Tuesday, April 2, 2013
A Washington Post nightlife critic calls the Columbia bar impressive and "a fine showcase for Oliver Ales."
Washington Post nightlife critic Fritz Hahn made the trip up Route 29 to visit Columbia's newest beer bar—Ale House Columbia—last week. In his review, he described the restaurant which serves beer brewed in Baltimore as "a fine showcase for Oliver Ales, and it's a good place to watch a game with a cold brew in hand." He called the tap list of more than 20 beers impressive and said coupled with "a taco platter or one of the juicy burgers; it's worth the trip." The bar, which opened in December, has been popular enough to cause a parking problem in the main the lot, which is shared with other restaurants, a gym and retail stores. It's a problem the Post critic also pointed out. Read the full review by clicking here. Have you been to Ale …
Thursday, January 3, 2013
A study recently released by a Maryland group found approximately $100 million in new business revenue could be generated from sales of beer and wine in chain stores.
A recent study commissioned by a statewide advocacy group found selling beer and wine in chain stores could result in significant revenue for Maryland. The study concluded that opening up wine and beer sales in chain stores, such as convenience stores and groceries, would generate $72 million in upfront licensing fees for the state. The issue of alcohol sales in chain stores became a major topic in Columbia in the summer when the husband of the president of Wegmans attempted to open a 10,000 square foot liquor store on the second floor of the new grocery store. The Howard County Beverage Board voted down that proposal after its members agreed it would violate state law and harm local businesses. Currently, Maryland is only one of four …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Wine Bin Owner: 'Yes, I have beer.'
The Wine Bin added a small addition to its signs on Main Street in Ellicott City on Wednesday. They modified the sign to say "and beer..." at the bottom. "People always tell me 'I didn't know you have beer'," said owner Dave Carney about the small addition to the sign. "Yes, I have beer." The Wine Bin, which is locally known for its large selection of wines and its outdoor movie screenings in the summer, has also been home to a large selection of craft beer for the past four years, said Carney. This winter, Carney said the store will be adding two kegs behind the counter to begin selling growlers of hard-to-find beer. Carney explained customers will be able to purchase a Wine Bin growler, which the store will fill out of the two kegs in …
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Democrats and Republicans agree on this issue, according to poll results.
A recent poll shows that a majority of Marylanders favor being able to buy beer and wine at chain stores, despite the fact it's illegal for most chain stores in the state to hold a liquor license. A poll conducted in late September by Gonzales Research found that 64 percent of Marylanders favor being able to buy beer and wine at chain stores. The issue crosses party lines. The poll found that 56 percent of Democrats and 77 percent of Republicans believe chain stores should be able to sell beer and wine. The poll was conducted for Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws (MBBWL), an advocacy group that has supported repealing laws that ban chain stores from receiving liquor licenses. Adam Borden, president of MBBWL, said Gonzales was …
Check out what's going on this weekend at the Maryland State Fairgrounds.
Prost! The Maryland Brewer's Association annual Oktoberfest celebration returns to the Maryland State Fairgrounds this weekend. Twenty-three Maryland breweries will be serving up the best brews the state has to offer. The beer will flow Oct. 13, from noon to 5:45 p.m. in the grandstand at the Timonium fairgrounds racetrack. Saturday’s Oktoberfest will be a great opportunity to check out stalwarts like Olivers Breweries, DuClaw Brewing, Flying Dog and The Brewer’s Art but will also offer a chance to sample suds from relative newcomers to the Maryland brewing scene. Columbia's own Frisco Tap House and Brewery will be showcasing some of their newest Push brews, which were released about two months ago. Union Craft Brewing, based in the …
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Expect a large outdoor patio, 30 draft beers and a main bar with a high ceiling.
An owner of The Ale House Columbia said the 9,000-square-foot beer pub is likely to open before Thanksgiving of this year. The Ale House will serve up higher end pub food, original beers from Oliver Breweries, and a rotating tap list of 30 draft beers, according to owner Justin Dvorkin. "We're really excited about it," said Dvorkin on Wednesday. "It's been a great project so far; we just want to be open for business and rolling." The business will be located at the former location of the Rocky Run Tap and Grill at 6480 Dobbin Center Way. As part of construction for the Ale House, Dvorkin said they have completely redone the outside, added a new roof and fixed parts of the building's plumbing and framing. He said the exterior construction…
Friday, August 24, 2012
Looking for something exciting to do this weekend? Check out some of the fun things going on around town.
Where: Long Reach High School, 6101 Old Dobbin Lane, Columbia When: Friday, Aug. 24, Noon-3 p.m. Why to go: Long Reach High School will celebrate the opening of school with a community carnival, featuring food, games and entertainment. Pricing: Free Where: Diamondback Tavern, 3733 Old Columbia Pike, Ellicott City When: Saturday, Aug. 25 Why to go: In celebration of summer, enjoy a crab bucket, corn on the cob and Irish bangers. Pricing: $40 per person Where: Terrapin Adventures, 8600 Foundry St., Savage When: Sunday, Aug. 26, 3 p.m. Why to go: Join Terrapin Adventures and the Rams Head Tavern for a Beer and Fear Tour. Spend two hours taking the Terrapin Challenge. Scale the 43' tower, traverse all 18 crossings on the High Ropes …
Monday, July 30, 2012
You tell us: Should Wegmans have a second-floor liquor store?
The decision on whether to grant a liquor license to a proposed 10,000 square foot liquor store that would be located on the second floor of the Columbia Wegmans could come tonight from the Howard County Alcoholic Beverage Board. Follow Patch's coverage of the hearing tonight live on Twitter using the hashtag #WegmansLiquor. Two previous hearings on the liquor store ended without a decision. The first one on May 1, which ran about five hours, ended before public comments were finished. The speakers there were concerned about the effect the large liquor store would have on their local businesses and whether it was within the law to sell alcohol inside a chain grocery store, which is generally prohibited in Maryland. At the May 1 meeting, …
Sunday, July 1, 2012
What place has your favorite beer selection in Howard County?
Sure, it’s beer, but sometimes a Natty Bo just won’t do. Sometimes you want more hops, or maybe a little orange zest mixed into your brew. From July 23 to Aug. 17, we’re asking readers to vote in our poll for their favorite beer selection in Howard County. Winners will receive the honor of being named the Readers’ Choice winner in their community. Do you think one of the bars or stores we've picked is the best? Vote in our poll.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The proposed liquor store in Wegmans has sparked the debate.
The proposed 10,000-square-foot liquor store inside the new Columbia Wegmans has reignited the debate on whether wine, beer and liquor should be sold in Maryland grocery and convenience stores. In an expansive article on Saturday, the Baltimore Sun examined how multiple grocery stores are trying to find ways around rules that generally ban chain grocery stores from selling wine, beer and liquor. (There are some exceptions, such as an Eastern Shore Giant location that has a license that has been grandfathered.) Adam Borden, the president of Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws, said the bans are antiquated. “Our culture has evolved,” said Borden. “It used to be one where temperance and orderly tax collections were our most paramount …
Paul Pinther
9:21 am on Monday, April 8, 2013
Staff was nice but bar managers are uncouth and disturbing. The first time I was there a mngr was reprimanding a bar tender in front of customers acting very unprofessional and I was served a french dip with half as much meat on it as the guys french dip sandwich siting next to me.. I was there a second time with a friend and the tvs with the same program on above the bar were off sink by a … more ›