Arts
Welcome to the first episode of season three of the Naptown Pintcast. This podcast was recorded on a late chilly afternoon in mid-February — snuggled up in the VIP booth at Waverly Brewing Company in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore. …under the menacing gaze of Snowball and Binky. My guests on this “roundtable” episode are Brendan O’Leary (cofounder of True Respite Brewing Company and the Treasurer of the Supporters of Maryland Brewing PAC), Avery Strachan (of Waverly Brewing Company, as well as the Government Affairs Chair for the Brewers Association of Maryland), and Kelly Dudeck (Chief Strategy Officer of Grow & Fortify, representing the Brewers Association of Maryland.) Melissa Yukna (managing partner and general manager of Waverly Brewing Company) also joined us briefly during our conversation. Our discussion centers around what the 2019 Maryland General Assembly session holds for Maryland craft brewers. As I reported last week in my column last week for The Capital, the brewers are leading with a message clearly underscored with confidence and optimism. Though that confidence is warranted, it may be a surprise to some, given the tenor of legislative discourse around craft brewery regulation in Maryland in 2017 and 2018, under the cloud of House Bill 1283. Listen in to learn what’s different about this year, why things are different this time around, how Guinness has been an active, supportive partner with Maryland craft brewer legislative priorities, and… the story of Snowball and Binky.