. Afterwards, I spent the rest of the day exploring four craft breweries in the city.

Attaboy Beer

Their website states, “Proudly brewed in Frederick, MD for all the hard-working folks out there who deserve a cold beer at the end of a long day. Go on, you’ve earn it: Attaboy!”

That mantra, along with a love for all things beer, motivated the owners to end the long commute, hustling and bustling, and going through the motions of their previous jobs and open a brewery.

Attaboy Beer is located at 400 Sagner Avenue, steps from Carroll Creek in the Sagner neighborhood of Frederick. The taproom offers plenty of seating inside, as well as a beer garden outside. Windows along the back wall of the taproom offer views into the brewing area. There is a food truck on site most days (check their website for the food truck lineup). Basic snacks are available for purchase, and you are always welcome to bring your own food.

There are ten beers on tap, with a variety of styles offered. I greatly enjoyed Lunch Break, a 4.2% ABV biscuity, dry, easy-drinking patersbier. For something a bright and fruity, try You’re a Peach, a 5.6% ABV peach saison or Mermaid Blood, a 5.8% ABV hibiscus blonde. For the hop heads, check out Guava No Guava, a 6.7% ABV New England IPA or Juicemaster 5000, an 8.3% ABV Double New England IPA.

Beers are available in full pours or flights of four beers of your choice. Grab a few 32-ounce crowlers to go or a 64-ounce glass growler. In addition to beer, sweet cider and root beer from McCutcheon’s is available for purchase.

Attaboy is open Wednesday and Thursday 4 to 10 PM, Saturday noon to 10 PM, and Sunday noon to 7 PM. Tours are offered on Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 and 1:30 PM. There is a parking lot with plenty of parking.

Olde Mother Brewing

A familiar story… two friends with a long history and a love for beer bring years of homebrewing experience and a business plan together to open a brewery. The brewery opened on Halloween 2015, and they are getting ready to move into a larger space this spring 2018.

Olde Mother Brewing is located at 911 East Patrick Street in the Sagner neighborhood of Frederick. The current location offers a small taproom with bar and table seating. There are frequently food trucks at Olde Mother (check out their Facebook page for the schedule), or you are always welcome to bring your own food.

There are nine beers on tap. My favorite was Schwarzenegger, a 5% ABV black lager. A collaboration beer with Milkhouse Brewery called City Slickers, a 5.4% ABV kettle sour, had just tapped. Hop heads would enjoy Impressionist IPA or Byway Extra Pale Ale. For something unique, try Expressions of Love, a 5.6% ABV stout with raspberries, vanilla, and castoreum. Yes, castoreum.

Beers are available in flights or full pours. Beers can be purchased to go in 32-ounce crowlers.

Olde Mother is open Thursday and Friday 4 to 10 PM, Saturday noon to 10 PM, and Sunday noon to 7 PM. There is a parking lot with plenty of parking.

Rockwell Brewery

A pair of friends dabbled in homebrewing and researched growing hops. After some encouragement, the pair decided to open a brewery in historic Frederick. Their website states, “Beer Well.”

Rockwell Brewery is at 880 North East Street. There is plenty of indoor seating including a U-shaped bar in the modern, industrial space, as well as a large pet-friendly outdoor beer garden for the warmer months.

The brewery has a relationship with Family Meal, a modern, all-day diner from “Top Chef” runner-up Bryan Voltaggio, set in a former car dealership. Offerings include fried chicken, chicken wings, french fries, grilled cheese, deviled eggs, and various snacks.

There are ten beers on tap. My favorite beer was Wide Awake, a 6% ABV coffee stout with one pound of coffee from Dublin Roasters per barrel added. (I especially appreciated the drawing of Katy Perry on the board.) Hop heads would enjoy Wicked Gangnam, a 6.2% ABV “wicked juicy” New England IPA and Double Vision, an 8.2% ABV West Coast Double IPA. Frankly Mr. Shankly is a delightful and easy-drinking 6.6% ABV ESB.

Beers are available in full pours of flights of four or eight beers of your choice. Beer can be purchased to go in 32-ounce crowlers or insulated growlers. In addition to beer, you can order a Ginger Radler, which is ginger soda and pale ale, or Good Vibrations, which is lemon, grapefruit, or pomegranate soda with Double Vision.

Rockwell is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4 to 10 PM, Friday and Saturday from noon to 10 PM, and Sunday from noon to 7 PM. There is a parking lot with plenty of parking.

Midnight Run Brewing

“Brewers of non-conformist ales,” the vision for Midnight Run began over a decade ago by homebrewing alchemists. Longtime friends with backgrounds in culinary arts and mechanical engineering opened their dream brewery in the fall of 2017 with “a passion for fine beverages, a disregard for what is, a devotion for what will be.”

Located just across East 9th Street from Rockwell Brewery, Midnight Run Brewing is at 9 N East Street in historic Frederick. The small taproom has rocking music, a small bar, and a comfortable vibe. They do not offer food or snacks, but you are welcome to bring your own.

There are 8 beers on tap, and they don’t fit neatly into a style guideline. I enjoyed Slim Charles, a 7.4% ABV English Ale. The popular White Sexual Chocolate is a 12% ABV Imperial Kölsch with cocoa nibs. Raspberry Sexual Chocolate is also on tap. Hop heads will enjoy Tempo, a 7% ABV IPA double dry hopped with Citra.

Beers can be purchased in full or half pours, or you can create your own flight of four. Growlers are available to go (32-ounce, 64-ounce, or 1-litre), and some beers are available in 22 ounce bottles.

Midnight Run is open Thursday 6 to 10 PM, Friday 5 to 10 PM, and Saturday 1 to 9 PM. There is a parking lot with plenty of parking.

Attaboy Beer, brewery, Frederick, Maryland, Midnight Run Brewing, Olde Mother Brewing, Rockwell Brewery