MD Brewery Challenge #24

Salisbury, MD

The Maryland Comptroller, Peter Franchot, and the rest of the Reform on Tap Task Force headed to Salisbury. Their destination (and mine) was Evolution Craft Brewing Co. for a town hall meeting.

This was my second evening in a row hanging with the “Task Force”. I feel like a Peter Franchot groupie.

This was my first visit to Evolution Craft Brewing. After a 2-hour drive, it was nice to find plenty of parking. I walked past the patio and into the tasting room. The first 2 beers were on Evo – nice! I had an Evolution Lot #3, of course!

The mayor of Salisbury, Jake Day, and the owner of Evolution, John Knorr, spoke before Peter Franchot talked to the crowd in Evolution’s meeting room. Afterwards, a few questions were posed during the town hall. I took note of two.

One person asked about the Maryland liquor tax increase of 2010, from 6% to 9%. Maryland promised to use the extra tax money for public schools in Prince George’s County and Baltimore. He wanted to know where that money went. Peter Franchot, the state’s chief tax collector, did not know, but he assumed it went the same place that the revenues from the casinos went. (No one really knows.)

Chuck Ferrar, the owner of Bay Ridge Wine and Spirits,  suggested Maryland implement a tax-free week for liquor. He got a good laugh from Peter Franchot and the room.

The dining room was crowded, so I ate at the bar with some new friends. I sat next to the Kansas City landscape architect, Jason Kanak, who was building a ball field for Salisbury. He also happens to own part of a Kansas brewery, Brew Lab. It is a small brew pub in Overland Park, KS that also lets people make their own beer on premises.

Maryland Brewery Challenge

Hitting 57 breweries in one year seems a daunting task, and I’m way behind schedule. Evo was number 24, so I am slowly edging closer to my goal. If you find yourself on the Eastern Shore, make a point of stopping at Evolution Craft Brewing and order their Lot #3 IPA.

Cheers!

Warren