Brew at The Hill

Last night, a couple of friends and I checked out The Hill, the namesake of its neighborhood, Federal Hill. Since the place just opened in May, it definitely still had a newish vibe to it—very clean, polished, and modern. But there were also some touches that made it feel very old-school Baltimore, including the exposed brick and tin ceiling.

The Hill's food menu had a lot of great selections and everything that we ate was delicious. Additionally, the service was great, both at the bar and at our table. The place was pretty crowded for a Monday night with several tables of diners and plenty of drinkers lining the long, wooden bar.

The drink menu (made of cork) was fairly extensive with two panes devoted to red and white wines, and a third to beer (we were also informed that there were $5 martinis that night). The beers were divided into three categories (domestic, imports, and local brews) and consisted of a lot of Pilsners and Belgians. Intrigued by the name, I tried Clipper City's Red Sky at Night (which my friend informed me is a sailor's delight).

The beer, which has 8 percent ABV, is a part of Clipper City's High Seas line, which is their more complex, refined line of brews. And I can see why. The drink was at once very Belgian-like and hoppy, while also tasting light and fruity. You could definitely put away a few of these before you know it.

All in all, our experience at the new Federal Hill establishment was a good one with friendly service, good food, and a delicious selection of local beers.

[Image: courtesy of ccbeer.com]