Thinking of starting a new craft brewery or winery? You might think about moving to Frederick County in Maryland, which is taking steps to position itself as a leader in the craft alcoholic beverage industry. For the past three years, this Maryland county has become home to a growing number of craft brewers and winemakers. And now it has released a simple how-to guide - “How to Start a Winery, Brewery, Distillery” - that will make it easy for just about anyone to get in on this fast-growing trend.

According to the Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED), which published the guide, the new publication is meant to help entrepreneurial craft brewers and winemakers navigate all the federal, state and county laws and regulations. That part of launching a new craft brewery (the governmental red tape) can often be the most difficult part - even harder than finding the capital financing needed to launch in the first place.

Frederick County’s craft beverage industry has seen tremendous growth over the last three years and leads the state in the number of wineries, farm breweries, and distilleries. Now home to more than 30 wineries, breweries and distilleries, this industry generates jobs in agriculture and manufacturing, strengthens Frederick’s tourism industry and attracts young talent to the community.

Thus, this is really a story of economic development, as the craft beverage industry has reached a large enough size where it is now driving economic growth in the region. In addition to the Guide, the county’s OED developed a craft beverage brand for this thriving industry to further promote both tourism and economic development.

“There are many exciting things brewing in Frederick County! We wanted to create a guide that helps put all the steps together in a visually-pleasing and easy to follow format, and a logo that helps to tie everyone together,” said OED Director Helen Propheter.

“Frederick County has been a leader in many ways for this industry, from the first farm brewery, first cidery and first meadery in Maryland, to hosting the Maryland Craft Beer festival since 2010,” Propheter noted. This new resource and branding demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting these innovative businesses and making it easier to do business in Frederick,” she pointed out.

The new Guide was created with input and advice from the Frederick County Division of Planning, Frederick County Liquor Board, Brewers Association of Maryland, Maryland Wineries Association, Maryland Distillers Guild and several local wineries, breweries and distilleries who provided feedback first-hand from their experiences going through the process.

While growth over the past few years has been impressive, Frederick County has a long tradition of craft beverage production, beginning with Brewer’s Alley in 1996 and Linganore Winecellars, Maryland’s largest winery, founded in 1972. Today Frederick County is home to 14 wineries; a lively craft beer scene with 12 breweries, led by Maryland’s largest craft brewery, Flying Dog, and three farm breweries. There are also four distilleries throughout the County.

If all goes according to plan, this region of Maryland will become known for growing and nurturing new businesses. That will bring in new entrepreneurial talent from nearby states, while also giving a boost to economic development and tourism. There’s already a critical mass of craft breweries and wineries, now all that’s needed is a little word-of-mouth to get people talking about Maryland as a hub for craft brewing and craft distilling.