Clipper City Brewing Company - Oxford Raspberry Wheat

In nine years, we've only featured a couple of beers that fall into the fruit beer category. Why? Most domestic fruit beers are not well made. As real fruit is both expensive and adds a fair amount of complexity to the brewing process due to their natural sugars, most brewers brew their fruit ales with flavor extracts that make you feel like you're drinking a raspberry pie, not a beer. Clipper City uses real raspberries to flavor this wheat beer. It is medium-golden in color with rosy highlights. The nose is very typical of a wheat beer, but with a balanced aroma of raspberry. Look for a more pronounced raspberry flavor though, along with slight wheat and yeast notes. This is best enjoyed all by itself or as a desert beer.

Clipper City owner Hugh Sisson is a true brewing pioneer. In 1983, as owner and founder of Sisson's, a restaurant and bar in Baltimore, he decided that he wanted to brew beer in his restaurant. Unfortunately, the laws in Maryland were not in his favor and his plan to open a brewpub was thwarted. A sufficient reason to relocate if you ask us. But not Hugh. In the true entrepreneurial spirit, he challenged the state to change the laws and anyone who's ever dealt with government agencies can tell you that this is no easy task. Go Hugh, Go! Perseverance prevailed in 1989 when Maryland changed their laws and Hugh opened the first brewpub in the state.

He stuck with it until 1994, when he had the itch to open a full-scale microbrewery. And guess who didn't want him to own both a brewery and brewpub? The State, you say? You got it. I'm trying to think of just what legal grounds were conjured up to prevent Hugh from doing both and can't come up with a thought on the matter. Regardless of why, Hugh got back on his horse, sharpened the sword and prepared to do battle with the State again. And wouldn't you know he won again! In early 1996 Clipper City Brewing officially opened their doors and brewing commenced. Since that time, Clipper City, named after Baltimore's nickname, has gained a fantastic reputation throughout Maryland among beer lovers.

They are now Baltimore's largest brewing facility that produces hand crafted draught and bottled beers.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (410) 247-7822 or check out their web site at www.clippercitybeer.com.