Sunday 28th of December 2014 09:37:47 PM

link
Ocean City Maryland is a very popular and enjoyable beach town. The lengthy Atlantic Avenue beachfront boardwalk is lined with hotels, shops and places to eat. The Coastal Highway that runs the center of the barrier island has many worthy stops including several new breweries. In the summer peak season, the town is quite crowded and parking can be a challenge, but with 5 breweries and some great bars, it is definitely worth visiting anytime. The Ocean City Brewing Co is a must-visit location. Look for the blue and white OC sign along the main coastal highway. They have a dedicated parking lot around their tall one story stucco building. The front of the building has large windows with their logo over the entrance. Just inside is the host stand and a gift shop area with shirts and brewery memorabilia for sale. Straight ahead is the dining area with several tables and further back is the bar area which has long high-top communal tables constructed from beer barrels. On the right is a long 20-chair dark wooden bar. Behind the bar are glass windows looking onto a row of stainless steel serving tanks. The place has the feel of a sports bar with several televisions and good background music. The walls are decorated with the brewery art. The floor is concrete and the high arcing ceiling is black and flat, creating loud acoustics. The place is spacious and has a friendly atmosphere. I took their tour which goes into the back of the long building. At the far back are large 30bbl stainless steel brewing vessels and large refrigerated cold room. You'll see their keg filling area, and they are in process of beginning to hand bottle bombers, and also contract out can filling. In the middle of the brewery are their 8 tall stainless steel fermenters. This brewery was built in late 2013, and it is impressive how large they are after just a year. They have 23 house brews on tap which are available by glass or 3-beer sampler flight. They also offer a couple sizes of growlers to go. In keeping with a beach town theme, the sample flight trays are in the shape of a small surfboard. Their food menu is expanded pub fare with good appetizers, salads, burgers, tacos, gourmet flatbreads, specialty eggrolls, sandwiches, and a few seafood entrees. The service is friendly and helpful, and I enjoyed the tour and their hospitality. The beer is good and includes some real charmers. This brewery is impressive, and is the crown jewel of the OC brewing scene.