As Brookeville Beer Farm celebrates its eighth anniversary, the passion and dedication of its team shine through. Philip Muth, the farm manager, reflects on the journey with enthusiasm. “Our family had a background in farming. We saw an opportunity with this property and decided to start a brewery that integrates our love of beer and our love of sustainable agriculture practices,” he says.
Initially, the farm featured a 10-barrel brewery, which was the sole production facility until 2020. Now, while they still brew on-site, they’ve expanded with a production facility in Jessup, allowing them to brew on a larger scale and create contract brews for other companies.
One of their unique offerings each year is made from farm-grown peppers. “We typically harvest about 30 pounds of jalapeños in August or September. These peppers are then smoked and glazed with honey from our beehives and added to our blonde ale post-fermentation. This has to be my favorite seasonal beer that we make every year. It’s called South of Sunshine – Honey Pepper Blonde Ale; you’ll taste the sweet honey up front and it will finish with a mild kick from the spicy peppers.”
With a rotating selection, there are usually between 20 to 25 different beers available, including core selections enjoyed all year, along with seasonal and specialty varieties. In addition to beer, the farm recently acquired a wine license, hinting at exciting new beverages on the horizon.
Philip’s dedication goes beyond brewing. “As the farm manager here, I have spent the last eight years growing and harvesting all of our crops, maintaining our nutrient management program, operating the composting facility, and expanding our agricultural education program,” he says.
Currently, about 1.1 acres of land is cultivated. “This may not seem like much when comparing it to a typical mono-crop agriculture farm, but we are able to grow over 20 varieties of vegetables, fruits and herbs that we can use in our beer and add to our brick oven pizzas,” Philip says. Crops include five type of peppers, tomatoes, blueberries and herbs, including basil, dill and cilantro.
Yet, the heart of the farming operation is the hop yard, which has evolved significantly since Philip planted the first hops in 2014. What started as a small trellis of 100 plants has now expanded to nearly an acre, featuring over 1,400 hop plants. “We have grown many different varieties of hops on our farm,” he notes, though they now focus on the Nugget variety, which has proven the most successful in their climate.
“When you visit, you can be sure that no matter what you order, there is something that came from our farm in what you eat or drink. We add our honey to the house-made pizza sauce. Our herbs and vegetables can be found on our platters and in our pickle blend. And of course, our hops are in your glass.” As they celebrate their anniversary milestone, Brookeville Beer Farm continues to blend the art of brewing with sustainable farming practices, making for an unforgettable farm-fresh experience.
Hungry for more? Read about another farm brewery. Find a local Maryland Brewery.
Sign up for our newsletter and find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
