Beer of the Week

The beer: Catoctin Heritage Vienna Lager

Brewed by: Milkhouse Brewery, Mt. Airy, Maryland

Description (from the website): "One good lager deserves another, so we decided to see how Monocacy played with a grist heavy on Bear Branch's Vienna Malt.  The two go together wonderfully, with a smooth and toasty maltiness complimenting the floral earthiness of Monocacy."

Would I buy it again? Maybe it's not a huge surprise that this is a lot better than the American Lager. That's probably kind of the point of last week's beer, to be a cheap, simple beer for the masses. This beer has a lot more taste to it, and the hops are really doing a good job. It's still pleasant and easy to drink, but it's not watery. I'd probably buy it again, provided it doesn't cost too much.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Catoctin Heritage American Lager

Brewed by: Milkhouse Brewery, Mt. Airy, Maryland

Description (from the website): "This is a fresh take on our crisp clean local lager made with the freshest and most local ingredients possible. The crisp malty backbone is perfectly balanced with Monocacy to create a supremely satisfying Maryland beer."

Would I buy it again? This one is weaker than the pale ale last week, which I suppose isn't terribly surprising. This is a very plain and simple lager. So pretty much literally Yuengling, except this isn't quite as good. Close, but not quite. Just ever so slightly too watery. It's not far off, but I wouldn't go for it again as it is right now.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Green Farmer 22 / Catoctin Heritage Pale Ale

Brewed by: Milkhouse Brewery, Mt. Airy, Maryland

Description (from the website): "A classic 100% Maryland pale ale, made even more Maryland with the addition of our hop varietal 'Monocacy'. With Chinook bittering additions followed by copious amounts of Monocacy for aroma and presence, this is the first full batch of Maryland brewed beer featuring this unique hop varietal in quite some time! We are excited to share this piece of Maryland brewing history with everyone, and are even more thrilled about taking this interesting ingredient into the future of Maryland beer."

Would I buy it again? We've got the first beer in the Monocacy hop trilogy this week. And it's excellent. Not too bitter or hoppy, well balanced, easy to drink, and very tasty. I'm really happy I went out of my way to buy it, and I hope it sticks around. We'll see how the two lagers pan out, but I'm pretty excited now.

Beer Wars: A New Hop

Of the four main ingredients in any beer, the hop is the most particular and niche. We don't grow barley or wheat just for beer, yeast is used in many sorts of baking, and obviously water has a few uses, but hops are really only used for beer, and more importantly, they can only be effectively grown in a few areas. Bavaria in Germany and Washington state account for something like two-thirds of the world's hop production (don't quote me on that percentage, but either way, it's a lot). You can grow hops plenty of places, and there are certainly plenty of non–beer-related hops that flourish outside Germany and Washington, but if you want mass hop production, your options are limited. Beer hops require a specific soil and climate.

Take Maryland, for example. There are numerous farm breweries throughout the state that grow their own hops, but the total acreage devoted to hop growth is 20. That compares with over 50,000 acres in the Pacific Northwest. They need constant care in Maryland, as they're vulnerable to both excessive heat and numerous diseases and pests. But what if there was a hop that was adapted to the Maryland climate? A hop that's been here for many years and could be used in beer?

Say hello to the Monocacy hop. Discovered in 2013, it's completely unique, unknown anywhere outside Frederick County in Maryland. While technically it's not native, it's been naturalized, having been in Maryland since the early 1800s. That means it can survive Maryland's adverse conditions. And unlike other invasive species from Japan, it produces flowers usable in brewing. But the question is, while the research into the hop shows it can be used in beer, does the Monocacy hop taste good? And now, in 2023, the hop is moving out of the lab and into commercial production. Milkhouse Brewery in Mt. Airy, Maryland, came out with three beers utilizing the Monocacy hop. And while I would suggest any interested parties go out and try it for yourself, since Milkhouse is a 25-minute drive from home, I went out and secured all three of these new beers for myself. So, if you're curious, I'll be reviewing all three for the next 3 weeks.