Castle Liquors
12 Milestone Terrace
Williamsport, MD 21795
(301) 223-7887

I did not expect to find a beer store like this in Williamsport!

Castle Liquors has rack after rack, stack upon stack, of microbrews in 16-ounce cans for the Questor to select from.

One can pick up a loose can, or pick any beer from a 4-pack, and build their own 4-pack.

I came away with 16 new beers all in pint cans.
No one knows just how many different beers Castle has in stock, but it has got to be hundreds.

So the next time you are in Williamsport to visit the breweries, visit Castle liquors for a little something to take home.

Oakdale Fine Wine & Spirits
1713 Edmondson Ave.
Catonsville, MD 21228
(410) 747-7321

Oakdale Fine Wine & Spirits is located at Catonsville Junction and is housed in a building that used to be a drugstore.
As a local resource for craft beer it can't be beaten, as it carries between 300 and 400 different microbrews, including many singles.
The staff is knowledgeable and helpful and is glad to assist the customer if necessary.

Nick's of Calvert
930 Costley Way
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
(410) 414-7105

Whilst enjoying a few beers at The Ruddy Duck in Solomon's, I was tipped off to Nick's, where they had a great beer selection, and one could get a growler of Greenspring beer, an under-the-radar brewer in the area...

Nick's of Calvert is an upscale grocery store located on
Route 2/4, in the Southern Maryland town of Prince Frederick.
Important to the Questor though, is beer.
Nick's probably has the best selection of craft beer in Prince Frederick, if not in Southern Maryland.
Not only does Nick's stock a wide variety of six-packs and bombers, but they have a state-of-the-art growler stand.
They stock about 8 different rotating drafts at a time, which are available to fill 32- and 64-ounce growlers.
Alas, they were out of Greenspring at the time of my visit...a reason to return!

College Square Liquors
College Square
444 WMC Dr # 106 Westminster, MD 21158
(410) 751-9922

You may find beer stores with larger selections, but you won't find them in Westminster.
College Square carries hundreds of different beers, craft and otherwise.
They have a mix-and-match shelf for singles, and a moderate variety of bombers.
College Square boasts a friendly and helpful staff, tastings, other specials, and was voted Carroll County's Best Liquor Store in 2013.
When Questing in this neck of the woods, College Square Liquors demands a visit.

The Winery
116 S Piney Rd
Chester MD 21619
(410) 643-9466

On Kent Island, just off Blue Star Memorial Highway, aka Route 50, Gateway to the Eastern Shore, sits The Winery.
The manager informed us that The Winery stocks around 350 different beers.
I suspect it's probably closer to 500.
They have 20 or so coolers and then many shelves of single bottles and bombers.
Each single bottle is labeled with a price, which is great.
Overall, The Winery offers a very nice selection at quite reasonable prices.
The accomodating staff was glad to help we travelers and seemed to be well known to the local customers.. The Winery is an accessible place for Questors to hit after they cross the Bay Bridge on their way to the beach, and the vastly improved beer scene on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

West-O Bottle Shop & Bar
12611 Ocean Gateway
Ocean City , MD 21842
(410) 213-2079

West-O Bottle Shop & Bar is located in West Ocean City, MD just a few minutes west of the Route 50 bridge.
Aside from wine and liquor, West-O offers hundreds of brands of beer in singles, 6-packs, bombers, and cases. The interior of the store is attractive and spacious...roomy enough to have a small bar with 6 taps.
The bar also serves snacks and cheese plates as well as wine and cocktails.
West-O was voted Best Liquor Store and Best Wine Store by Coastal Style Magazine.
West-O is definitely one of the best beer stores in the Ocean City area.

Liquid Assets
Bistro & Package Goods
9301 Coastal Hwy  
Ocean City, MD 21842
(410) 524-7037

Liquid Assets is a carry-out beer store and bistro in Ocean City.
The place is dark, and the perimeter is lined with beer coolers and racks of wine.
They carry hundreds of different beers; cases, 6-packs, some singles, and many bombers.
Their beer selection is darn good for the Eastern Shore.
In the center of the room is a very large oval bar, which serves beer, wine, and lite fare.
Although it was the last weekend in October, and much of O.C. was desolate, Liquid Assets was crowded and jumping.

Old Line Fine Wine, Spirits, & Bistro
11011 Baltimore Ave  
Beltsville, MD 20705
(301) 937-5999

Old Line is a beer retailer located on Route 1 in Beltsville.
The store is spacoius, with wide aisles and lots of space for displays.
The beer can be found in the back of the store, occupying several aisles. The beer is sold in cases, six-packs, and bombers.
Old Line stocks hundreds of different brands of micros.
Rob, the beerman, was glad to explain the array of tastings, beer dinners, beer classes, and many other events that Old Line sponsors.
But what really makes Old Line stand apart from other great beer stores is the Bistro.
One enters the Bistro through an archway in the back of the store. There is a large bar which seats about 20, as well as possibly 20 tables and booths.
The tap list featured 20 brews, 19 of which were rotating micros.
They also serve food.
The Questor would do well to stop by Old Line, pick up some beers to go, and wet his whistle on the way.

Cheers Beer & Wine
9926 Old Ocean City Blvd.
Berlin, MD 21811
410-641-2366

Cheers is a great beer retailer just a stone's throw from Burley Oak Brewery in historic Berlin, MD.
Cheers has hundreds of different craft beers in cases, six-packs, bombers and singles.
There is also a selection of the Shore's regional beers.
Cheers is a worthwhile stop as you visit Berlin when you are in the Ocean City region.

The Wine Bin
8390 Main St
Ellicott City, MD 21043
(410) 465-7802

As the name would indicate,
The Wine Bin stocks a lot of wine, and I am sure they are quite knowledgeable in filling the needs of the cultured wine drinker.
But they also carry a lot of beer.
They carry many, many six-packs and bombers, with an emphasis on regional microbrews.
Wine Bin also has a state-of-the-art crowler system, with five taps to choose from.
The Wine Bin is located far enough west on Main Street so that they have avoided heavy damage in the two floods, and has a spacious courtyard next to the building.
Said courtyard is also used for events such as Movie Nights in the summer, and Yappy Hours, where patrons can bring their well-behaved canines to mingle and socialize.
The Wine Bin is one of Howard County's premier beer and wine venues, and a convenient place for a Questor to stroll into either before or after they visit The Judge's Bench which is just across the street.

Pine Orchard Liquors
10281 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042
(410) 465-1635

Pine Orchard Liquors is another great beer source in Ellicott City.
Pine Orchard offers hundreds of different beers in cases and six-packs. They also have large number of craft beers and imports in bombers, pint, and half-liter bottles and cans.
Pine Orchard is the last stop west in the Ellicott City/Route 40 beer corridor.

Honeygo Wines and Spirits
5004 Honeygo Center Drive
Perry Hall, MD 21128
410.529.5500

Honeygo Wine & Spirits may just be the "Perfect Pour of the East." The beer list is simply amazing for such a small place.  Around 500 beers in total, most of which are sold as singles with a 10% discount on a mix pack.  The beers are rotated out every couple of weeks so there's a new selection all the time.  The imports include many Belgians, Germans, and U.K. offerings with myriad other countries represented. The microbrew section is impressive, with several hard to find beers.  Bernie and his staff are fantastic and will gladly help you out (even going so far as to order a particular beer you want). 

The Perfect Pour
6630 Marie Curie Drive Suite E
Elkridge, MD 21075
443-285-0702

Located in a large shopping center just off the intersection of Rts. 108 and 175, The Perfect Pour has a sizable portion of their floorspace given over to beer.
The have hundreds of varieties, mostly micros and imports, including a vast number of Belgians. You can also find a nice selection of beer glasses.
The staff is extremely helpful and will aid you in your selections if that is necessary.
Of particular importance to Questors...you can mix a six pack; all beers are also sold singly. Call to inquire about their next tasting, or better still, visit.
Perfect Pour also has a large growler station.
Upon further review, Perfect Pour is the best Questor's beer store in the region!

Fenwick Beer & Wine
1327 Fenwick Lane
Silver Spring MD
301-650-5770

Located in a cottage amid an urban setting of tall office and apartment buildings, the one-time living room of this tidy little dwelling is home to over 400 different U.S. craft beers and imports. And that number is growing. There is on-site parking, the interior is clean and well-lit, and Fenwick Beer & Wine hosts beer and wine tastings every Friday afternoon. This Questor found a couple of African beers here that he had never encountered anywhere else.

Astor Liquors Inc.
364 Domer Ave.
Laurel, MD 20707

301-776-7585

I had not visited Astor Liquors in several years, and was I surprised to find a selection of well over 300 different beers, including many micros, and a rich selection of single bottles including British, Belgians and Euros. Conveniently located right on Route 1, Astor is worth visiting and worth going back to.