We've not heard any reports of power outages affecting Baltimore-area craft breweries, save for one brewer who shamelessly admitted he might as well stay at work brewing because the power was still out at his place), but we know that's not universally the case. Communications interruptions--cell phone signals still out, internet connections still down--are affecting beer salesmen and liquor stores in the region, and many customers are still without power, stopping in to bars to recharge cell phones, check e-mails on wi-fi, and have a pint while they're at it.
Harbor East, Fells Point, and some downtown venues reported a brisk weekend business; apparently Washingtonians without power flocked to Baltimore hotels to wait out the power outages (must be nice to have the money to drop on an impromptu weekend getaway, huh, folks?), and patronized local bars and restaurants.
The Washington Post, on the other hand, just posted this video covering a frantic, and down-to-the-wire, effort by Alexandria, Va.'s Port City Brewing to rig up an emergency generator to "save the ales" from overheated fermentation:
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"and many customers are still without power, stopping in to bars to recharge cell phones, check e-mails on wi-fi, and have a pint while they're at it."
Count me among that number. Thank God for places like Max's and Hudson St. Stackhouse, with their free wi-fi.
"apparently Washingtonians without power flocked to Baltimore hotels to wait out the power outages (must be nice to have the money to drop on an impromptu weekend getaway, huh, folks?)"
Spending a couple of days cooling my heels in a hotel doesn't sound like my idea of a good time... it's the sort of thing I would only "enjoy" if the alternative was sweltering at home in 90 degree heat. That being said, this is clearly an unexpected gold mine for hotels in the area. Crystal City hotels indicated on Saturday that they were getting 10 to 15 phone calls an hour, asking about reservations. I decided last night that I'd had enough, and so despite the $125 to $150 a night charge, I tried to find a room in a local hotel (in the Owings Mills area). All 5 hotels I called said they were fully booked, with the local HOJO wouldn't even answer the phone.
Good times...
Do you remember the "beta batch" of Clipper City's Winter Storm that was affected by the power outage from Hurricane Isabel in September 2003? It was bottled and sold at discount at the brewery. I may have liked it more than the subsequent version that turned out as intended.
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