It all started in 1980… Hugh Sisson, a Maryland native, theater grad school major, and all-around good guy, joins his family’s restaurant & bar, “Sisson’s” located on Cross Street in South Baltimore.
Craft beer wasn’t even on the radar back then. But, Hugh quickly recognized that to run a business, you need to do something to be different.
Light bulb moment: “What if we turned Sisson’s into a brewpub and brewed our own beer?”
Solid plan, right? Problem: Brewpubs weren’t legal in Maryland at the time.
In 1987, Hugh worked with Maryland legislators to draft a bill to legalize brewpubs in Baltimore City – the bill passed on first attempt. Fast forward to 1989, “Sisson’s” becomes the first brewpub in the state of Maryland.
After the brewpub scene for a few years, Hugh felt the need for a bigger stage (theater-pun intended.) In 1994, he left “Sisson’s” for his next business venture… and the rest, friends, is nothing short of Maryland craft beer history.
