Beer-making has a storied heritage in Annapolis stretching back over three centuries to when the first brewery opened here in 1703, ebbing and flowing over the years much like the Chesapeake Bay tides. During the 1700s, beer was primarily made in homes, planting the seeds of the home-brewing culture that would take root across the country. Several United States founding fathers, including George Washington, were avowed beer enthusiasts, and Samuel Adams famously has a beer named after him. Throughout the 1800s, European immigrants brought their beer traditions across the Atlantic, and Maryland breweries flourished, only to be squashed later by Prohibition in the 1920s. But in recent times, beginning with the craft beer movement taking hold in the 1990s, our breweries are blossoming again, reminiscent of the early Colonial days when local beer had top billing in Annapolis taverns and pubs.

During the 1770s, George Washington visited the Annapolis area several times, including Widow Ramsay’s Tavern and Rawling’s Tavern, where he enjoyed pints of beer amidst delicious food, intellectual conversation, and Revolutionary War strategizing. In the spirit of triumphantly overcoming British rule, American-made beer became a symbol of US independence and a way to celebrate our fledgling and industrious new nation. Annapolis taverns were also undoubtedly lively with political debate when Washington stepped down as commander of the Continental Army in 1783 at the Maryland State House, which then served as the US capitol for the next nine months. Amidst the turmoil of the war and the resulting newfound excitement after gaining independence, a cold pint served as a form of respite and relaxation. Benjamin Franklin – another founding father who frequented Annapolis’ Middleton Tavern with Washington and Jefferson – encapsulated it in his famous quote: “Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”