Local, Independent, & Family Owned

So, What Is A Denizen? Simply put, it's a regular. Homegrown and hometown, we celebrate you. The regular. The local. The newcomer. Because at Denizens Brewing Co. you always have a seat at our table and together we're all Unified by Beer. 

Our story

It all started with a conversation around the dinner table in 2012. Emily and Julie, itching to build a business, recruited brother-in-law Jeff to start a brewery.

A year later we opened our doors as the first production brewery in Montgomery County, MD. We partnered with government and community leaders to remove unnecessary, prohibition-era barriers for local beer production and distribution. In the process we pioneered an entirely new business model that has changed the local landscape for craft beer.

In just a few years we grew from a team of 10 to 40, one tap to hundreds around MD, VA, and DC, added a canning and bottling line, launched a barrel aging program, and introduced hard seltzer to our lineup.

We’ve celebrated with neighbors at the Make it Funky Festival, Winter Cask Classic, Drag Nights, Trivia Nights, and more in our taproom and outdoor spaces.

In 2018, Julie joined the board of the National Brewers Association and the board of the Brewers Association of Maryland to continue advocacy for small brewers like Denizens on the state and national level.

And in 2019 we opened our doors in Riverdale Park to expand production capacity to 10,000 barrels per year and added a full scale testing lab and quality assurance and control program.

In 2020 we launched home delivery with the Denizens Beermobile.

We are proud of the business we’ve built and the 150+ beers and hard seltzers we have brewed over the years.

But more than that we’ve built a family - of beer lovers, regular customers, a dedicated team, and local partners - and we’ve deepened our roots in the community we call home. We hope you’ve enjoyed the ride as much as we have and can’t wait to see you in our taproom soon.

We operate with a few simple beliefs

The best products are made locally

Drinking beer close to where it’s brewed gives us a better product and does right by the local economy and environment. Making beer is our passion, and sharing our product with you is at the heart of what we do. In addition to brewing our beer on premise, we carry Maryland products whenever possible, including locally produced wine, mead, cider, and liquor. 

There’s no craft beer type

Craft beer belongs to all of us. Did you know that back in 2014 access to local, craft beer was not possible in some parts of Maryland? We made that change by working with government and community leaders to remove unnecessary, prohibition-era barriers, enabling an expansion in local beer production and distribution. Because we all deserve fresh, local craft beer.

A brewery should be a gathering place

We've celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, held important community dialogue and events, and welcomed our guests’ four legged friends. From partnering with the University of Maryland to grow yeast strains, to giving our used grains to Maryland farmers, to hosting fundraisers for local non-profits, we are a community-based brewery.

Meet our founders

Denizens is family owned and operated. We have deep roots in the communities where we operate and distribute, and our small business is designed to welcome all of our neighbors. Our team is made up of beer lovers, highly skilled brewers, and fierce industry advocates.

  • Chief Administrative Officer / Founder

    Emily oversees the strategy, finances, and operations of Denizens. She has nearly two decades of experience leading and training teams and was formerly a Policy Director for the National Women's Business Council as well as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Department of State during Secretary Clinton's tenure. She has lived in Silver Spring for more than ten years. When she’s not at Denizens (which is rare), she loves to bake, garden, and take walks around the neighborhood with her two dogs, Lola and Jolene. 

  • Chief Beer Officer / Founder

    Jeff is responsible for all aspects of beer production at Denizens. Jeff started brewing straight out of college working his way up from apprentice to lead brewer at places like Iron Hill in New Jersey and Colorado’s Mountain Sun. Trained at the Siebel Institute and World Brewing Academy, Jeff has produced myriad styles, specializing in lagers as well as wild, sour and funky beer. He has received numerous awards and recognition from state and national associations for his work. Though he’s a New Jersey native, he has made his home in Mount Rainier and is known to be just as handy in the kitchen as the brewery.

  • Chief Brand Officer / Founder

    Julie directs business development, sales, marketing, and community partnerships at Denizens. She previously held roles in the U.S. Small Business Administration as Associate Administrator for Field Operations and a Senior Policy Advisor and Presidential Management Fellow. Born and raised in Silver Spring, Julie has sat on the Board of Directors for the National Brewers Association, the Brewers Association of Maryland, the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, and the Montgomery County Food Council and is an active member of Regarding Her DC. In her free time Julie loves playing soccer in various rec leagues around town and playing golf at local courses.

We love craft brewing

We’re passionate about what we do and always eager to share our passion with all of you. Learn more about the brewing process, beer history, our team, and more in the videos below.

Denizens bottling program

Learn how and why we choose to bottle some of our limited edition beers from our Silver Spring brewing team.

Denizens barrel aging program

Our Silver Spring brewers share the process for creating our unique barrel aged beers. We’ve been making these styles since we opened in 2014, and we create new ones and bring back old ones each year.

The Denizens Beermobile

We launched the Denizens Beermobile in March 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and over the course of the year we made more than 7,500 deliveries to almost 4,000 homes throughout Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and parts of DC. Thank you for allowing us to keep you stocked and keep our small business running.

Wish You Were Beer series

Our team explores the craft beer world, including history, pairings, recipes, and more.

EPISODE 1: LAGERS

Our debut episode celebrates Lagers and is full of laughs, expert knowledge, and of course there is shotgunning. We had a blast and think it came out pretty damn great. 

EPISODE 2: IPAS

Watch as we hop into the world of IPAs. Learn some history on the style, get to better know our Southside Rye IPA and Animal Hazy IPA, score a recipe idea, hear some knowledge dropped on "Ask a Beer Nerd", and try to guess right on Two Truths and a Lie. 

EPISODE 3: ENGLISH BEERS

Here we discuss the English brewing tradition, including pub culture and community, the style and history of English bitters, and highlight our own Extra Special Bitter - Lowest Lord. Special guest, Scotland native, and Head of Packaging and Quality, Tim Fothergill joins Julie and Ben.

EPISODE 4: BELGIAN BEERS

In this episode, Jeff joins Julie & Ben to chat all things Belgian beer. They uncover the history and complexity of the style and go in-depth on the details that make our Third Party Tripel and the recently bottled Brett Party so dangerously delicious.

EPISODE 5: SEASONAL BEERS

In this episode we discuss the seasonality of beer—how it came about and what a seasonal beer means to us today. Julie and Ben discuss our Beermobile Pale Ale as well as our Macadocious Maibock. Two delicious seasonal beers! And of course the episode wouldn’t be complete without a shotgun of our newly launched hard seltzer.

EPISODE 6: SOUR and WILD BEERS

An hour of sour! Your chance to learn more about sour beers and the complexity that goes into them. Tried our Georgia Ave or Sligo Kriek? Get the inside scoop of these beers directly from the brewers behind them.

EPISODE 7: FATHER’S DAY SPECIAL

Julie’s Dad joins us for a most epic episode. Laughs, amazing stories, and some expert banjo!

EPISODE 8: HOMEBREWING

In this episode, Julie & Ben cover all things homebrewing. We learn which styles are best to begin with, essentials tools of the trade, and that heroes wear masks!