Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
With St. Patrick’s Day weekend a fleeting memory, officials at the Open Gate Brewery are busily counting the benefits of moving Guinness and the Irish brew it’s been making since the 1750s from Dublin to the Baltimore area.
Since the public opening of the brewery in Halethorpe last August, the $90 million home of Guinness in the U.S. has welcomed more than 250,000 visitors with plans to attract hundreds of thousands more. And, during the recent St. Patrick Day celebrations, Ryan Wagner, a Guinness Brewery Ambassador, estimate more than 40,000 pints of Guinness drinks sold for the holiday.
“The celebration of St. Patrick’s dates back centuries, but the version that most of us know is very much an American tradition,” said Wagner, adding that the recent holiday will be the first of many that will be celebrated at this new establishment.
“I am passionate about linking this site’s history with the future of Guinness,” Erin Lauer, Guinness plant manager, said.
When Guinness isn’t hosting celebrations and special events, officials host tours of the facilities to educate people about how their brews are made, what is novel about the Baltimore location, and the history of the original distillery. The facility houses a gift shop, tap room, multiple bars, and a restaurant.
For the first St. Patrick’s Day event at Guinness, the venue hosted outdoor music, games like Jenga and cornhole, and many local food trucks to entertain guests. The history of the site enhanced the activities.
“The historical point of view that was incorporated into the brewery made the whole St. Patrick’s Day experience come alive,” said Amber Deter, one of the more than 2,200 celebrators.
And, because of the history, Guinness officials said they strive for innovation as they incorporate American beer-making techniques. For example, the Guinness Blonde beer, a golden lighter brew is the flagship drink of the Maryland brewery. Officials said that this beer is now only made at the Baltimore location with many other popular styles of hoppy innovation being created. The Guinness IPA (India Pale Ale), Milk Stout, and White ale also are examples of new distinctive kinds of beers that are made exclusively in Maryland.
“We have brewed over 60 different beers,” said Peter Wiens, an American brew master at Open Gate. “… part of the reason for this remarkable variety is the comparatively smaller-sized brewhouse.”
The Open Gate Brewery facilities, as well as the location, are ideal for the many ways officials said they want to expand in the future. They point to the proximity of Halethorpe to Baltimore, Washington D.C, and other metropolitan areas.
For Deter, attending the event enabled her to not only celebrate the heritage of Guinness with drink and food, but also feel a part of its history.
“I will definitely be returning to do a guided tour of the facilities and see the process of how their [Guinness] beer is made,” Deter said.