Bringing It All Back Home Rar

A cornerstone of Cambridge’s vibrant rebirth, has deep local roots and plans on keeping it that way If John Waters opened a brewery, ReAleRevival (or RAR to those in the know) is what it might be like. Playful, irreverent, and unexpected— their brews are flavorful, complex canvases on which the owners, Chris Brohawn and J.T. Merryweather, and the brewmaster, Randy Mills, craft nuanced pints of fancy. And just like Hairspray or Cry Baby, their beers are love letters to Maryland, inspired by the Chesapeake’s culture from Smith Island cake and the Choptank River to the Ripkens and blue crabs. There’s no doubt these sons of Cambridge are proud of their roots— and their commitment to keeping it local has made their thriving, cult-status brewery a cornerstone of their community’s vibrant rebirth. Cambridge’s renaissance—and RAR‘s role in it—might come as a surprise to those who recall Cambridge as a place that time and prosperity seemed to have passed.

But Dorchester’s county seat is not only up-and-coming—it’s also developing a serious reputation as the Eastern Shore’s foodie capital. Thanks to some savvy local investors, today Cambridge’s all-American historic downtown houses museums, galleries, and busy boutiques, and hip eateries that range from bistro fare to brick oven pizzas. RAR was right at the front of the town’s recent transformative trend, opening their taproom on Poplar Street in 2013. It was a business gamble that took off, but for Merryweather and Brohawn, setting up shop in downtown was the only option. The two graduates of Cambridge-South Dorchester High School had left the Eastern Shore for college and followed careers elsewhere, because, as Brohawn explains, “sometimes you have to leave a place you grew up in, to start to appreciate what you had.” Ultimately drawn back home by the slower pace of life and the promise of families on the horizon, Merryweather and Brohawn decided to take their homebrewing hobby to the next level. The partners were committed to brewing in their re-found hometown—and they saw the potential in 504 Poplar, a former pool hall, under the crumbling plaster and dingy tile.

On a shoestring budget, the two renovated the space on nights and weekends, ultimately creating a light-filled taproom with brewing rooms in the back. Just as the work was nearing completion, brewer Randy Mills— also a local—joined the team. Mills was a homebrewer who had also turned his passion into a profession with a gig at Salisbury’s Evolution Craft Brewing. Inspired by the creative brewing range of Dogfish Head, another regional icon, Mills was committed to the idea that great beer should be unexpected, delicious and boundarypushing. RAR’s beer fully lives up to that standard. Working together, Mills, Brohawn, and Merryweather have created a brewery where beers are more than thirst-quenchers—they have a deep sense of place. The resin-y pine tang of their flagship brew, Nanticoke Nectar IPA, is like a brackish breath of loblolly-scented river breeze.

RAR Brewing - 504 Poplar St, Cambridge, Maryland 21613 - Rated 4.9 based on 521 Reviews. We've got all (4) cans from yesterday available at open today. Trafareti dlya vizhiganiya na 8 marta.

RAR regularly releases new beers (35 in all) that more often than not are deeply rooted in the places and traditions of Maryland. “It’s nostalgia,” Brohawn explains. “If you look at any of it, our recipes are based on childhood stories and memories.” Like 10 Layer, their dessert stout tribute to Smith Island Cake, which they grew up eating, or their blonde/Belgian ale hybrid shout-out to the Chesapeake’s favorite aquatic scavenger, Bottom Feeder. They’ve created a beer in honor of the Ripkens (Puck Face) and in collaboration with Oxford, Maryland’s Scottish Highland Creamery (Ice Cream Seas). Their Bucktown Brown, Northeast Nectar, Groove City and Wood’r all reference local places or local pronunciations. It’s clear from their beer—there’s a strong flavor of Maryland pride on tap at RAR. These small-batch, experimental releases are a big part of RAR’s Cambridge magic.