But a closer look might also showcase any of the myriad offerings of beer made much closer to home.

The county is home to Flying Dog Brewery, the 42nd largest brewery in America by beer output according to the Brewer's Association, an organization of American Breweries; two brewpubs in Barley and Hops and Brewer's Alley; a 31-year-old home brew supply store in The Flying Barrel; and a hop farmer in Tom Barse, whose hops are used by local breweries, giving it a large footprint, but quiet presence in the world of beer.

But the hope is to grow that presence this year, as the first Frederick Beer Week is in the works. Though the events haven't all been finalized, the week is planned for May 10-14, and will culminate with a large event at Barse's Stillpoint Farm, including live music and, of course, a beer garden.

"It'll be really good," Barse said. "A lot of towns now have a beer week ... to showcase the local brewers. And one of the things we want to do is show that beer's an agricultural product."

Matt Brophy, Flying Dog Brewery's senior vice president of brewing, said the event would help get the word out about the great beer coming from Frederick. "That's a thing that puts Frederick more on the map," Brophy said of the week. "Even just to let people know what a great beer scene Frederick has."

Though few would argue that beer has a big presence in the county, there are differing theories on why it has such a presence. Some people point to Frederick County's German heritage as the reason for beer having such strength in the county. Others point to beer's place as an agricultural product, and consider it a logical extension of those roots. Bob Frank, the owner of the Flying Barrel, thinks it's a mixture of the two.

"Our German heritage – Frederick's full of German heritage," Frank said. "... Also the agricultural industry because beer is made from agricultural products, hops and grains."

Larry Pomerantz, the head brewer at Barley and Hops, agreed with the idea that beer's ties to agriculture make Frederick a logical place for it to thrive. "Agriculture in Maryland overall is a really big thing, especially in Frederick county," Pomerantz said. "Beer is a truly agricultural product, especially craft beer."

But no matter how it got here, the changing tastes of consumers in Frederick plays a large part in why craft beer has found such a home in the county.

A few weeks ago, Flying Dog Brewery did a tap takeover at the Hollow Creek Golf Club's sports bar, Brophy said. During the event, all draft beers were from the brewery, something Brophy doesn't believe would have gone over well in the past.

"I think if you go back in Frederick County history, even three to five years ago, that wouldn't have worked," Brophy said. "Five years ago or 10 years ago certainly that wouldn't have worked. It wouldn't have been welcomed. They welcomed us and everybody had a great time."

Tom Flores, the master brewer at Brewer's Alley, has been with the brewery since 1997, and has seen the tastes evolve firsthand in the restaurant.

"It has generated interest all by itself," Flores said. "It's been kind of neat to see that change from when not a lot of people knew about it. We've always been able to do what we want to do, but now it's easier to sell stuff, as years ago people weren't interested."

He said he's watched the customers come toward craft beer more and more as the years pass.

"If your palate is challenged, you might not be inclined to try it again," Flores said of craft beers. "If you bring that to the table, you're wide open to lots of different experiences. That's what we've been seeing the most of over the last eight to 10 years, is an absence of that disposition. When people approach beer brewed by people like us, it's different than when people approached with their beer profile by Budweiser."

Pomerantz agreed with both Flores' and Brophy's sentiment about changing tastes, and called Frederick a "perfect" beer area, with a great set of consumers.

"I think one of the greatest things about the Frederick area is that it is a perfect little blend of agricultural area as well as metropolitan area," Pomerantz said. "And have a lot of highly educated folks in the area who are into the craft beer scene and have a moderate level of disposable income, as well as the fact that we have a lot of local ties to local agriculture."

tlaino@gazette.net