Leisure

Get Out of Dodge

Your Trip Starts Here. It Ends with Beer.

Two things are a given in summer: you’re getting out of the city. And you’re drinking beer. Sometimes, you’re even doing both. Especially if you point your compass toward these outside-the-Beltway breweries along your road trip—some are new, some are just giving you new reasons to visit...

HEADING: SOUTHEAST

Beer Skateboards in Ocean City

Why You’re There: Defending your kiteboarding championship. Or just going to the beach.
What You’ll Find: Shorebilly Brewing, a tiny new spot right off the boardwalk, with a psychedelic bus sticking out of the front and bar stools made from old kegs.
What You’ll Drink: A flight of four beers served on an old skateboard.

HEADING: WEST

Leesburg’s New Brewery/Tasting Room

Why You’re There: Shopping for your next thoroughbred.
What You’ll Find: Crooked Run, a new brewery just off the main drag, which opens Friday with a tasting room and a tiny, shady patio.
What You’ll Drink: English pale ale and Belgian singles from a brewer who built his own brewing system.

HEADING: NORTH

A Huge Brewpub in Columbia

Why You’re There: You’re heading to a show at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
What You’ll Find: Well, a shopping center. But within it, a giant temple to hops from the folks behind Baltimore’s Pratt Street Ale House.
What You’ll Drink: A dozen house beers on tap, plus another 20 “guest drafts.”

HEADING: WEST

A Brewery in Wine Country

Why You’re There: You’re touring wineries.
What You’ll Find: A winery (Corcoran) that also has a brewery. You’ll arrive at the end of a remote dirt road to find a small barn with a BBQ pop-up outside and Phish playing inside.
What You’ll Drink: German lagers and black IPAs.

HEADING: SOUTH

Fredericksburg’s Boozy Trolley

Why You’re There: Civil War nostalgia.
What You’ll Find: A trolley. Specifically, a trolley that runs from the center of town to the Bowman whiskey distillery and the Blue & Grey brewery and back again, complete with tours, tastings and lunch in the brewpub.
What You’ll Drink: Just about everything.