01 November 2009

Found: Decent Beer in Northwest

I've lamented in this blog in the past about how the northwest corner of suburban Baltimore was severely lacking in quality beer, either retail or in bars.  Well, I'm happy to report I've found at least two retail places up that-a-ways to answer the needs of good beer drinkers.

While in Pikesville yesterday, I asked one liquor store manager why craft beer seemed to not do well in that area.  His answer was perhaps harsh but accurate: "The average age around here is 65 years of age.  Old folks don't drink beer, and the ones with money buy wine and spirits, not microbrew.  The young folks get out of town as fast as they can."

Nonetheless, I discovered two places trying, at least, to offer an alternative point of view.  First, on the "main street" of Pikesville itself, I found Dugan's Discount Liquors at 1322 Reisterstown Road, which yesterday was offering free samples of a couple Oktoberfest and pumpkin beers.  They told me outright they had been working to stock a wider selection of beers just to stand out from the local competition.

Over off of Greenspring Road at Quarry Lake, a new retail development I had never seen or heard of before, I found the glitzy and impressive Quarry Wine & Spirits, also offering a decent selection of micros (200, according to their website), with only a token acknowledgment of mass-market beers.

Now, if we could just find a decent beer-serving restaurant or bar in that neck of the woods.....  any suggestions?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Sandy, don't forget Vineyard's Elite, in the same shopping area as the Giant in Pikesville. I should also add that Miller's deli in the Greenspring Shopping Center on Smith Ave has a decent selection and they are open on Sundays!