Nanobreweries have taken off in Montgomery County in the last few years as a result of much-needed changes that were (finally) made to several laws which previously had made it essentially impossible for nanobreweries to succeed in Montgomery County.
There are three nanobreweries in Rockville that Rebecca and I have been enjoying. They each:
> Serve up a range of thoughtfully crafted and reasonably priced beers, brewed on-site.
> Host a range of different events and activities across each month.
> Are the epitome of a locally-owned small business, worthy of the local community’s support.
True Respite Brewing Co. (info and photos below)
7 Locks Brewing (click for separate blog post)
Saints Row Brewing Co. (click for separate blog post)
They’re each a bit different as far as their brews, their vibes and their events/activities. They’re each located in what was an industrial space – so, you’ll find their spaces are pretty simple – which, at least for us, creates an unpretentious and welcoming community feel. Whether this is your thing or any of these might become your favorite(s) will depend on your personal tastes.
One great thing they do all have in common is you can (and are encouraged to) bring in your own food – either from home or from a restaurant (they do not offer their own food). Some nights, there will be a local food truck parked outside. Food trucks’ cuisines vary. Some we’ve really enjoyed – so, if you’re into potentially good food truck food, check each nanobrewery’s schedule to see which food trucks will be visiting when.
All three of these nanobreweries are also child-friendly. It’s not usual to see multiple families at each during early evening hours. We’ve brought our kids a few times ourselves.
Note: As of this blog post, there’s word of another nanobrewery in the works for Rockville, to be named Mano Negra. No location or opening date has yet been announced.
True Respite Brewing Co.
7301 Calhoun Place, #600, Rockville, MD 20855
truerespite.com
facebook.com/TrueRespite | instagram.com/truerespite | twitter.com/TrueRespite
yelp.com/biz/true-respite-brewing-company-derwood
True Respite Brewing Co. is located in the back of a low-rise office park, just off Gude Drive not far from Rockville Pike. Their space is arguably the most polished of the three nanobreweries, but still laid-back and inviting. A plus here is the large windows, which let in a lot of natural light (assuming you’re there before the sun sets).
I’m a big fan of their Alpin Haus smoked stout (the smoke flavor is subtle). Rebecca enjoys their fruited ales. Their selection varies across the year; here’s what’s currently on tap: truerespite.com/beer.
They offer the broadest range of events and activities among the three nanobreweries. These include live music and trivia competitions, game nights (bring your own), cornhole tournaments, yoga classes (led by an instructor from Thrive Yoga), and book clubs meetings and artisan meetings open. And, the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month, at 4 pm, they offer a 1-hour tour of their production facility and brewing process, with a tasting. It’s $20 per person.
Here’s True Respite’s complete current schedule, including food truck visits: truerespite.com/events/calendar.