ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
Thirty miles southeast of Baltimore, rustic Annapolis is home to Naval Academy and several historic landmark shops, lodges, and bars. Middleton’s Tavern, an historic slave auction house by the harbor docks, offered Fordham Brewery’s Middleton Pale Ale (spritzy spice-hopped, malt-smoked dry-bodied amber brew with fizzy lemon, peppercorn, and ginger accents) during April ’03 day trip.
In November ’06, headed up Main Street to red-bricked Irish pub, CASTLEBAY. Nautical stain-glass, antique wood furnishings, and left side bar festoon exquisite pint-size Irish pub. Castlebay crafts only one beer, but it’s flawless. Alongside a delectable full dinner menu (crabcakes ruled), traditional Irish brews Harp, Guinness, and Smithwick’s compete with site-brewed Three Nuns Ale, a silken, creamy-headed, milky-textured, nickel-hued medium body with pecan-fig-almond center, soft chocolate-crystal malting, bitter metallic hop bite, and delicate spicing. Perfect as Black & Tan fodder as well as complementing sundry foods.