What happened to Brewer's Art?

Submitted by Opposite_Selection_3 t3_zqso5k in baltimore

I went to Brewer's Art last Friday night for the first time in years and was shocked at how it was devoid of its former energy. Well prior to the pandemic, when I was younger and frequently out, I remembered it as a must visit spot and on a weekend night, especially during the colder months. Place was always packed and fun. This weekend when we walked in, the upstairs was depressing as hell - the bar closed yet allowed seating in the area. It was lit light it was last call and you could hear a pin drop. I headed to the basement and was shocked to see more empty than full seats at 830pm.

It presented a bizarre and really depressing sight to see a closed bar yet an open bar - if that makes any sense. I am confused at what everyone is trying to accomplish with these persistent odd adjustments to business due to COVID. If you are open downstairs, why not also upstairs. You walk in and the signage has a litany of rules making it seem more like a trip to the DMV than an exciting night out.

You go out, you want an experience, you want a bar with energy an excitement. The entire place felt like it was begrudgingly open. Is it that expensive to staff two bartenders? Are that few people going out right now? Is it just past its prime? This feels like a self defeating cycle. Offer a bad experience, people don't come back, people don't come back you only open one bar.

Was it like this just prior to COVID? The explosion of high quality breweries in the area must have had an impact on their traffic. Also I assume inflation plays a role and just the natural cycles of a bar's popularity. COVID seems like the nail in the coffin. Really bums me out to see since many of the bars in Baltimore owe it to Brewers for paving the way for the high end beer bar and fine dining experience.

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Frenemies t1_j0zm8ao wrote

My most frequented bar. Its down a bit but i think you caught a particularly bad night

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justlikeyou14 t1_j0zo74e wrote

Agreed. I'm a regular (relatively), and haven't ever really experienced it like that.

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Opposite_Selection_3 OP t1_j0zopz7 wrote

Is the upstairs bar usually closed?

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Frenemies t1_j0zp85l wrote

Nope. Its always open and almost always full

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Spherest t1_j110xo8 wrote

I was there a few weeks back and they closed the upstairs earlier than the downstairs bar. But the downstairs bar was full so maybe you caught a bad night?

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YoYoMoMa t1_j13z19t wrote

I have been a few times since covid and have sadly found it exactly like OP described. Even the fries sucked, which fucking hurt my heart.

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megalomike t1_j0zpmms wrote

what happened to everything. places that needed to scream last call 3-4 years ago are deserted at 9.

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umbligado t1_j0zt0ei wrote

Not unique to Brewer’s Art right now. Most places around there are pretty empty these days, with very few exceptions.

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solidape22 t1_j1r5z2d wrote

What are the exceptions?

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umbligado t1_j1r83th wrote

The Bun Shop tends to be pretty full at night, but mostly just with people on laptops. Spyrits Wine Bar usually has a decent crowd, if that’s what you’re in to. That’s kind of the limit of what I’ve seen.

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trout66 t1_j10bwt1 wrote

It's the week before christmas, everyone's routines are disrupted by travel or holiday plans. Try it in August.

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DfcukinLite t1_j100hl3 wrote

Well, for starters more places opened up in Mount Vernon. When Brewers Art first opened it was one of few reasonable causal places to drink and hang out. It was super cool, voted by Esquire mag as one of the best bars in the US. As well as food awards. But that was 15 years ago. There’s now there’s more places within a 5 block radius.

They now have weird hours and would rather close early post pandemic. They were closed for a long time too during the pandemic. Station North, Old Goucher and Remington have also stolen the night life crowd in central Baltimore, so it’s more of a pregame and dinner spot. I used to live at Brewers for late night happy hour in the dungeon when Beasley, Joe, Eric, etc were there great times.

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advil00 t1_j109hry wrote

> Station North, old goucher and Remington have also stolen the night life crowd in central Baltimore.

Yeah, as much as I was defending Brewer's elsewhere in this post, I do agree that some of the following may have more of the feel the OP is looking for, at least on the weekend: Alma Cocina, Clavel, Dutch Courage, Fadensonnen, WC Harlen. Possibly also Royal Blue (though I haven't been there enough to be sure).

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DfcukinLite t1_j10t8xm wrote

It’s ok to defend Brewers. It’s nice that there’s more options at various price points in the area now. Sadly. Lost some great late night spots for sure. Lost city dinner in particular. You should definitely check out Royal Blue tho, I’ve been a couples. The food and drinks are great and then at night it’s quality dance party under the disco ball

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TheSchneid t1_j1117ry wrote

Haha lost City diner was renovated and sat empty for years, it opened in 2011ish for like 12-18 months (a diner that didn't open for brunch on Sunday lol) and has been closed since. It's the woman that owns club chuck (and most of the that stretch of Charles from what I hear). She's nuts and doesn't seem like a very good business owner. But she's old money that's owns a bunch of property and probably does fine collecting rent from the flower shop and shit.

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reese-dewhat t1_j11d2zf wrote

Joy owns the diner, but she wasn't running it while it was open. A friend of hers was.

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DfcukinLite t1_j111rct wrote

Oh I remember that whole ordeal and I’ve meet her several times, she’s VERY interesting she got those properties in a divorce if I recall.

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Live_Podcast_Junkie t1_j10tzse wrote

There is no way Esquire voted it none of the coolest bars in America 15 years ago because that would make me old…I’m not ready to feel that old today.

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DfcukinLite t1_j10ui63 wrote

I was young when they were award that, I’m seasoned now haha

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Live_Podcast_Junkie t1_j10uq15 wrote

I remember taking friends there and talking about it and drinking way too much Resurrection…thank god it happened 15 years ago because I’d be wrecked today.

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DfcukinLite t1_j112i52 wrote

Got blackout off resurrections and beazly’s, woken up fully clothed with shoes on more times then I care to admit having nightcaps there. Those were golden years

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Live_Podcast_Junkie t1_j1187nl wrote

Resurrection and Ozzy, woke up with my boots in my roommates fish tank…they were great times.

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PostPunkBurrito t1_j10zwnb wrote

I remember going to Brewers in the 90s. I lived in that basement in my 20s, along with Club Charles. I think you’re right that more young people live in Hampden and Remington these days

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DfcukinLite t1_j111hck wrote

I didn’t mean Brewers opened 15 years ago to clarify. Dionysus closed in 2011. And then club chuck was closed for several years between now and 2011. There weren’t as many mid ranges spots when Liam Flynn and Daughtery’s closed. But now there’s so many quality alternatives in adjacent neighborhoods

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PostPunkBurrito t1_j114265 wrote

I’m sure you are right. My bar days were over before Daughtery’s closed. I think I misread your initial comment

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DfcukinLite t1_j114rjn wrote

No, it was my fault. I definitely miss the going out scene in midtown 2010-2014 tho. I haven’t thought about Dionysus in years! Their wings were so good lol

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PostPunkBurrito t1_j118ux2 wrote

I remember when the smoking ban took effect. Daughterys was never the same, ha

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advil00 t1_j104dio wrote

Not sure how to reconcile the following with this post: I was literally in there upstairs last Fri night, left probably around 7:30 or 8, and the upstairs bar was open and active, normal lighting. It wasn't crazy busy but it was fine, for that time in the evening (and there were actually quite a lot of people in the dining room then, above average for even pre-pandemic I'd say).

It's true that pre-pandemic that place would often be too packed for me to bother with (maybe this is what you describe as "packed and fun") on a Fri/Sat, which maybe hasn't returned -- though that would have usually been somewhat later than 8:30.

[Also, I will say that the main upstairs bartender that day, who isn't one I know, was definitely not on the friendly side..]

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Opposite_Selection_3 OP t1_j105m04 wrote

I might have misread the situation. When I entered through the front all the chairs were either gone or on angle forward indicating the bar was closed. No one was seated at the bar and I didn't see a bartender. I might have just caught them on a smoke break and just misread things. However, the vibe still stunk. And this is not just Brewers, it is so many places. The energy is just gone when going out at most places.

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advil00 t1_j107hbr wrote

> When I entered through the front all the chairs were either gone or on angle forward indicating the bar was closed.

Since they reopened mid-pandemic, they only have seating at half the bar, and the other half is cleared as a space for people to order.

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STrRedWolf t1_j109mdw wrote

Prior to COVID-19, everyone was packed because Baltimore was packed. You had people coming into the office, working 8-9 hours, coming out, getting drinks during happy hour, maybe a dinner, take a show or two, drinks afterwards, stumble on home and hope not to get mugged or stabbed or shot while you were at it.

Now... well, everything's shifted to work-from-home and most companies have kept a hybrid approach. Some companies have even reduced their "footprint" or office space used... because you can do it from home. My office, for instance, was about 80 people on the floor... and now it's zero. Support staff are in the datacenter's office now. Last time I went, it was basically a ghost town.

So there's not many people going into the office. They're not driving into Baltimore, having happy hour, taking a show, yada yada yada. And thus why your local dive's not open at O'dark 30.

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PigtownFoo t1_j13pdcv wrote

Funny how everyone’s life has changed and adjusted but they somehow think everything is still the same for small businesses. It’s not business as usual! Cut ‘em a break.

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dizzy_centrifuge t1_j109iaz wrote

I live down the street and don't bother with it anymore. Really sucks moving to Midtown/Mt. Vernon this year because antime we want to go out we really have to go back up to Hampden. If there were any decent sized houses up there I'd move back in a heart beat because the rest of Baltimore seems dead now. And I've asked a few bar tenders in this area why this is the case and they all say they have neither the business nor people willing to work those time anymore

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Absurdityindex t1_j12k74w wrote

The bars in Federal Hill are still lively.

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dizzy_centrifuge t1_j12nlpa wrote

True, but that's a scene I don't tend to think about

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ceh12345 t1_j1bf9nn wrote

Why not?

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dizzy_centrifuge t1_j1cauw9 wrote

Oh, it's nothing againt it. I just feel (amd anecdotally have seen) that's where recent college grads living here tend to go. I'm out of that phase now so don't think to head down there a lot. To the point of the original question though. The reasons I stated for hanging out there frequently are the reasons things are still lively there late at night

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ceh12345 t1_j1m8gy2 wrote

That's fair and makes sense. I've seen down here that thankfully it's not just the college-y parts of Fed Hill that are lively. The whole area has bars and restaurants that get reasonable levels of activity from various age groups. I agree that I think it's for the reasons you mentioned - there's more business in general.

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solidape22 t1_j1r6ev6 wrote

Any suggestions for places that aren’t full of recent college grads?

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ceh12345 t1_j1szd3q wrote

I think it kind of depends on tolerance for their existence (😉), but here are some places I enjoy so far that are more laid back and not "college town party" vibes like the Cross Street Market area will have:

Brewer's Cask; I Don't Know (pretty chill during happy hours but I know Ravens games can be loud here); Mums; Riverside Taphouse; Checkerspot Brewery.

That's all I have for now - just moved here October but I'm sure I'll find more!

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XanderCruse t1_j16a2w2 wrote

Things have seemed pretty lively to me in Station North/Old Goucher/Charles Village areas.

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moderndukes t1_j10c3zs wrote

> If you are open downstairs, why not also upstairs.

First just the logistics: downstairs is smaller thus if you have less staff on that night you can far more easily man it than upstairs alone.

But second, downstairs is a far cooler space than upstairs.

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Opposite_Selection_3 OP t1_j10jesn wrote

I get the logistics but with the hospitality industry you sort of need to use the space you have. You're trying to create an ambiance and experience. One of the great elements to Brewers was you had this dichotomy of the dark, alternative, mysterious downstairs and more refined, classic upstairs. That selling point is totally shot now.

Why do we have a dedicated space to order at the bar? For decades people met because they had to find a way to order from a bartender. I think a lot of this theater has no practical medical purpose and is just a bunch of theater that really dulls a night out.

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IAmSteven t1_j11927e wrote

>That selling point is totally shot now.

The upstairs bar area has been closing before the downstairs since well before COVID. People always tended to migrate down there as the night went on even if upstairs was opened.

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moderndukes t1_j11er5g wrote

> I get the logistics but with the hospitality industry you sort of need to use the space you have.

You also have to be able to adequately staff the space. If you can’t do that, then you need to reduce the space being served - hence, closing off part of it to maximize efficient, good service. Which leads to…

> Why do we have a dedicated space to order at the bar?

Two reasons:

  1. So you can be more efficient with service by localizing customers and don’t necessarily need a wait staff. If you don’t have enough staff to adequately have table service, this is a good way to get around that.
  2. So people don’t have to fight for a spot to just make an order. People don’t have to order over each other, you don’t have the risk of the bartender never noticing you when you’ve been waiting to a long time.

I have absolutely zero idea what you’re talking about with it being “theater”

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PigtownFoo t1_j13oupx wrote

Businesses all around the city—even the seemingly untouchable “big dogs”—have suffered, continue to suffer and are just trying to make it to the a time when things are hopefully more stable. Short of really rude, bad service or egregious errors, I have more compassion than judgement for the hospitality industry these days. It is still not an easy time.

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TheSpektrModule t1_j10l3k0 wrote

Now is probably a particularly bad time for bars. Lots of people are sick, either with COVID or other respiratory illness. People who aren't sick are probably avoiding bars right before they go see their families.

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jabbadarth t1_j0zqdxq wrote

I had a similar experience a few months back. Went out to places I haven't been to in years like Ropewalk and slainte and they were just dead. Riverwalk said their kitchen was closed at like 8pm and there were maybe 5 people in the bar. Slainte closed at midnight which I guess is the new norm in fells.

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covidcares t1_j12a3b0 wrote

At least its only a short walk to owl bar (also doing medium right not imo). Moved here 3 years ago finally made it to BA 6 months ago after hearing so much hype; underwhelming because it was talked up. Would have been pleasantly surprised if I just happened across is with zero expectations.

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PoopIsAlwaysSunny t1_j0zvkf2 wrote

I’m with you. Last couple times I popped in the service was mediocre, crowd was minimal, and food was incredibly disappointing. 15 years ago it was one of my favorite spots in the city, and 5 years ago it was still great and had amazing food.

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okdiluted t1_j10472a wrote

we're in the start of another covid surge. a lot of workers are out sick and that leads to things like early closures or partial closures. brewer's art is usually pretty energetic and full, especially when the weather's good enough for them to have outdoor seating! i'm still cautious about being breathed on by a million strangers so i wish they had the heaters out, i'd definitely be frequenting as often as i did the rest of the year if i could still hang outside.

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isaalth t1_j10nij2 wrote

I really wish they had the heaters out. It's a nice place to sit in the summer, but they never seem to have the space heated outdoors.

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JessLevelsUp t1_j106yeo wrote

Strange - we noticed the same! I always think they have INCREDIBLE fries so I wanted to get some fries and beer. Thursday night around 6:30 or so. It was TOTALLY dead. I remember it being packed and we couldn’t get in pre-pandemic. This was a few months ago so we sat outside where a few other tables were but no other patrons came the entire time we were there. It was bizarre. Seemed like a shell of its former glory days idk. Wondering what happened too.

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designbyblake t1_j1117xx wrote

Were the fries still good?

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JessLevelsUp t1_j119h5d wrote

Dynamite lol they’re maybe my favorite in Baltimore. I think there was a post about fries on here once and I tried a few but these were still my fave.

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designbyblake t1_j11agad wrote

Excellent. They were always my favorite but I haven’t been down there in a few years. I’ll make a point to go down in the new year .

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