More than 50 people gathered at The Globe in Berlin last week for the kickoff of Shore Craft Beer Lovers Month here on the shore and to celebrate the fact that Gov. Larry Hogan would be announcing the beginning of the second annual FeBREWary: Maryland Craft Beer Lovers Month.
Sen. Jim Mathias joined brewers from all over the Shore to toast the event, which will see a peninsula-wide push to assert the Eastern Shores position as one of the nation’s top craft beer destinations.
“I want to thank each and every one of you for all that you do,” Mathias told the crowd before leading the kickoff toast.
Attendees were drinking Shore Craft Beer provided brews from Fin City and from 3rd Wave to represent a beer each from Maryland and Delaware. Tastes of the beer also were provided to the restaurant patrons as a means of emphasizing the diversity of local beer.
“Here’s to all the gallons and pints and all the things you guys brew,” he said. “Raise your glasses because the Senate of Maryland says keep going and keep brewing.”
In addition to the Hogan’s and Mathias’ support, the effort to promote Shore Craft Beer has been adopted by the state as part of the bigger Maryland FeBREWary push. February tends to be quiet in Ocean City and along the Delaware beaches and this effort gives people both an excuse and incentive to come explore what is being touted as the Shore’s World Class Beer and World Class Beauty. Bars and restaurants all over the peninsula will be offering local craft beer specials as a tie in to the event, and hotels are offering special weekend getaways that include beer tours and tastings. Last year’s capstone event, Shore Craft Beer Fest: Love on Tap at Seacrets brought more than 200 hotel room nights and more than 500 out of town visitors to town on a traditionally slow weekend at the beach. This year’s event is already on pace to surpass those numbers.
“More than 70 percent of our festival attendees are from out of town,” said Shore Craft Beer CEO Ann McGinnis Hillyer. “People love the exclusivity of an all and only local craft beer festival.”
Click here more information about the Love on Tap specials in the region.
Tickets are still available for this year’s Shore Craft Beer Fest: Love on Tap at Seacrets here.
