With so much brew news in the past year, we at DCBeer Media LLC wanted to spotlight Babycat Brewery, one of the newer breweries in Maryland located in Kensington (right outside of the Capital Beltway). Babycat Brewery roared onto the scene in November of 2022 and has made a splash by producing classic styles with a twist. Pittsburgh native Sam Mussomeli (now a Kensington local) and Kensingtonian Terry Redmond dreamed of bringing craft beer to the historic neighborhood and have done so masterfully. Sam’s passion for craft beer comes from his time in the restaurant industry, coupled with several years of homebrewing. Babycat has lived by the motto, “if you invest in the community, the community will invest in you.” Beer flows in abundance at their 10241 Kensington Parkway taproom, but the real product is the experience you have while you’re there.
With 10 beers on tap, the styles are just the starting point. Partnering with local and regional businesses, Sam and Terry have brought an abandoned auto shop in sleepy Kensington to life. The tap room seats 100 people with space for an additional 150-200 on the ever-expanding patio. Coming Fall 2023, their space will feature a 750 square foot two-tier patio with room for 65 people on the second floor. Babycat also offers a secret garden seating element along the side of the MARC train tracks. Attention to detail can be seen in every aspect of their space, but especially the inviting taproom. From the original Appalachian & Ohio Railroad in West Virginia that serves as the foot rail of the bar to the restored barn doors from Western Pennsylvania that provide comfortable bench seating in the tap room, bringing BabyCat to fruition was no small task. Featuring lighting elements that date back to the early 1910s and craftsmanship from Mennonites, each seating element was thought out with care and the goal to provide patrons with a laid-back space that can always spark a story. Best summarized, the space provides a taste of Kensington with a Pittsburgh twist.
Now, to the beer! Their Kieffer’s Kolsch has truly been a treat and a tap room favorite, but that’s by no means all they have. An assortment of lagers, American and hazy IPAs, a rauchbier, and their Raspberry Wheat Ale keep locals coming back for more and newcomers interested. Wines and prosecco are available as well for the non-beer drinkers looking to enjoy the space. A kid-friendly environment helps make that weekend happy hour plan just a bit easier. Take note, Babycat sells to-go cans and fills growlers, but no growlers are available for purchase. Dogs are welcome and obviously cats (outside only). Food is allowed on premise and is usually provided by partners Dish & Dram or local food trucks.
Their current event list consists of weekly Trivia (Wednesday), with live music frequently and more events on the horizon (stay tuned for Carrooka nights – a game that mixes elements of billiards, shuffleboard, and carrom on a rotating board). Big events to watch out for are their 5k Breast Cancer event coming in October and their MASSIVE Halloween Costume Party at the end of October. If you missed their St. Patty’s Day this past March 2023, take note to not miss it again. The same can be said of their annual SummerFest party, so mark your calendars for March 2024 and late July 2024 because you won’t want to miss these events!
Special thanks to the Town of Kensington, all the partners that did the build out, their can art specialist (IG: @pseudodudo), Kensington native Nicole Bourgea (IG: @nicolebourgea) for her amazing murals, and to Sam and Terry of Babycat for your time and awesome beer. Cheers to the Kings of Kensington!
P.S. And yes, they have working cats. Their names are Lexi & Luther.
