There are some fantastic breweries in Frederick. I particularly enjoy the beers at Attaboy, Steinhardt, and Olde Mother. However, the best craft beer I’ve had in all of Maryland requires a 40-minute drive to Elder Pine Brewing.
In this article, I will share why these are my favorite breweries in the area and encourage you to plan a trip to Elder Pine.
Elder Pine Brewing Overview
A Farm Brewery in Rural Maryland
Nowadays, many breweries are housed in office complexes, business centers, or old downtown buildings. There’s nothing wrong with that.
If you can produce quality beer and create a decent tap room for customers, you can have a great brewery.
Visiting Elder Pine Brewing feels like visiting a farm. The property is surrounded by tall pines and has a rustic feel. The proprietors also make really, really good beer.
You can sit inside in the tap room, in an outdoor seating area, or weather permitting, amongst the tall pines in a magical beer garden (more on that below).
Elder Pine Brewing: Basics
Although Elder Pine has a Gaithersburg Address, don’t expect to visit busy Montgomery County. Elder Pine sits in a rural area about 15 minutes east of Damascus, about 40 minutes from Frederick.
This is definitely an ‘outing’ if you are visiting from Frederick. Consider making it a day trip and visiting some other breweries in the area like Silly Yak, Waradeca, and Stone Silo.
- Address: 4200 Sundown Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20882
- Web: ElderPine.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/elderpinebeer
- Phone: +1.301.377.9906
- Tasting Room Beers: elderpine.com/tasting-room
- Reservations: none / not needed
- Online Ordering: square.site
- Events: elderpine.com/events
High Quality Craft Beer at a Lovely Brewery Setting
The brewers at Elder Pine clearly have a strong understanding of their craft. After tasting their crisp German-style EP Pils, which I believe is the most challenging beer for local brewers to create, it’s evident that they excel in brewing quality beer.
The tap list at Elder Pine is long and impressive, filled with classic lagers, ales, and IPAs. They also have a knack for blended, barrel-aged sours filled with character.
The tap list rotates and each visit brings an opportunity to try new beers. But a few mainstays I’d recommend:
EP Pils. The Pilsner mentioned above, which you will see on many menus in Frederick, including at The Ordinary Hen and Showroom.
Moonscribe. There are various versions of this, but always a Belgian-style Blonde Ale that is delicate and refined.
Red Pine. A bright, Amber Ale that throws pine, citrus, and spice in your mouth. Fits the vibe of the brewery.
You can enjoy Elder Pine beers in many restaurants around Frederick, including The White Rabbit and even at Warehouse Cinemas while you watch a movie!
Technically a 'Blender'
You’ll notice that the name of the venue is Elder Pine Brewing & Blending Co. I’ve not seen this often at breweries, but EP actually practices the art of blending different beers to create a specific profile of flavor (similar to what winemakers do).
This is mostly something they do with their sour beers in an effort to find the perfect palate.
A Rustic Indoor and Outdoor Tap Room
As mentioned, Elder Pine has multiple places to sit and enjoy their beer, all are lovely.
The indoor tap room is not huge but comfy and rustic, with signature artwork adorning everywhere you see their brand.
The back of the main building also has an outdoor seating area with its own bar. Both places are great for enjoying a flight of Elder Pine beers.
The Elder Pine Food Truck
Like many breweries, Elder Pine hosts a food truck. It’s open from Thursday to Sunday. The menu is not extensive, but I’ve had the bratwurst and flatbread, and both are good.
A Majestic Outdoor Beer Garden Among the Pines
Maybe the most magical part of visiting Elder Pine is the outdoor beer garden located on the backside of the property.
This section of tall pines is outfitted with various seating arrangements, allowing guests to immerse themselves in nature while they enjoy craft beer.
When seated in this area, you can noticeably smell the pine, which enhances the beer tasting even more. The trees create a moody, dark canopy with string lights to set the mood.
Try to visit EP on a nice weather day to enjoy this outdoor section.
How About A Hike Before Beers?
If you follow this blog, you know that Nicole and I (especially Nicole) love hiking, and we are always looking for the best hikes near Frederick.
This brings up another bonus visiting Elder Pine- a great hike literally next door.
The Rachel Carson Greenway Trail is a 4.0-mile loop begins from a parking lot just behind Elder Pine. This makes for a great, moderate, pre-brewery hike.
You can shorten this hike to whatever suits you and make it just enough to feel like you’ve earned your craft beer and food truck flat bread.
What Else You Need to Know About Elder Pine Brewing
- Elder Pine is not big on events, but there are occasional musicians performing on the forest stage. Check the calendar.
- This is the kind of brewery where you buy some to-go beer. If you fall in love with it (like me), you can also order for pick up or delivery online.
