Wave After Wave of Delicious Beer at Backshore Brewing Company

Brian York

Brewery Name: Backshore Brewing Co.
Type of Brewery: Retail Brewery

Location: Ocean City, Maryland

​Website: http://backshorebrew.com
Facebook: Backshore Brewing Company
Twitter: @BackshoreBrewCo
Instagram: @Backshore

Background: The three of us have been meeting in Ocean City for a week at the beach for years now. There’s always a lot of sand, stories, and of course, beer. Backshore has been a long time go-to for Shane and Pete, but this was my first experience. I certainly see why they’ve made it part of our tradition and made sure to stake a claim to doing the writeup!

For some bonus points, Backshore was one of very few places open during this year’s trip, being in was hurricane-ing quite emphatically outside. We turned the weather into a fun story and took advantage of an authentic beach experience with Backshore.

Growlers: You know it! This is the beach! Have beer here, have beer to go, have beer wherever you want. They also offer crowler cans per order with their sweet artwork. We walked away with several.

The Beers: As it normally goes whenever we are all at the same spot, we went ahead and just ordered everything Backshore had to offer. It included a MASSIVE range in spectrum of styles which fit us all in our own way. Here are the highlights:

• Mango Tango - American Pale Ale - (My personal favorite of the day) Really really easy drinking mango brew with a delicious hop profile. Perfect for the beach or any other session spot

• Downtown Sugar Brown - Brown Ale - Ultra smooth english style ale with the sweet component that comes with a good drinkable brown ale.

• Fist Pumpkin - Pumpkin Ale - (Pete’s favorite) Seasonal brew for Backshore at the tail end of beach season. I’ve never been a huge fan of the style but Backshore’s certainly does homage to the flavor of fall.

• Love Sap - Imperial IPA - (Shane’s favorite) Traditional East Coast style IPA with a big bitey hop profile that packs a 9.3% ABV and Backshore’s highest IBU on tap at the time.

• El Jefe El Hefe - Hefeweizen - Infused with TEQUILA, agave nectar, and lime. Did you see...tequila?! Figured out a way to make a hefeweizen speak to me!
  
  
• Pork-Chop Express - Stout - Following the theme of the hurricane, this is their "dark and stouty night" beer. Served on nitro and delicious in every dark velvety sip.

Vibe: Backshore very successfully captures the "beach bar" vibe while being much more than just a frozen margarita bar. An old VW bus, tons of colorful art, driftwood style furniture, flights served on skateboards will make you 100% sure you’re at the beach. We went during a hurricane, but you’d never have known based on how great the folks at Backshore were...as long as you didn’t look outside of course.

They partner up with Hammerheads, a next door restaurant/bar which gives them a bit more space for seating inside in the event you can’t or don’t want to sit outdoors. They share the same sort of environment so there’s certainly nothing lost there. When the weather is nice, Backshore has plenty of outdoor high-top tables that are an ideal place to stop after a sun and sand filled day.

Pete: I just had to throw in my two cents here. This place is just awesome because of what it is: simple and unassuming. Our first visit to this place we asked the waitress what they have there. Beer, pizza, and moonshine cocktails. That’s it. There is always something endearing about a place that does what they want and doesn’t get caught up in what everyone else does. It’s this attitude that makes this place a must stop every time we are in Ocean City.

Shane: York kind of glossed over it, but I want to touch on my favorite part of Backshore (other than the beer itself): the skateboard flights. It is kitchy? Sure. Is is necessary? Sure isn't! But I love it. In years past, my favorite thing to do was grab a skateboard and sit outside in the sun. That wasn't really an option this year (and I'm pretty sure the hurricane would have blown the flight all the way to Burley Oak), but I think it's a cool little personal touch that Backshore throws on their presentation. 

Dogs: I don't believe dogs would be allowed inside, nor would you want to bring them there. Outside, however, is boardwalk seating, which makes a great warm spot for your woofer.

Price ($ to $$$$$): $$$. Nothing is cheap at the beach, but these guys are definitely fair. The value is certainly there if you’re looking for something other than a typical cheap domestic for the beach

Food: To be totally honest, it’s slightly unclear if food is from Backshore or their partner, Hammerheads. Either way, it’s available in both spots: a full menu that spans from bar nosh to burgers and sandwiches. More or less anything you could conceivably be looking for after waddling off the sand.

Final Thoughts: Truly, this is a must do for any beer fans who spend the weekend in OC. The space is everything they want it to be, the beer is good with plenty to offer, and it’s one of the only worthwhile places I’ve come across on the boardwalk for alcohol that isn’t called an Orange Crush.