If you've ever paused your Instagram scroll to look at someone's photos from Guinness' Dublin brewery, I have some great news for you—that freshly-brewed pint of Guinness just got even easier to reach (especially good news given WOW Airline's recent demise). For the first time in 60+ years, Guinness has a working brewery in the United States.
Opened in August outside Baltimore, MD, the Open Gate Brewery brews beers onsite, including the Guinness Blonde, which is now exclusively made in Maryland. They still get a few iconic beers from Ireland, including the Guinness Draught, Guinness Extra Stout, and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, so if you're a purist, don't you worry. You can grab a pint of the OG, then move on to a new, brewery-only release.
You can learn more about what's brewed where in a factory tour. Beer specialists guide guests through the taproom, show them how the brewing process works, and obviously, hand out some samples. When you're ready to refuel, you can order from more than a dozen beers up at the bar, or grab some food at the backyard food truck.
There's also a sit-down restaurant onsite called 1817—the year Guinness first shipped beer from Ireland to the United States. They've got tons of Irish-inspired entrées like Guinness and Beef Stew and typical pub fare like the 1817 Burger. Each plate, desserts included, has a recommended beer pairing.
The brewery itself is set on 62 acres of land owned by Diageo, Guinness' parent company and one of the largest alcohol brands in the world. (Seagrams is produced on the same property!) Grab your fellow beer fans and start planning a visit now.
