Evolution Craft Brewing Company

Digital Rendering of new space

2012-01-30T11:16:00.000-08:00

This is what we hope you see when you pull up to our new location in Salisbury soon, minus the plywood, grey sky and construction zone. We will post more inside photos this week.

Update

2012-01-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

Things are moving along. We are looking forward to opening the restaurant next month and tasting room and brewery shortly after that!

bar area and open kitchen in the back

tasting room bar from the front

guys working hard on boiler room in brewery

restaurant view from the front. I am personally in love with the exposed brick and the lighting.

Moving on up!

2012-01-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

The brite tank and 120bbl fermenters are on their way to Salisbury! A lot has happened this week and the progress is very noticeable. A wall has been put up to separate the brew house from the packaging space,the boiler room has been built up to meet the fire code and the restaurant has the kitchen framed out. To some the end result at a construction site is hard to visualize so if that pertains to you maybe the photos of the new tanks will help you out. We're moving on up, thanks to those 30 foot ceilings!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday! We are, because we're drinking some Rise Up and eating way too much! Here are a few updated photos of the soon to be home of Evolution Craft Brewing Co. Thanks for all the support! We have had a great couple years and looking forward to 2012! Woo Hoo!

Photos are of the boiler room with " junior brewer" Luke supervising construction; the specialty grain room; and also more of the trench drains. Things are progressing nicely but just like old homes, the new building had a few extra floors that needed to be pulled up.

Here it is..

2011-11-21T13:47:00.000-08:00

Wanted to update everyone on the progress of the new brewery. Trench drains have been dug (oohs and aahs!) It actually is really awesome to see the progress in such a large space that very soon now will be filled with tanks, beer and people. We will keep you up to date with photos of how Evolution is...well evolving!

Cheers!

Fall Migration coming soon!

2011-11-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

Wanted to post a little more info about our Fall Migration. We have not settled on a release date yet but it will most likely be sometime next week so stay tuned...

The Fall installment of our Migration Series is a Belgian-style Pale ale aged in Chardonnay barrels that underwent a secondary fermentation in the barrel from the addition of the yeast strain Brettanomyces Bruxellensis.

We began with a golden pale ale that is assertively hopped and fermented cool with a Belgian yeast strain. After primary fermentation the ale was transferred into American oak chardonnay barrels from St. Supéry in Napa Valley. After transfer the yeast strain B. Bruxellensis was pitched, beginning a secondary fermentation. After three months in the barrel the ale was transferred to a packaging tank, then hand bottled in 750ml bottles and bottle conditioned.

Our Fall Migration is a well balanced example of what have come to be known as “wild ales”, referring to the presence of non-traditional brewer’s yeast or bacteria, in this case Brettanomyces. A firm but proportioned aroma from the Brettanomyces fermentation yields tropical fruit (pineapple) notes as well as subtle “funk”. The middle is held together with a smooth, rich flavor from the oak and the wine that it once carried. The finish is at once slightly sweet and tart, creating a fusion of unique, interesting flavors.

We expect this ale to age well in the bottle, with the Brettanomyces characters continuing to develop and evolve. It should become “funkier” and more tart as time goes on.

IBU:30

ABV: 7.2%

Thanks for voting

2011-10-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

YEAH! Thanks for all of you who took the time to vote for Lot #3! We are psyched to win this for the third year in a row and have you to thank for it!

Monday, 10 October 2011 18:58

Chesapeake Beer Madness 2011 has officially ended. It's been a great month for voters in the Chesapeake region and their votes have helped us determine the 2011 Championship winner!

Without further ado, the Chesapeake Beer Madness Championship winner taking the title of Best Local Beer in the Chesapeake region for the third year in a row, is Evolution Craft Brewing Company for the fabulous performance of their Lot 3 IPA!

Congratulations to Evo for their undefeated reign. Congrats to Old Dominion for holding on and making it to the Championship as well! Thank you to all of our participating breweries, it's been sheer madness, beer madness! See you next year!

Freeze, don't move. You've been chosen as an extra in the movie adaptation of the sequel to your life.

2011-05-20T20:31:00.000-07:00

Only 7 months since the last post! Well, that's not too bad, is it? Frankly it's accusations that the blog has been abandoned that lead me to write this post. It is not abandoned. "Neglected" and "abandoned" are not synonyms. Look it up.

As per usual I'll give you a rundown on what's happening in bulletpoint format, since my usual (and preferred) style of writing- a free-flowing, intensely personal narrative approach blending the styles of Joyce and Hemingway- takes way too long to put together. Plus I can't write so good. So what's going on at Evolution:

We're maxed out. Seriously maxed out. We can't make enough beer and it gets uglier by the day. My sincerest apologies to anyone who can't get our beer when they want it, we're trying! The team is working their tails off, we're just constrained by our equipment at this point. We have expanded a few times in the last 18 months, and are now looking at a major expansion in the next year. But try telling that to the guy who can't get his Lot No3 IPA.
Our Limited release beers are becoming a regular addition to the lineup. Our brewery-only release, the imperial stout "Menagerie No5" is almost gone and is super delicious. We just bottled Spring Migration (a golden strong ale aged in rum barrels) and it is excellent as well. We'll be brewing our Fall Migration in a couple of weeks, something of a tribute to one of my favorite trappist ales which will be aged in Chardonnay barrels. Also the Menagerie line continues to evolve, our next will be brewed in a month or so, and it is the return of Menagerie No3 (Lux and Redux!). This should be ready for Baltimore Beer week in October and we will bottle some as well. Baltimore beer week will see the release of a new barrel aged stout as well, and there may be even one more BBW project in the works, stay tuned.
We'll be at Savor in DC again this year, the first weekend in June, pouring Spring Migration and Rise Up Stout. We also have a sweet event set up at the amazing Big Hunt in Dupont Circle in DC on the Saturday afternoon of Savor, where we'll be pouring a dozen or so of our beers. Included in the draft lineup is a collaboration we brewed with 3 Stars Brewing, a startup in DC, that we brewed at Evolution a month or so back. Its a Saison spiced with peppercorns and aged on oak, and should be perfect for the increasingly oppressive weather of our nation's capital in June. Dry, refreshing, spicy and heavily hopped with Saaz hops, "the syndicate saison" will be popping up at good beer bars all over DC the first week of June.
Summer Session is out and is off the charts. We fully expected to be brewing alot of this, but wow. It's an unfiltered blonde ale with a subtle hoppiness and depth of flavor provided by wheat, rye and oats. Top choice of brewery staffers after a long day of work.
We have some sour ales aging right now, recent tastings have been very positive. Look for the first sour ale release around the midpoint of 2012.
It bears repeating but our team has been working super hard. Jesus (aka "hey-sus"), Kerry, Joe and Randy in the brewery, Kathy and Carter up front, and Mike in sales have all been doing their best to, in the words of founder and evolution "passion man" Tommy Knorr , "ship it!"
The acceleration of excitement for our beers and the increasing interest has been humbling and surreal. I'm thrilled every day to be doing this and thank all of you so much for the opportunity to make beer for you.

Cheers
geoff

I'm a Sucker

2010-09-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

See previous post. 95F yesterday.

Is It Fall or am I a Sucker?

2010-09-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

It seems as though fall is finally making it's way to the Eastern Shore. Perfect day today, and the weather has been improving steadily- if you think this summer was hot you should have worked with us in the brewery. We'll be heading to Denver for the Great American Beer Festival on Tuesday, so this was my last opportunity to sit at a keyboard for a bit for an update (shucks)- here's how things are shaping up for the next month or so:

We brewed our last batch of Jacques Au Lantern yesterday, this is our Sept/Oct seasonal- a amber ale spiced with traditional pumpkin pie spices, and fermented with a Belgian ale yeast. Draft only, you probably have 50 (or less) days to get to this. So don't say I didn't warn you.
Planning has begun for our winter seasonal. Inspired by the Sticke Altbiers of Dusseldorf this full flavored deep copper ale will be rendered unrecognizable to natives of Dusseldorf by our penchant for over-hopping beer and general disdain for tradition. Look for this no later than mid November. This beer does not yet have a name and I am praying that Tommy and Joe don't name it.
We're in Denver next week, shilling beer, drinking beer, sleeping in hotels and drinking beer. If your in town for the fest stop by our booth and drink some beer.
We're talking to a tank manufacturer about two new 40 barrel fermenters that we should hopefully see around the first of December. In related news all Evolution employees are required to lose 30 lbs so they can squeeze through the cellar.
Our Heritage Ale (on NOW in the brewery tap room) is flying out the door. I thought this one would last until October but there's no chance- maybe another week. It's a super fruity dry-hopped Belgian style pale ale. A staff favorite and one of the best beers we've made, draft only in the tap room.
Our Spring Migration is happily aging in Cruzan Rum barrels but we have two extra barrels. Now I don't believe in aging hoppy beers, and our Lot 6 DIPA is no exception. HOWEVER, there seems to be a rip in the space time continuum and I have found a way to justify barrel aging some of our precious hop monster, without losing the aromatics. As soon as I come up with a clever name (me, not Tommy and Joe) we'll release more details.
We're getting geared up for Baltimore Beer Week the second week in October, and the cornerstone of that week for us will be the release of Menagerie #3. Its a real big, rich scotch ale, 2/3 of which have been in bourbon barrels for 6 months. We are really looking forward to the week and this beer so we hope to see you all out there- we've got events at Max's, Alonso's, Chesapeake Real Ale Festival and Phillips Harbor Place as well as some other events still being finalized. Our facebook page is the place to stay current with our events, we just recently updated them so check 'em out.

That's about it- we'll probably update again as we approach Baltimore Beer Week to give you some inside info on the events and beers we'll be involved with. See you in Denver!
cheers
geoff

Back in Blog

2010-08-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

Okay so I haven't posted since March- that doesn't make me a bad guy, does it? Plus, it seems that since my last post our Asian fan base has exploded- check out the comments on my last post! I can't understand most of it but the other side of the globe seems to be stoked about Evolution. And about selling us lots of junk.
So why post now? Well why not? Just what the heck is going on at Evolution anyway? Why are you asking so many questions?

Our summer seasonal Summer Session Ale is drawing to a close. Now on in our tap room (yes, you can get pints there now) and in a bajillion local (MD and DE) establishments on draft, this one has been a big hit. I'm really happy with this beer, and honestly I'm already looking forward to brewing it next year. Brewed with Barley, Rye, Wheat and Oats, it has a subtle complexity overlaid with some hop and yeast fruitiness. Unfiltered and extremely drinkable.
Fall means pumpkin beers! And we're like lemmings! But instead of blindly barreling over the cliff to a certain death of sameness we've fermented our pumpkin ale with a Belgian yeast strain which complements the earthiness of pumpkin and the cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and mace added to the kettle. Should be ready to roll out Sept 1, should be delicious.
Fall means beer events! Beer dinners, fests, weeks- we'll be in Denver, Baltimore, DC and goodness knows where else the next few months spreading the word. Stick with our facebook page for up to the minute event updates.
Lot No 6 Double IPA is out there! Find it, drink it!
Haymaker Ale is out there! Find it, drink it!
Lot No 3 IPA is now available in 12 oz bottles! Find it, drink it!
Menagerie #2 is out there! Find it, drink it!
Heritage Ale is coming to our taproom next week! Drink it!

Okay, enough bossing you kind folks around. Go find some Evolution beer....and drink it!
cheers
geoff

Evolution at the Avalon

2010-03-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

This Friday we'll be invading the historic Avalon Theatre in Easton along with Rise Up Coffee to get out and see legendary singer/songwriter Bob Mould. We'll have a "keep the pint" promo going on (it's what it sounds like), along with our Primal Pale ale, Exile ESB, Lucky 7 Porter and Rise Up Stout. It's a great chance to check out most of our draft lineup, get yourself an EVO pint glass and see one of the most important songwriters of the last 30 years. Bob's career began with the trailblazing postpunk Minneapolis outfit Husker Du in the '80's. Future stars of alternative rock such as the Pixies, Dinosaur Jr and Nirvana would be inconceivable without the work of Mould and Husker Du. A prolific and varied solo career followed, as well as several records with his band Sugar in the mid nineties. I haven't seen Mould since his Sugar days, but in the early nineties I spent many evenings watching him on a seemingly endless solo acoustic tour, as well as shows in the rock band format. Definitely not a performer to be missed, and if you can wash it down with Evolution drafts and Rise Up Coffee, well then, how do you beat that? See you Friday!

cheers geoff

New Beer Alert

2010-02-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

We've been plugging away at some new beers and are nearing release for some of them:

Lot #6 Double ipa: think of this as our Lot #3 on performance-enhancing malt and hops. 9.3%abv, and all kinds of tropical fruit and citrus notes. Tommy got very nervous when he saw all the hops going into this one.

Sprung: our spring seasonal, a 4.9%abv golden ale brewed with honey, hibiscus and chamomile. Slightly sweet with a subtle tartness to balance.

Migration #1: the first in our Migration series of barrel aged beers. Black and 9.5%abv or so, this beer was designed to complement the bourbon barrels we'll be aging them in. Tentative release date is Dec. 1 in bottle-conditioned 750ml bottles, so the closest you'll get to them for some time will be by standing next to them in our tasting room.

Releases for the Lot#6 and Sprung are very soon, but check us out on Facebook for the most up to date info on what we've got in the tasting room. We've been brewing alot more Rise Up Stout as well, so we've been pouring plenty of that as well...

Cheers
geoff

Bottling/Tasting Room Hours/Rise Up Stout

2009-11-23T14:23:00.000-08:00

We finally figured it out!! We had up until three weeks ago broken more bottles than filled; however that trend has been reversed. You are about to see a lot of bottles out at your favorite beer/wine shop or grocery store. Don't give us $#!t about crooked labels or Wes said he will break your knee caps. He said "the beer tastes the same whether the label is upside down or right side up".
For those of you that have been eagerly awaiting the next batch of Rise Up Stout; your prayers have been answered as Geoff is brewing it Wednesday.( will be ready in 2.5 Weeks)
New Tasting Room hours are Wed-Thurs 12-6 Fri-Sat 12-7 and Sun 12-5. Sorry Folks, Pumpkin Ale has kicked, but we have an English Strong Ale on for the time being until the Rise Up is done.

Thanks for drinking and dining with EVO beers. If you don't see our beer on at your favorite Bar or Restaurant let 'em know what the Evolution Revolution is all about! Cheers, EVO Staff

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!! EVO beer and Turkey. Yummmm!

What's New etc.

2009-10-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a brief pause to update everyone on what's going on in the brewery at evo these days- good to see Tommy and Mike keeping folks posted on all the recent events! I was lucky enough to make it to a few in the last couple weeks, and wanted to say thanks to the Laughing Pint in Baltimore and Homegrown in Newark DE (that's new-ark, apparently they take offense if you pronounce it like the town in Jersey. So sorry...). Those are two terrific local places that are about everything that is good in food and drink. If you live anywhere near them, definitely stop by.

So what is new?

Primal Pale Ale, Exile ESB and Lucky 7 Porter are now available in 12 oz bottles- and we are trying like crazy to keep up with demand. Sales are off the charts. Thanks!
We've ramped up production of Lot No.3 ipa in draft. At Baltimore beer week events this was consistently the first brand to run out. Hey, I like hops too- we'll just make more.
Anonymous Strong Ale continues to pour at the brewery tap room, but not for much longer
Jacques Au Lantern, our Belgian-inspired pumpkin ale, is now on at the taproom. 6.1% abv, unfiltered and a whirlwind of spicy flavors and aromatics. It would take me a while to describe this one, it's probably easier for all of us if you just stop by and try it.
We're aging some Lucky 7 on some sticky, gooey, aromatic Madagascar vanilla beans that Wes sliced up and threw into a tank ("all willy-nilly" was the technique that was employed, I believe). A couple kegs will hit the tasting room, and a few more will head out to some upcoming local festivals at Fager's Island and SoBo's, along with some of the Jacques Au Lantern.
We seem to be at production capacity, so purchases of equipment to expand capacity may be imminent. Imagine that.
We're running wild in the What's Up Magazine poll for best Maryland/Delaware beer, landing in the finals- our Exile ESB vs. Clipper City's Marz-hon. Special thanks to Mike Valliant and the Rise Up/Easton evo army for beating the war drums!

The best news of all is that the beer we're brewing now is the best that we've brewed yet, and the best is still yet to come- promise. I think our beer's darn good but I'm not satisfied, and probably never will be, which is good news if you like our beer. So drink up, it's a beer, not a paperweight!

Cheers,
Geoff

Fager's Island Shell Shocked Oyster Feast

2009-10-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

November 7th is going to be the first Annual Shell Shocked Oyster Feast at Fager's Island. The event will run from 1 to 5. They will be featuring several of Evolution's Beers paired with raw, steamed, roasted, etc. They will also have Oyster Shooters and Pit Beef. tickets are 25.00 prior to the event and 30.00 at the door the day of the event(Includes a souvenir glass commemorating the event. You can purchase them at Fagers, The Atlantic Hotel, and Evolution Craft Brewery. Our friends, Waking at Seven will be rocking it out. Don't miss this event. It is going to be off the charts fun!!!!!!

We Made It!

2009-10-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

Well, We made it through Baltimore Beer Week alive....Thirteen events and lots of great beers. We want to thank all of the great establishments that supported our beers with events.
Phillips Harborplace
Max's Taphouse
Three
Laughing Pint
Honeygo Liquors
Abbey Bistro
Ropewalk Tavern
Judges Bench
Mick O'Sheas
Dawons
Alonso's

And also thanks to all the fans we met at the events with their praises for our beer(especially the brothers)

3 Great Evolution Events Tonight!!!

2009-10-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight we have 3 Amazing events during Baltimore Beer Week!

Abbey Burger Bistro in Federal Hill nest to Raleighs
6-8pm featuring our Exile ESB, Primal Pale Ale, Lucky 7 Porter and Lot No. 3 IPA for $2.00 a draft. That is ridiculous.....

Ropewalk Tavern on Charles Street in Federal Hill
8-10pm featuring the Lot no. 3 IPA, Lucky 7 porter, and Primal Pale Ale. We also have a little treat that you won't want to miss from the brewery!!!!

Max's on Broadway in Fells Point
8-11pm Featuring three different breweries(evolution, flying dog, and lancaster) beers including our new Lot No. 3 IPA.
in addition to their amazing other selections.

What's Up Eastern Shore Mag

2009-10-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

We are in a beer tournament with 9 craft beers from around the Chesapeake area. If you love our Exile ESB like we do please goto WWW.WHATSUPMAG.COM AND LOOK FOR THE BEER MADNESS CONTEST TO VOTE FOR OUR BEER.

Thanks a lot and Cheers, Tom

Baltimore Beer Week October 8-17

2009-10-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

Baltimore is hosting some amazing events with many great breweries. We have set up quite a few ourselves. The following are different Evolution events we would love for you to join. Cheers!

Thursday, October 8th Philip's 8-11pm 301 Light StreetBaltimore, Md. 21202 410-685-6600

Saturday, October 10th Laughing Pint 7pm 3531 Gough StreetBaltimore, Md. 21224443-570-7192

Philip's Harbor Place 4 - 7pm Meet the brewer301 Light StreetBaltimore, Md. 21202 410-685-6600

Monday, October 12th Honeygo Liquors 7-9pm (bottles)5004 Honeygo Center Drive Suite 104 Perry Hall, Md. 21128

Wednesday, October 14th
Abbey Bistro 6-8pm1041 Marshall Street Baltimore, Md. 21230
Rope Walk 8 - 10 pm1209 South Charles Street Baltimore, Md. 21230410-727-1298

Thursday, October 15th The Judges Bench 6-8pm 8385 Main Street Ellicott City, Md. 21043410-908-7111

Friday, October 16th Mich O'sheas 5-7pm 326 North Charles StreetBaltimore, Md. 21201410-539-7504

Saturday, October 17th
Dawson's 4-7pm (bottles) 589 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd.Severna Park, Md. 21146410-544-6200
Alonso's 6 - 8pm411 W. Coldspring LaneBaltimore, MD. 21210410-235-3433

Evolution Update

2009-09-07T07:03:00.001-07:00

With summer drawing to a close I thought I'd send out a quick update on what's going on around the brewery:

Lot #3 India Pale Ale is the official new addition to the Evo family. We've blown out of the beer at the brewery, but our MD distributor is picking up a small amount this week, so look for it in a few places. Another batch is on the way.
Rise Up Stout, our coffee stout, is nearly official and is currently on tap at the brewery. Folks really seem to be enjoying it.
In the next few weeks we should be getting our packaging in for 12 oz bottles and we'll start packaging. It's hard to say exactly when the 6 packs will hit shelves, but probably sometime in October.
We've got a few events coming up- we'll be at General Tanuki's in Easton this Saturday, and hopefully they'll be able to get the IPA in and we can make this our unofficial IPA release party. Should be fun either way, Tanuki's is a great place. We'll also be out at the Great American Beer Festival in the third week of September, when Denver is overrun by brewers and beer enthusiasts. This festival is always a great time, I'll see you at the Falling Rock!

Back to making beer- drop us a line if you've got any questions or you're looking for Evolution beer near you.

Geoff

More Kegs, More Beers, Need More Space

2009-07-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

Early this week we took delivery of another 300 kegs. We now have kegs all over the building, we can't even open the door to the brewery without whacking some kegs- good thing they'll all be filled soon, and given a good home at some of the fine establishments Tommy listed in the previous post. That's a long list- glad I didn't have to type it in! Thanks to all the great places that sell our beers- there are no words to express our gratitude.

So what's new?

Recently we submitted applications with "the man" to approve labels for our three core beers (Primal Pale, Exile ESB and Lucky 7 Porter) in 12 oz bottles. If everything goes as we hope we should be rolling them out around Labor Day.
We're also looking at distribution in Delaware, which could happen even sooner.
And we now have three new beers in the planning/prototype stage which will hit the market in draft form in August/September:
In the fall we'll be doing a unique twist on the seemingly ubiquitous pumpkin ale- we have a pumpkin patch planted by a local farmer, and details on this (the unique part) will certainly follow.
On tap at the brewery we have "India Pale Ale Lot #1", our ipa prototype. While not exactly what I'm looking for in our finished product (a little too strong at 7.1%abv and needs a little more malt backbone) that we'll bring to market, I've certainly been enjoying it. It's pretty darn hoppy with 2.5++ pounds per barrel of hops. Folks have been buying up tons of growlers of this stuff. "Lot #2" will be brewed next week.
And today we brewed the prototype for our stout, tentatively titled "Jamaican Sunrise Stout"- it's a big, roasty Caribbean style stout that will be finished with Rise Up coffee (Eastern Shore's finest!). Today's brew was unbelievable- it literally went perfectly and I'm stoked. Half this batch will be aged in bourbon barrels (sans coffee) and the rest will be sold in our tasting room.

So long story short we have tons going on, and if you stop by the tasting room you'll certainly get to try something that you can't get anywhere else. We'll keep you posted as we get closer to rolling out the bottles and new beers.

Geoff

Updated List of Places to Get Evolution

2009-07-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

Ok Guys-This is the Current list of Place s to Get your Evolution Craft Brews. Please check them out. They are all cool places to hang and drink good beers. tk

Baltimore
Alexander's Tavern
Max's on Broadway
Blarney Stone Pub
The Hill
Loco HomBre/Alonso's
Dead Freddies
Mahaffey's Pub
Max's on Broadway
DUDA's Tavern
Golden West Cafe
Grand Cru
Metropolitan Coffee House & Wine Bar
Baltimore Taphouse
Parkside Restaurant
Lemongrass
Blue Hill Tavern
Shula's Steakhouse
Phillips HarborPlace
Ropewalk Tavern
Emerland Tavern
Ale Mary's
Stalking Horse
Grumpy's

Bel Air
BottleWorks
Sean Bolan's

Columbia
Frisco Burritos

Berlin
Assateague Island Oasis
The Globe

Cambridge
A Few of My Favorite Things
ClearView at Horn's Point
Ocean Odyssey

Easton
Town and Country
Washington Street Pub

St Michaels
Ava's Pizzeria
Carpenter St. Saloon
Miles River Yacht Club

Oxford
Schooner's

Chestertown
Brix
Andy's
O'connors Pub & Restaurant

Salisbury
Break Time
Boonies Restaurant and Bar
Flavor's Italian Grille
Cheers
Market Street Inn
Outback Steakhouse
The Red Roost
Sobo's Wine Beerstro

Frederick
Danielle's
Patrick's Irish Pub

New Market
Morgan's American Grill

Ocean City
Fager's Island(All 3, John Rocks!)
Phillips Crab House
Phillips Seafood House
Marlin Moon Grill
Sunset Grille

Prince Frederick
Houligans Draught House

Pittsville
Station 7 Restaurant

Parkville
Racers Cafe

Down With the Brown

2009-06-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

One of the advantages of having a tap room adjacent to our brewery is that we can use it to sell beers that aren't going to be released into distribution. Experimental, prototypes, etc- they can be packaged and rolled up front, sampled and sold to our local customers (we love those guys). We just put on our Boulevard Brown, which is an English brown ale-deep brownish red, fruity, almost vinous, and slightly sweet with notes of toffee, caramel and molasses. In this case we brewed this beer to grow our English yeast strain into a large enough amount to use for our ESB and Porter. This one won't be released into distribution, so the only place you'll find it is our taproom in Delmar- samples and growlers to go.

Back in the brewery we've got some Lucky 7 aging in a bourbon barrel that will show up in the tap room soon, and a prototype for our IPA that we're shooting to release in the fall is in the works. All a perfectly good reason to stop by the taproom and see what's going on.

Cheers,
Geoff

Busy Couple Days!!

2009-05-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

Well-One month in to distribution and we are quite busy. Geoff has had to bring some people in to help in the brewery and "Fat Boy" Scheckells is filtering and kegging his butt off. The beers have been very well recieved since our debut at the St. Michaels Wine fest last month. We have added a full time "beer geek" to our tasting room. His name is Mike. Great guy! Ask him very technical brewing questions just to test him while he is "in the weeds" pouring growlers.
Anyway, as of this week we have had the luck to find our draft at these fine establishments:

Alexanders Tavern in Fells
Max's on Broadway
Mahaffeys Pub
Metro Coffee House and wine Bar
Phillips Seafood Harborplace
Racer's Cafe
Houligan's Draught House
A Few of my Favorite Things
Clearview at Horns Point
Ocean Odyssey
Andy's In Chestertown
Washinton Street Pub in Easton
Boonies Restaurant and Bar in Tyaskin
Cheers in Salisbury(Keg Sales)
Market Street Inn in Salisbury
The Red Roost in Whitehaven
Sobo's Wine Bistro(Salisbury)
Phillips Crab House(Ocean City)
Phillips Seafood House(Ocean City)
Outback Steak House(Salisbury)
Break Time Sports Bar(Salisbury)
Station 7 Restaurant(Pittsville)
Marlin Moon(Ocean City)
Sunset Grill(Ocean City)
Island Oasis(Ocean City)
Fager's Island(Ocean City)

More Coming Next Week-Please visit these great place and "Ask For an Evolution", and If you are not at one of these places ask anyway. My beautiful girlfriend, Lorien(Who just turned 30) told me to say that, and I kinda like it.

More to Come......Cheers, Tom(head bottlewasher)

St Michaels Food and Wine Fest

2009-05-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at the St Mike's Food and Wine Fest. Folks really liked the beer, the weather was perfect, and we were a few feet off the water (like "don't lose your balance" close). The glare in the background here is right off the water-

One of the best things about beer/food whatever festivals is trying new things, and this one was no exception. We were right next to Firefly Farms from out in western MD, and these guys have the best cheese. A great variety- fresh chevre, brie, a montenebro-type, a bleu and some aged- all goat. And they were just awesome, and really worth checking out if you see them. Pablo and Mike were working like madmen cutting cheese for the throngs, and the long line had the luxury of waiting in front of the Evolution booth and trying some craft beer. What a country! This fest is definitely in the "must visit" category for next year.
-Geoff

What Is That? (Part 1)

2009-04-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

This post is the first installment in our "what is that" series. It should be a long series, because there are a ton of things in a brewery that would make the average joe say, what is that.
So the answer is, it's the best coffee you've never had. It's coffee from Rise Up Coffee, the best coffee on the Eastern Shore and honestly the best I've ever had. And I like coffee (I really like coffee). Tim and his crew at Rise Up do an incredible job, and we're so lucky to be making beer with coffee this good. I've made coffee beers in the past (usually from that ubiquitous Seattle-based coffee chain) and it's no contest- Rise Up rules.
So, the coffee- it's cold steeping (keeps it less harsh and smoother), waiting to be blended with our Lucky 7 Porter as a special treat for folks visiting our tasting room in the next couple of weeks or stopping by our table at the St. Michaels Food and Wine fest next weekend. That's the only way anyone can get it- except Tim, who has a growler waiting for him.

-Geoff

Detective Work

2009-04-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

We had our new signs put up last week, and they're looking good. But just prior to the removal of the old signs ("Delmar Food Rite" or something like that) we noticed that someone had left a calling card in the "e" of "Delmar". I know it couldn't be any of the gang over at Dogfish, as they are too busy ramping up expansion plans. So who could it be? We'll just have to get to the bottom of this little mystery...

-Geoff

Brewing Continues

2009-04-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

Progress continues on the brewing front- Primal Pale, Exile ESB and Lucky 7 are all in the tanks and fermenting away. Our signs are up (more on that later), the place is straightened up and everything looks like we'll be rolling out kegs in a couple of weeks. I'm off to snap pictures of the new signs for everyone.

-Geoff

In Process

2009-03-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

Our first two brews of Primal Pale Ale went off nicely last week. Everything came in to spec, and only a few minor issues popped up- all in all, a very nice beginning. Both batches are fermenting away, and will be ready for delivery by the middle of April. This week we'll be brewing our Exile ESB, a hoppy, full flavored copper ale. Based on the classic English Extra Special Bitter-style beers, we're brewing this one in the same spirit but with some subtle twists in hops and malt. Later in the week we'll brew the Lucky 7 Porter, a rich, full-bodied porter with notes of caramel, chocolate and smoke. This one is full of malt depth and character. We'll keep you posted as fermentation continues, and update on where to find the beers when the time comes.

-Geoff

Stretch Run

2009-03-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

Looks like an operating brewery, doesn't it? It nearly is. We are now licensed by the Federal Government and have a couple state and local approvals to go, but we fully expect to be brewing next week. That means finished beer by the middle of April. Things have been finalized with our distributor (the great team at FP Winner) and we're all pretty excited to get going. First on deck to be brewed: our Primal Pale Ale. This one is a dry refresher of a pale ale, assertively hopped with a toasty malt backbone. Plenty of American hops throw out the citrus, piney notes that work so well in a pale ale, and we've added a couple of earthy, spicy varietals to add some complexity to the hop profile. This isn't a big, overblown palate-wrecker of a pale ale (though we love those), but a balanced beer (at 4.8% abv) focused on food compatability. After the Primal Pale is brewed we'll get to our other two core beers- Exile ESB (evolution-style beer) and Lucky 7 Porter. More on those two later. As for those oak barrels in the background of today's photo? More on those later as well....

-Geoff

Blame Dell

2009-03-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

So it has been a while since the last post, but I have a perfectly good reason. My computer's power connection broke and had to be repaired. Before you blame me, let me defend myself. The question is not whether or not I abused my computer. I did. But when this becomes a country where I can no longer abuse a five year old piece of delicate electronics and blame the manufacturer when it breaks, well, then we are really in dark times. So in the spirit of the country I love, I will insist that the fault was not mine, but Dell's. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

So for the last week and a half I have struggled to learn the ways of our desktop at home, the Mac, which I do not like. I don't even know how to copy and paste. But I'm here. As for Evolution? We're 95% done with our physical facility- we're so close to brewing that our first shipment of malt and hops will be here tomorrow. We're waiting on final approval from the ATF and the state, and hopefully we can coordinate that with our yeast order to be brewing as quickly as possible- we expect to have beer sometime in early April.

-Geoff

Hello March

2009-02-27T11:39:00.000-08:00

Here's the view of the brewhouse from just behind the cold water tank, down the aisle of fermentation and bright beer tanks. Nearly all of our plumbing is completed, and much of the electrical work as well. Monday we may fire up the boiler, as well as trying to clean up a little. By the end of next week we should be running test boils, cleaning tanks, and prepping for when "the man" gives us the ok to begin production.

Freezing on the Eastern Shore

2009-02-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm not sure I buy into the tales of mild Eastern Shore winters- it's cold and windy, and I'm thinking Boston couldn't be worse. As of today, all our equipment is more or less in place, awaiting wiring, piping and/or cleaning. Work on the taproom is well along, and steam, cooling and wiring are moving forward- check out the photo from twitter on the sidebar. This morning we had a visit from the Eastern Shore sales crew of FP Winner, who we hope will be our Maryland distributor- hopefully they'll be back soon so we can finish the tour in the proper way: with a beer. Happy birthday to Frank, our ever knowledgeable and helpful pump guy!

Details, Details

2009-02-12T12:01:00.001-08:00

As we get closer to startup the amount of "little things" becomes a mountain. Between production, packaging, setting up the tasting room, the number of small details is huge. From calculating how much glycol coolant our system will require to ordering safety glasses, never mind malt and hops, the list seems endless at times. Every day a few more get checked off, and every day we're one day closer to our first brew. Recipes for our three core beers are nearing completion. I imagine they'll be tweaked as we see how things play out on our system, but the broad strokes are definitely in place.

Construction Continues

2009-02-06T12:53:00.000-08:00

All the tanks are now inside except our big 40 barrel tanks, and they'll come in on Monday. The bulk of the plumbing should be completed next week, and our bottling line should be here next week as well. We can't wait to get down to some serious cleaning- and brewing should be right behind that...

Moving Day

2009-01-30T04:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we started loading tanks into the building. Construction is moving along, plans for packaging and distribution are as well. Getting tanks into the building made things feel really tangible- and also reminded us how much work there still is to do. Now to the bulk of the plumbing and electrical work- we should be only a few weeks away from a functioning brewery.

Welcome!

2009-01-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

Thanks for checking out our blog for the Evolution Craft Brewing Company. We'll keep everyone up to date on how construction is going, and when we're rolling out product where you can find it. Background on our beers, upcoming products and events will all be found here, and we'll be keeping extra up to date with twitter if you decide to get really obsessive. Cheers!