Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Conway.
Hi Kate, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I opened Pickett Brewing Company with my neighbor, Jason Howard, in 2022. Pickett is in the Pigtown neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland and includes on-site craft beer production and a taproom just blocks from Ravens Stadium and Oriole Park at Camden Yards. We focus everything we do on four core values: our beer, our team, our community and giving back.
Both of us had corporate careers before deciding to take on brewing. We’ve both immersed ourselves in the industry becoming Cicerone Certified Beer Servers and completing the University of Vermont Business of Craft Beer program. We’ve used this to develop a product line that highlights a range of styles including flagships and seasonal beers that attract a diverse audience of beer drinkers. This was validated when we won the Best of Baltimore Editor’s Choice for best brewery in our first year of operation.
Since then our taproom has engaged a wide audience beyond craft beer drinkers. This engagement and the feedback we’ve gotten on the community we’ve built is what motivates us to continue to evolve Pickett Brewing. In 2024 we launched our official bluegrass series, housed in “The Big Little Bluegrass Room,” with shows that have grown in attendance over the past two years. Often, we pair events with beer releases such as Bluegrass Sunday Pilsner named after our most popular afternoon shows that end the week.
In 2024, Pickett spearheaded the South Baltimore Brewery District along with neighboring breweries Checkerspot Brewing, M8 Beer, and Wico Street Beer Co. The goal of the brewery district is to support each other through collaborative events while contributing to the community. Currently, we have a mural project that educates the public about Maryland-made beer and encourages them to support local businesses on their way to the stadiums.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Owning a small business is challenging and the craft brewing industry is changing and evolving. Folks aren’t drinking as much, or are drinking differently. Plus, Pickett runs on a small brewhouse so keeping up with volume can be challenging in our busiest months. However, we’ve developed a strategy that works for us, delivers on the styles that people like best, and keeps the taps pouring on game days, Bluegrass Sundays and beyond.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Pickett I’m most proud of how Jason and I pair our beers and events with marketing campaigns that highlight our entire story. For example, each year in March we brew a beer for Women’s History Month and release it at a paired event that highlights women in brewing, business and music. Our favorite all-female bluegrass band, The Black Eyed Suzies, have played this event for the past three years and the taproom is filled with a female-owned business market. Plus we donate a portion of proceeds from the special release beer to a charity that supports women and girls. This year, we worked in collaboration with Widespread Hope Foundation and were able to raise enough money to purchase a French Horn for a girl in a South Baltimore school that the Foundation partners with. This is the type of event the reflects our core values: beer, team, community and giving back.
How do you think about happiness?
I’m a mom of four sons, and they are what make me the happiest. I”m also grateful that they see me building something that I love, and I hope it will inspire them to do the same for themselves in the future. And, at Pickett, I’m most happy when people tell me what an impact our business has had on them. People often tell us that it feels like home, or a living room, and I love that folks are so comfortable in our space. Seeing them enjoying themselves around friends, old and new, makes all of the challenges worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pickettbrewingco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pickettbrewing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pickettbrewing
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pickett-brewing-company/
- Other: https://g.page/r/Cbd9N3vELXP-EBM/review
