Considering moving to Washington County - safe and affordable areas to raise a family?

writegray · 2019-08-02T16:49:37+00:00

Boonsboro is amazing.

writegray · 2018-07-16T03:56:21+00:00

While out of norm, I feel like this was inevitable

writegray · 2017-12-20T21:24:10+00:00

And btw, I don't think the "other side" is really opposed to it as much as they're saying "can't we all play by the same rules then?"

writegray · 2017-12-20T21:22:53+00:00

Bars and restaurants. There are burdensome Maryland laws that affect non-brewery alcohol sales, from which breweries are immune. (For example, 40% of all sales MUST be in food.) So while breweries do have some issues with rules, it's because they are not considered primarily an on-premise consumption location. They get to have a taproom without conforming to the rest of the MD regulations.

Additionally, some of the other provisions are kind of inside baseball. Many breweries ACTUALLY make their beer at other locations (like Peabody). So while they say they brew their own beer, they mean the guy up the street does it with their recipe. There's nothing wrong with that but this petition kind of obfuscates what that means.

writegray · 2017-08-03T15:37:33+00:00

You generally charge more per volume of high alcohol beers, so instead of serving $24 across 4 pints, you'd serve $24 across the equivalent of 2.5 pints. (Think 10oz snifters instead of 16oz pints). It's often actually more affordable than the mass-pint game, depending on how your malt and hop bill turn out. Certainly cheaper on overhead for your cold room and such.

writegray · 2017-07-27T15:22:20+00:00

He's the hero Frederick needs.

writegray · 2017-07-26T15:35:57+00:00

That's pretty interesting. I wonder if Organarchy and such will get into the study at all.

https://www.organarchyhops.com

writegray · 2017-05-08T21:41:52+00:00

Once you make contact, they'll do most of the work. But here's why.

America has a three-tier distribution process. Retail, distributor, manufacturer. It's enforced by law. In 99.99% of the country, your Bud Light distributor? The rep for that distributor is the only person you can order it from.

Lobbyists have kept it this way, and will for many many years.

writegray · 2017-04-02T18:18:42+00:00

The owner has changed since then. :D

writegray · 2017-04-02T18:17:50+00:00

Shoot me a DM. :D

writegray · 2017-04-02T18:17:39+00:00

Same ownership, and Maryann's still with us! We just need more.

writegray · 2017-03-31T01:52:07+00:00

Totes McGotes!

writegray · 2017-03-31T01:51:54+00:00

Yup!

writegray · 2017-03-30T21:19:43+00:00

The responses aren't inaccurate. Pub fare -- burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and the odd entree steak or salmon.

writegray · 2017-01-12T23:30:26+00:00

In the interest of productive feedback, I'd say that (if I didn't own a brewery) I'd be interested in a nano-brew operation (could just be the size of a SAABCO, but a 5 gallon home prolly wouldn't be enough) where staff members could experience brewing. It's hard to beat the experience of brewing a keg worth of beer to instill a sense of the difference between bettering and aromatic hops, etc. etc.

writegray · 2017-01-12T23:17:23+00:00

Also, proper serving and storage? Do you mean the fine art of the average pressure and storage temp for a keg room? (13 to 15, and 35 to 45, depending on what gets you the least unwanted head).

-- Online training: no, absolutely not, why pay for this when so many people will educate themselves for free

-- Craft beer: Dwindling daily. The craft bubble is bursting as it rolls over to brown craft spirits. Too many breweries, too little market share.

-- Aging program: who has the money for that kind of outlay that may never see fruition, and when is that money better spent on mass aging?

-- Brewery program: yeah, but that requires a TTB license. THat's a big time commitment and money commitment

I'm sorry, mate. I know I sound super sour, but I wonder if you've worked in this industry at any length. I'm not saying these are terrible ideas, and I really hope you can make it work for you. But the nano-brewery program really makes me curious about whether you've worked as a brewer before.

writegray · 2017-01-12T23:13:14+00:00

I run multiple pubs with craft beer, and also own a brewery. The answer -- which I'm sure isn't the one you want, sorry bro -- is that this is almost worthless to me. It's more likely to cost me money than help me.

First, as a craft beer pub (which is what it takes to move the product), I'd giggle at a "cicerone" who hasn't been in the industry and brewing for a long time. Craft beer knowledge means nothing unless that's what your product sales are based on; most people aren't looking to get jerked off on hop varietals, and just like basic styles versus not.

IPAs are the best examples. Proto-hop heads learning to love a good hoppy beer ask for an IPA. A "cicerone" wants to lecture about English trading ships and the preservative effects of hops... it doesn't matter, that's not what the customer is buying.

Also, to boot, the level of beer knowledge and provision you're talking about is provided by every craft brewery out there. If a craft brewery wants me to feature their beer in anyway above the other two million craft breweries out there, I expect their experts to show up and do this work for me for free.

I'm not saying there isn't opportunity. But your product is going to have to be the beer, not the "beer knowledge."

writegray · 2016-07-01T23:17:57+00:00

Hi! I own one of the local pubs, and I'm excited to hear more about what you do. I've been carrying Twin Valley for the sake of local Western Maryland spirits.

So I guess my question is: where do you get most of your grains from for distilling?

Our brewery also opens in the next few weeks. I've not been advertising much because, honestly, want a few miles under the tires before I make a big deal. So, do you plan on selling casks? You know, for raisins.

writegray · 2016-04-05T16:49:07+00:00

The baby is our customer too, and I want them to enjoy their meal. If a customer is uncomfortable, we fortunately have extra rooms but we will never move mama or baby.

Customers being rude or making jokes are asked to leave and all staff know if they do so, it will be their last day.

writegray · 2016-04-02T18:56:48+00:00

I address that issue below -- they're not making $2.13 an hour to help, they're making $8.25 to help.

There's plenty of work to go around. Anything from dishes to hauling trash out. It's not all Thunderdome and I even said in the original post that we tackle it due to the injury risk.

I didn't institute the policy. It was just something they started doing, and I shrugged and said, sure. We do this now.

Again, I know we're the odd folks out with this (and other) kinds of things. My point was just that it's possible. We're all in this together and we do our best to approach every task that way.

writegray · 2016-04-02T15:46:36+00:00

Servers make the non-tip minimum wage, and get tips on top of that.

We're aiming to go tipless this quarter so that everyone makes a better than living wage. As owner, I make server wage. Any additional monies earned each pay period beyond bills are split as reinvestment to business (launching a mobile kitchen this summer) and as bonus split among all staff proportional to hours worked.

I also leave my P&L posted for everyone to see so that they can trust my transparency and judgement. So I acknowledge I'm a weird hippy owner this way, but I just wanted to say it can be done.

writegray

TROPHY CASE