Mark’s Score 8.8
Several years ago, I passed Sinepuxent Brewing Company while driving to Assateague State Park. I made a note to give it a try, but then I forgot all about it. Last week I was doing some holiday shopping in Ocean City and I decided to go to Sinepuxent for lunch.
They call themselves a “farm brewery,” which I guess is a brewer’s version of the farm-to-table movement in the restaurant industry. They are even located on a 17-acre (6.9 hectares) farm on SInepuxent Bay between Ocean City and Assateague State Park. In keeping with the “farm brewery“ theme; the tasting room looks like a barn. In addition, they have placed several farm vehicles on the front lawn. But their “farm brewery” label is more than a gimmick. Sinepuxent Brewery is an actual working farm, they grow blueberries, strawberries, apples, pears and hops, all of which are incorporated in their beers. They also raise animals and all of this is incorporated into the farm experience. Guests can picnic on the front lawn, pick berries in season, and even pet the farm animals.
However, I visited off season, I was there just for the food and beer. There were no animals to pet or berries to pick. As it was the off season, I was their only customer on the day that I visited. I walked into the tasting room and was immediately greeted by a friendly bartender. Honestly, I think he was happy just to have the company. Unfortunately they were not serving food, which is a shame because I was looking forward to a bowl of mac and cheese with my beer.
When I go to a brewery for the first time, I always order the sampler so I can get a feel for their brewing style. Their sampler includes four beers. You can choose any beer you want from the beers listed on two TV screens behind the bar. I chose the Thin Line Amber Lager, the Brewer’s Barrel Blend Belgian Ale, the Captain’s American Pale Lager, and Maggie’s Farmhouse Ale made with spelt rye.
I enjoyed all four beers. Though I didn’t finish it (it has an alcohol content of 8.8%, and I was drinking on an empty stomach), the Brewer’s Barrel Blend is perhaps the best Belgian-style beer I have had in many years. Of the four beers, I think my favorite was the Thin Brew Line, made with Gambrinus Mars malt from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.
Since I was the only customer, I did strike up a conversation with the bartender, and it seems we have the same taste in beer as the four I had chosen were his personal favorites. As circumstance dictated, I did not get the full experience at Sinepuxent, I rate brewers on the total experience, not just the beer. But this experience has me looking forward to my next visit, and another Belgian Ale with a big bowl of their mac and cheese.
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