The History of Local Beer Brewing is Brought Back to Life
Oliver opens new brewery + tasting room in Belair-Edison.
Born in 1993 in the basement of a brewpub in downtown Baltimore, the original Oliver brewing equipment was brought over from the U.K. with the aim of creating authentic English ales.
When it came to get serious about a new facility to brew in a dedicated space we knew it had to stay in Baltimore City and we feel lucky to have landed in Belair-Edison.
Long before the recent influx of craft brewers in town, there was Oliver Ales. Founded in 1993 by Bill Oliver and brewed out of the then-Wharf Rat (now Pratt Street Ale House), the company has always been known for its English-style ales. When Oliver was ready to move on in 2008, Justin Dvorkin and his partners bought the brewing facility and have been expanding ever since.
The latest venture is a 12,000-square-foot brewing facility in Clifton Park, which will be the new headquarters of Oliver Brewing Company, which is also launching a complete rebrand to coincide with the opening in June.
“The brewing equipment at Pratt Street Ale House was never designed to meet this kind of demand,” Dvorkin says, citing Oliver’s other projects, The Ale House in Columbia and Park Tavern in Severna Park. “We’re at the point where it’s difficult to supply our own restaurants. So we’re in a constant state of catching up.”
To meet this increasing demand, Dvorkin and his partners purchased an old ice storage facility on Shannon Drive in Belair-Edison, which has the capacity for 10,000 barrels and will allow Oliver to double its operation. Eventually, Oliver will stop brewing at Pratt Street Ale House.
“We’re also building out a really nice tasting room,” Dvorkin says. “Plus the facility has a large parking lot area for future festivals and events.”
Tour their new 12,000 sq. ft. brewery to see how they brew, hear from their team, and enjoy a few beers. Check out the custom fabricated, 4-vessel, 20-barrel brewhouse made in America by Craftwerk Brewing Systems. You’ll also get an inside look at their barrel aging program.
Content courtesy of Baltimore Magazine.
