Wild Goose (beer)

Lore & Background

The original Wild Goose Brewery was established by Washington area lawyers Ted Garrish and John Byington, businesswoman Nancy Davis, and journalist (and former speechwriter) Rich Klein. The brewery was located in a section of the old Phillips packing plant, an abandoned oyster cannery facility in Cambridge on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Originally conceived as a brewpub, the founders were forced to bottle Wild Goose due to Prohibition Era laws that restricted brewing and sale of alcohol on the same premises. Wild Goose was only the second micro-brewery to operate in Maryland since Prohibition ended in 1933.

The original label of Wild Goose Amber featured both crabs and geese. In 1990, Wild Goose launched a new brew named Thomas Point Light, after the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse; the name was later changed to Wild Goose Golden to remove confusion as to whether this was a low calorie beer like Coors Light or Miller Light. Wild Goose's first brew was in October 1989 and produced at full capacity, approximately 4,500 cases per month. The beer was widely distributed in bottles and kegs in Annapolis and throughout the Eastern Shore, with selected distribution in Washington D.C. and Baltimore. Wild Goose was served locally under the name Samuel Middleton's Pale Ale and also brewed a house brand for Baltimore's Wharf Rat.

In 1997, Kevin Brannon and Marjorie McGinnis of the Frederick Brewing Company acquired the Wild Goose brand and commenced brewing Wild Goose Ales in Frederick, Maryland sometime during 1998. In December 2010, the Logan Shaw Brewing Company purchased the Wild Goose brand from Flying Dog Brewery, with plans to pair Wild Goose beers with their own craft brews. Logan Shaw sold the Wild Goose Brands to Tim Miller and the National Brewing Company in late 2015. Snow Goose was re-released on draft in the Fall of 2017, and Snow Goose and Wild Goose IPA became available in cans and draft with more to follow.

Reader's Guide

Wild Goose holds a notable place in Maryland's craft beer history as only the second micro-brewery to operate in the state after Prohibition ended. Its founding by a group of Washington-area professionals—lawyers, a businesswoman, and a journalist—reflects the early wave of craft brewing in the late 1980s. The brand's origin in an abandoned oyster cannery on the Eastern Shore ties it to the region's maritime heritage, and its forced bottling due to lingering Prohibition-era laws illustrates the regulatory challenges faced by early microbreweries. The brand's timeline shows a series of ownership changes: from the original founders to Frederick Brewing Company in 1997, then to Logan Shaw Brewing Company in 2010, and finally to the National Brewing Company in 2015. Through these transitions, Wild Goose continued to produce its core beers, including the award-winning Wild Goose India Pale Ale, which earned a Gold Medal at the 2008 World Beer Cup. The re-release of Snow Goose in 2017 and the expansion into cans demonstrate the brand's ongoing presence in the market. The beer's distribution pattern—strong on the Eastern Shore and in Annapolis, with selective reach into Washington D.C. and Baltimore—reflects its regional identity. The renaming of Thomas Point Light to Wild Goose Golden to avoid confusion with light beers shows a practical response to market perception.

Did You Know?

• The original brewery was located in an abandoned oyster cannery facility in Cambridge, Maryland.
• Snow Goose, a chocolate-flavored winter seasonal, was re-released on draft in Fall 2017.