This is not an official page for

Frederick Brewing Co.

Breweriana, Collectibles, Ephemera and Memories

BREWERY
CLOSED!

Closed Circa 2005
Flying Dog Now Brews Here
Also see the BIG VISIT MAP 4607 Wedgewood Blvd., Frederick, MD

I have visited Frederick Brewing Co.,
in Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland.

Brewery/Brewpub Location Map

Reason for Visit: I happened to be in the vicinity one Saturday when this microbrewery helds its public tours. They did a lot of contract brewing in addition to their own label beers. Flying Dog bought the facility sometime after Frederick Brewery went out of business, and moved all of their brewing operations here by 2008.


Frederick Brewing Co. Building The Brewery. This was the Frederick Brewing Company facility on the outskirts of town. The large sign advertised their Blue Ridge line of beers. As can be noticed from the sheer size of the building, this was a microbrewery with quite a brewing capacity.
Frederick Brewing Co. Cases and Kegs Cases and Kegs. Here was the warehouse area within the brewing facility. Pallets of beer cases stacked to the ceiling awaited shipment throughout the mid-Atlantic area. Each box color denoted a different beer style for easy identification, for example, amber in the brown boxes and porter in the green boxes. Forklifts were used to move pallets into the shelving units and then back out when it was time to ship. Kegs were stored at floor level.
Frederick Brewing Co. Coaster 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 was 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 was supposedly based on a Japanese maple to get around certain legal objections but it bears an obvious resemblance to something else.

Frederick Brewing Co. Coaster - Back 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!"
Frederick Brewing Co. Pint Glass Glassware: Frederick's Hempen Ale pint glass continues with a similar theme, and the familiar font forming the name of the beer.
Frederick Brewing Co. Pint Glass 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.


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.

More on Howder's Site