Abell Based Brewery Could Begin Production in May

Batches of beer could be rolling out from Charm City Brewing Company in Abell by May.

J. Hollis B. Albert III, chief executive officer of Charm City Brewing, said his company is close to signing a lease/purchase agreement with the current owner of 401 E. 30th St. where the company intends to open only the third brewery in Baltimore.

“Having a brewery come back to Baltimore, and especially having it named Charm City, we’ve had nothing but support,” Albert said.  

The brewery is being opened with partners Baltimore-Washington Beer Works, which makes The Raven Beer, and Oliver Breweries, which owns the Pratt Street Ale House.  

Albert also said they are talking with two other companies about producing their beers at the facility, but he wouldn’t say who those companies are.

There will be no consumption on the site, which is across the street from Barclay Elementary School.

He said the company will travel to Canada next week to examine brewing equipment and that if all goes well that equipment could be on site in 65 to 70 days.

He said that would give the brewery the month of April to “work out the kinks” and they could begin production in May.

Albert declined to say how much is being invested in the brewery, but estimated it would create six to eight full time jobs.

The brewery is taking over the 50,000-square-foot space that has been empty since the Beverage Capital Corporation, which made soft drinks at the location, left. He said he was drawn to the building because it already had features such as a 20-foot high ceiling and a quality control room that were needed for a brewery.

“I ran across the site on 30th Street and the site is literally perfect,” Albert  said.

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, who represents the district where the brewery will be located, said that she and the community are very happy with the idea of  a brewery coming to the neighborhood.

"It's so cool. We've always been the progressive center of Baltimore, now we're leading in beer," Clarke said in an interview in early December.