The other day, a few friends and I toured the Heavy Seas Brewery in Halethorpe, Maryland. It was fantastic. You arrive at what looks like any other normal industrial park. There are nondescript trucks outside, loading docks, offices and such, but once inside there is a wonderland that would bring most grown men to tears.
We walked in the front door and presented our ids. The atmosphere was festive. There were people talking to one another and there was a small bar. We were given five sample tokens and permitted to try some of the beers. They were quite good, and I believe that they were even better considering the close friends that I was able to share them with.
A bell sounded and we were informed that the tour was about to begin. The tour was hosted by the brewery founder and owner, Hugh Sisson. He was charismatic, jovial, sardonic, and enlightening. As hot as the brewery was on a hot July afternoon, he kept the mood light and thoroughly engrossed the entire crowd. We were permitted, as the tour progressed, to meander back to the bar and grab some more cool liquid happiness. We were able to hold and smell the hops and the malted barley. We were shown the gigantic vats and shown the process of how simple flowers and grains are converted into sheer joy.
After the tour, Hugh led us back to the lobby and was free for questioning and was very receptive and informative. It was all and all a fantastic time. And I’d like to thank Hugh and the entire crew at Heavy Seas for such an enjoyable experience.
Upon leaving the brewery, my friend informed me that we had one stop before the cigar shop. We visited another Mecca for men, the Annapolis Home Brew Store. We purchased the basic kit, with ingredients for a batch of beer similar to Arrogant Bastard. We brewed until 230 in the morning. The next day, still motivated from the night before, we sketched up logos and bought the materials to build a wort chiller. The beer has been in the fermentor for 4 days now, and is due for it’s last hopping tomorrow. This is going to be an incredibly hoppy beer. I am so excited for it, but alas, it still has another five days in the fermentor before we bottle, and then it has another 2-3 weeks for bottle conditioning. Whew. Did I mention how excited that I am? We already have plans to buy a secondary fermenting carboy and ideas for our next batch. Can’t wait. Skål
Ezra
