"The competition is us against the big guys," Justin Dvorkin told The Baltimore Banner this August, "not us against each other." Dvorkin is a partner in Oliver Brewing Co. You can see that line in action at 8370 Jumpers Hole Road in Millersville, just off Maryland Route 2. Oliver is already brewing and packaging there. As of early September, Annapolis Beer Co. and Forward Brewing had moved their production into the same facility.
So a pint at Forward's Eastport brewpub was likely brewed up the road in Millersville. The building where it was made is set to open its own taproom and kitchen this fall. Anne Arundel's craft beer is coming together around one address, and Millersville is the place to watch.
Same Recipes, Same Labels, a Different Brewhouse
Forward Brewing announced the move in a March newsletter. For five years it had brewed in a space it called the size of a two-car garage, with limited storage, hard grain deliveries and tight working conditions. The newsletter listed what Millersville offered: "We'll have plenty of cold storage. We'll have a faster canning lane. Barrel aging is more possible now. We'll be able to keep brewing all the beer for Forward there and distribute a little more, too."
Owner Cam Bowden later told The Banner the move grew out of a partnership with Oliver that had run for more than three years. He said it also cut down on the brewpub's energy use, which he said was producing increasingly pricey BG&E bills. He was clear on the point Eastport regulars care about most: Forward's brewpub will stay open and pour the same recipes under the same labels, just brewed somewhere else.
Moving the brewhouse out also freed up room on Fourth Street. In March, Forward said it had applied to add 14 seats and a second set of taps for that area and the outdoor space. It also asked to add a small brewing system for limited specialty batches about twice a month. Plans for outdoor dining include three pergolas, sail shades and more picnic tables, but at that point the brewery was still waiting on a city building permit. We haven't found any public confirmation that these upgrades are finished, so for now they're still plans on file.
Here's who uses the Millersville building, based on reporting from this year:
| Brand | Home base | Relationship to 8370 Jumpers Hole Road |
|---|---|---|
| Oliver Brewing Co. | Moved from East Baltimore | Owner; brewing and packaging on site |
| Forward Brewing | 418 Fourth Street, Eastport | Production moved here; Eastport brewpub stays open |
| Annapolis Beer Co. | Annapolis area | Production moved here |
| Fin City Brewing Co., Liquid Intrusion Brewing Co. | Ocean City, Brandywine | Oliver brews for them under contract |
| RavenBeer | Inspired by Baltimore poet Edgar Allan Poe | Oliver brews for it under contract |
| Ceremony Coffee Roasters | Sold at Ceremony locations | Oliver helps make its canned cold brew |
Annapolis Beer Co.'s website says it has partnered with local breweries to brew its recipes while it plans its own Annapolis-area brewery and taproom. That makes the Millersville building the home of its beer for now.
Why a Baltimore Brewery Landed Off Route 2
Oliver goes back to 1993. Founder Bill Oliver started it in the basement of the Wharf Rat, which later became the Pratt Street Ale House. The Banner calls it the oldest brewpub in Maryland. In 2015 the brewery moved to a small industrial park in East Baltimore to increase production. When that lease was running out, it started looking for a new home.
Oliver bought the Jumpers Hole Road building in 2024. Dvorkin said the company chose Anne Arundel for the extra space and because it wouldn't be surrounded by other breweries. He described the county's craft brewing scene as younger than Baltimore's, with a gap Oliver could fill. A third-party event listing describes the building as 44,000 square feet. Oliver hasn't published that figure itself.
Building it out took two years, longer than Dvorkin expected. Oliver closed its East Baltimore brewpub in January to focus on the move. During the gap it sold from stockpiled beer, and Monument City Brewing and Union Craft Brewing brewed a few batches of Oliver beer so it stayed on shelves. Other brewers helped Oliver through its move, and Oliver now brews for its neighbors in the county.
Dvorkin also has ties closer to home. His 206 Restaurant Group runs the Pratt Street Ale House, Park Tavern, JB's Sports Bar and Restaurant, and Donnelly's Dockside in Severna Park.
The Taproom Is the Point
The Millersville opening comes at a tough moment for the industry. The Banner reported that changing tastes and drinking habits, plus too many breweries, have led to a string of closures. For most of its history, Oliver made most of its money selling its beer through distributors. Dvorkin now expects a taproom and direct sales to pay better. He said fighting for store shelf space leaves small brewers with thinner margins, especially as the cost of things like aluminum cans goes up.
"As the tap room culture developed, it was a missing piece for us." Justin Dvorkin, Oliver Brewing Co., to The Baltimore Banner
The plans Dvorkin has described would give the taproom its own identity. He mentioned limited-edition batches, other specialty products, a beer club, and ingredients from Anne Arundel County farms. Contract brewing for other companies keeps the tanks busy between batches. Dvorkin called it a useful way to grow the business.
Forward has made a similar trade on a smaller scale. Its Eastport space no longer has to fit a production brewery, so the plans focus on seats, taps, outdoor tables and occasional specialty batches. In both places, brewing happens in Millersville and the money depends more and more on the taproom.
What's Pouring Now and What's Still a Window
Here's what's on the calendar from today, September 30, through the end of the year:
- Weekday afternoons and evenings at Forward: Stein Time pours 20 ounces for the price of 16 from 4 to 5 p.m. and again from 8 to 9 p.m.
- Thursdays at 7 p.m. at Forward: Trivia runs every week. The next one is October 1, with more dates through October.
- Tuesday, October 20, at Forward: Art Bar with ArtFarm.
- Late October or early November in Millersville: This is Oliver's planned window for its full-service taproom and restaurant, according to the Maryland Beer Journal's September 2 update. At that point the building was still under construction.
Forward's 7th Annual Oktoberfest ran last weekend, September 25 to 27. It came with a Märzen-style lager on draft and in cans.
We don't have an Oliver opening date yet. A third-party event site lists an opening on Tuesday, October 20, at 2 p.m. That same listing says official hours and a phone number for the new location haven't been released. Oliver's own new-location page lists the Millersville address with a "Coming Soon" notice and no date, hours or menu. Until the brewery announces it, treat October 20 as a possibility.
The new taproom joins one other recent beer opening in the county. World of Beer opened January 12 near the Annapolis Mall, in the former Applebee's building, as a taphouse and restaurant with hundreds of beers. Its address is 2141 Generals Highway. Oliver's taproom will offer something different, a place to drink beer in the building where it's brewed.
Once Oliver opens, Millersville will have a taproom in the building that now brews Forward's beer, Annapolis Beer Co.'s beer and Oliver's own lineup, and Forward's Eastport brewpub will keep pouring those same recipes.
New taprooms and gathering spots are the kind of change that shapes how a part of the county feels day to day. Keeping track of those changes is part of how Jeannine Wayson advises clients across Anne Arundel. If you'd like to talk through what's opening along Route 2 or in your own corner of the county, Let's Connect and Schedule a Free Consultation.
