Guinness brewery in Baltimore County to close after eight years

The Guinness Open Gate brewery in Baltimore County is closing after eight years of operation, The Baltimore Banner reported. The brewery was located on the former Maryland Distilling Company site, which Guinness’ parent company, Diageo North America Inc., has owned since 2001.

Local politicians had worked to attract Guinness to the county by loosening state brewery laws, adjusting zoning codes, and offering tax incentives. Tom Quirk, a former county council member, recalled pushing through zoning changes to accommodate the brewery.

Diageo invested about $90 million in the project, which was partly supported by the state's Enterprise Zone tax credit program. This program waived a significant portion of property taxes to encourage business investment in economically struggling areas. From 2017 to 2022, Diageo received $247,000 in tax credits through this program, according to County Executive Kathy Klausmeier’s spokesperson.

Despite initial optimism about establishing an international beer brand presence in Baltimore County, some current and former officials expressed surprise and disappointment at the brewery’s closure. Diageo had previously closed another facility in the county in 2015, which resulted in layoffs.

The closure marks the end of a significant local economic development effort aimed at boosting Baltimore County’s profile in the brewing industry and attracting tourism similar to Guinness’ Dublin brewery.