The Brewery. This is the Frederick Brewing Company facility on the outskirts of town. The large sign advertises their Blue Ridge line of beers. As can be noticed from the sheer size of the building, this is a microbrewery with quite a brewing capacity.
	Cases and Kegs. Here is the warehouse area within the brewing facility. Pallets of beer cases stack to the ceiling awaiting shipment throughout the mid-Atlantic area. Each box color denotes a different beer style for easy identification, for example, amber in the brown boxes and porter in the green boxes. Forklifts are used to move pallets into the shelving units and then back out when it's time to ship. Kegs were stored at floor level.
	Front of Coaster. Hempen Ale was more of a political statement I think, than an attempt at a great tasting beer. I recall that it had rather unusual flavors and a strange oily texture in spite of its description on the back of the coaster. Beer made with hemp really wasn't that good. I think they went through so much trouble to get this approved by the legal authorities -- both the unusual ingredient and the labeling -- that there wasn't any turning back when they actually brewed it. The logo is an obvious attempt to appeal to the stoner crowd, complete with anthropomorphic smiling sun and "interesting" vegetation forming a border around the circular design. I've heard it's supposedly based on a Japanese maple to get around certain legal objections but it bears an obvious resemblance to something else.
	Back of Coaster. "Hempen Ale (TM) is a classic brown ale with a twist -- it is brewed with the seeds of the hemp plant, which give the beer its creamy head and impart mellow herbal flavors and aromas. For millennia, people around the world have prized hemp for it versatility. Its strong fibers are used to make paper, cloth and rope. Its seeds are excellent sources of lubricants and edible oils. And we think it makes one tasty beer!"
	Glassware: Frederick's Hempen Ale pint glass continues with a similar theme, and the familiar font forming the name of the beer.
	Glassware: This pint glass has the more recognized Frederick Brewing Co. logo, including the triangle with a stylized rendition of the Blue Ridge mountains washed by a rising (or setting) sun.

Sample list of beers produced by Frederick Brewing Co.

• Blue Ridge beers
• Wild Goose beers
• Brimstone beers
• Hempen Ale
• ... plus numerous beers contract brewed for other companies

Other Resources for Planning your Visit

• Wild Goose (formerly Frederick Brewing) website

• Beer Me!'s Frederick Brewing page

• Welcome to the City of Frederick, Maryland Online

• The Official Tourism Website of Frederick County, Maryland

• Maryland Tourism

Items featured on these breweriana pages are personal souvenirs of my visits to these locations, and an expression of the events and travels leading to their collection. They are not for sale or for trade.

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