Brewers Association of Maryland

What Brewers Association of Maryland does

The Brewers Association of Maryland is a trade association representing Maryland-based craft breweries. Its primary commercial activity is the Maryland Craft Beer Festival, an annual in-person event held at Carroll Creek Linear Park in Frederick, MD, featuring 50+ member breweries. The organization functions as a convener and marketing vehicle for the state's craft brewing sector rather than a technology or product company.

The association operates an event-driven revenue model. Ticket sales are structured across tiers: VIP+ (sold out), VIP ($70), General Admission ($50), and Designated Driver ($20). Sponsorship and partnership revenue supplements ticket income, with Visit Frederick serving as the presenting partner and a Marriott hotel partnership extending the festival weekend package. Marketing is conducted through standard event channels, including a dedicated event website and social media hashtags.

The underlying business is low-tech and high-touch. There is no disclosed software platform, proprietary technology, or data infrastructure. The unit economics rely on a single recurring event per year, with brewery participation as the supply-side foundation and consumer ticket sales plus sponsorships as the demand-side revenue. The organization is privately structured with no disclosed headcount, financials, or funding activity.

Name

Brewers Association of Maryland

Legal name

Brewers Association of Maryland

Website

https://mdcraftbeerfestival.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Brewers Association of Maryland is a trade association that represents Maryland craft breweries and produces the annual Maryland Craft Beer Festival in Frederick, MD, generating revenue through tiered ticket sales, brewery participation, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services for Craft Beverage Industry

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

Keywords

• Craft beer association
• Brewery advocacy services
• Craft beer festivals
• Trade association events
• Brewery legislative advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from ticket sales to the Maryland Craft Beer Festival, including VIP, General Admission, and Designated Driver passes. Proceeds directly benefit the legislative and promotional efforts of the Brewers Association of Maryland and its member community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Brewers Association of Maryland is a statewide trade association that represents Maryland craft breweries through legislative advocacy and promotional efforts, anchored by its flagship annual Maryland Craft Beer Festival. The festival brings together 50+ member breweries pouring more than 200 unique Maryland-brewed beers at Carroll Creek Linear Park in Frederick, MD, with tiered admission (VIP+, VIP, General Admission, Designated Driver). Proceeds from the festival directly fund the association's legislative and promotional work for its brewery members.

Product overview

The Brewers Association of Maryland operates primarily as a trade association organizing the annual Maryland Craft Beer Festival. The core product is the festival event itself, supported by tiered ticketing sub-products (VIP Plus, VIP, General Admission, and Designated Driver tickets) that provide varying levels of access and experiences. The association's mission focuses on legislative and promotional efforts for Maryland's craft brewery community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maryland Craft Beer Festival: Annual craft beer festival held at Carroll Creek Linear Park in Frederick, Maryland featuring dozens of Maryland breweries pouring over 200 unique beers.

Products and services

• Maryland Craft Beer Festival An annual craft beer festival held at Carroll Creek Linear Park in Frederick, MD, featuring beer samples from dozens of Maryland breweries pouring more than 200 unique beers (all brewed in Maryland), live music, local food trucks, and craft retail vendors. Proceeds benefit the legislative and promotional efforts of the Brewers Association of Maryland and its brewery members. Designed for adult craft beer enthusiasts, brewery members, and local tourism/hospitality partners in Maryland.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.

• Visit FrederickflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerVisit Frederick serves as the Presenting Partner for the Maryland Craft Beer Festival, providing tourism marketing support and event promotion for the annual craft beer festival in Downtown Frederick.
• Maryland Wine HouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Maryland Craft Beer Festival, providing promotional support for the annual event.
• Mini of Montgomery CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Maryland Craft Beer Festival, providing promotional support for the annual event.
• Asher Associates LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Maryland Craft Beer Festival, providing promotional support for the annual event.
• Frederick Wine HouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Maryland Craft Beer Festival, providing promotional support for the annual event.
• Wantz DistributorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Maryland Craft Beer Festival, providing promotional support for the annual event.
• Brewer's AlleyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides food for the VIP+ Lounge at the Maryland Craft Beer Festival. Local Frederick brewery participating in the festival.
• Marriott (Courtyard and TownePlace Suites Frederick)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides discounted hotel rooms ($139/night) for Maryland Craft Beer Festival attendees during May 8-10, 2026.
• 50+ Maryland Breweries and CideriesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember breweries that pour beer at the festival, including 1623 Brewing, 1812 Brewery, Antietam Brewery, Attaboy, Brookeville Beer Farm, Brewer's Alley, Brothers Ridge Cider, Bra Dr Bier Co, Checkerspot Brewing, Crooked Crab Brewing, Cushwa Brewing, Denizens Brewing Co, Doc Waters Cidery, EdenTown Brewing, Elder Pine, Falling Branch, Falling Up Fermentation, Guinness Brewery Baltimore, Heavy Seas Beer, Key Brewing, Liquid Intrusion Brewing, Liquidity Aleworks, Lone Oak Farm Brewing, M8 Beer, Manor Hill Brewing, Mayan Monkey Brewing, Milkhouse Brewery, Ministry of Brewing, Monocacy Brewing, Monument City Brewing, Mully's Brewery, Nepenthe Brewing, Olde Mother, Oliver Brewing, Pickett Brewing, Prospect Point Brewing, Pub Dog Brewing, RAK Brewing, Reckless Shepherd, Red Shedman Farm Brewery, Rockwell Brewery, Ruhlman, Sandbox Brewhouse, Slate Farm Brewery, Smoketown Brewing, Steinhardt Brewing, Stone Silo Brewery, Streetcar 82 Brewing, Union Craft Brewing, Upper STEM Brewery, Vanish Brewers, Waredaca Brewing, and WICO.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• California Craft Brewers Association: Statewide California trade association for craft breweries, providing advocacy, education, and consumer events. Comparable peer structure though operating in the largest U.S. craft beer market.
• Oregon Brewers Guild: Statewide trade association representing Oregon craft breweries through advocacy, marketing, and festivals. Comparable in mission and operating model though operating in a much larger craft beer market.
• Brewers Guild of Michigan: State-level trade association for Michigan craft breweries, organizing advocacy and member events including the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Festival. Highly comparable structure to BAM.
• Pennsylvania Independent Craft Brewers: Pennsylvania's craft brewery trade association, providing legislative advocacy, member education, and consumer-facing events for PA brewers. Directly comparable state-level model with similar brewery membership scale.
• Brewers Association: The national trade association representing small and independent U.S. brewers. Operates as the direct national-level counterpart to BAM, providing advocacy, events (including the Craft Brewers Conference), and promotional support for member breweries.
• New York State Brewers Association: Trade group representing New York craft breweries with advocacy, education, and events. Comparable statewide association structure serving a large regional craft beer community on the East Coast.
• Colorado Brewers Guild: Colorado's craft beer trade association providing legislative representation, member services, and events such as Colorado Pint Day. Comparable state-level advocacy and member support organization.
• Virginia Craft Brewers Guild: State-level trade association representing Virginia craft breweries. Closely comparable in structure, mission, and scale to BAM, offering legislative advocacy, member services, and craft beer promotion within a neighboring Mid-Atlantic state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BrewersAssocMD
• Instagraminstagram.com/marylandbeer
• Xx.com/MDBrewers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brewers-association-of-maryland-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brewers Association of Maryland