The second beer-related closure of 2024 is upon us, this time it’s a brewery.
March 2024 Update: Calvert’s intellectual property, meaning the beer recipes, names, and art, were sold to a group that is going to contract brew in the area.
“Sadly, Calvert Brewing Company officially closed early this year after ten impressive years. The brewery/taproom are being cleared out of all equipment and will not be reopening. But that’s far from the end!
Enter Calvert Beer Company. Like you, we are fans of their product, and we couldn’t stand by and see them disappear for good. We are a small, Maryland based, family owned business formed around the idea of keeping the Calvert Beers we all love alive. We are the new owners and keepers of the beer and want to ensure that the end product stays the same even if the process of getting there might look a little different. Everything will still be brewed in Maryland using the same recipes, the same methods, and sourcing the same ingredients. We are working closely with the previous owners to ensure consistency during this transition period and beyond.
New company, same beer. We will be keeping the most popular beers going and bringing back some old favorites. Our goal is to continue to grow the legacy of Calvert Beers and will look for opportunities to expand, engage, and support the amazing community here. We hope you’ll stay for the journey.”
From January 31st:
Calvert Brewing Company was founded in Prince Frederick, Maryland in 2014, and expanded to Upper Marlboro in 2016, becoming the first production brewery in Prince George’s County. The brewery website notes the closure, effective immediately, and the property is listed for lease by Colliers. They are the first area brewery to close in 2024.
The brewery had an inconsistent presence in the city proper, both in terms of cans at bottle shops and kegs at bars and restaurants; In My ‘64 West Coast IPA is on tap at The Salt Line now if you’d like to check them out and a few 4-packs are available at Sherry’s and Modern Liquors, among other spots. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
We reached out to Calvert’s ownership for comment and have not heard back, nor has the Washington Business Journal, which cited our January 18th post on Twitter as a closure announcement. They quote David Iannucci, president and CEO of the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corp.: the brewery “had a great operation, worked hard, but their location in an industrial park without Route 301 signage was a tough challenge to overcome.”
Jared Pulliam, co-founder and co-owner of Lost Generation Brewing Co., used to brew at Calvert. “This one cuts deeper,” he told us via email. “One of my fondest memories of Calvert was coming up with the new core West Coast IPA, In My ’64. I conceptualized the label and name and made the beer. When I first brewed it, it was just a one off, but people responded so well to it that the company actually replaced their existing core with it. I also had a great time cooking up Black Is Beautiful with Soul Mega out of DC. The tmave we made came out awesome and I think Soul Mega still makes an iteration of it to this day.” Indeed, that lager, initially brewed as part of the Black is Beautiful project, has been slightly modified to become Soul Mega’s Rhythm and Beauty dark lager. Soul Mega was one of several beer brands contract brewed at Calvert and has found a new home, according to Elliott Johnson, Soul Mega’s CEO and co-founder.
Iannucci’s quote is telling. In 2017, going to an industrial area to drink beer was viewed as cool and edgy to many people, but since then an additional 4,000 breweries in the US have opened and much of our attention has turned from exurban office and industrial parks to exurban farms like Elder Pine, Manor Hill, and Wheatland Spring. Many of the factors cited in the 2023 closure of Beltway Brewing are also in play here: both Calvert and their contract brewed brands faced challenges in distribution and retail caused by an influx of other beer brands while the disappearance of subsidized ride shares and other area brewery openings hurt on-premise sales.
Should another brewery take Calvert’s spot in Upper Marlboro, we’ll let you know. [February 20th update: an auction for brewery equipment is live.] In the meantime, pour one out for Prince George’s first production craft brewery.
One response to “Calvert Brewing Closes, But Wait”
There won’t be another brewery where Calvert was.
My understanding, from employees, is that the landlords raised rent quite a bit.
Possibly hoping to take advantage of increased property values with a nearby sports complex having open in the past 18 months, and the housing development of South Lake at the 214 and the 301 intersection.