The Brewers Association ranks Maryland 37th in the nation with 0.8 craft breweries per capita, said Maureen O'Prey, a historian and author who has researched the brewing industry's history in the Baltimore area and across the state. That might not sound great, but it means there's room for improvement.

"We're way behind the curve," O'Prey said. "The best part about this is, economically, there's a ton of room for growth."

And legal changes are clearing the way for more beer to flow, said Kasey Turner, founder of Jailbreak Brewing Co. in Laurel. Jailbreak started brewing earlier this year as Howard County's first brewery. It was able to open thanks to a county law change. State law tweaks expanding growler filling and allowing taprooms also helped the brewery as it established itself, Turner said.

O'Prey and Turner were part of a panel discussion on whether craft beer was a passing fad or a lasting tool for economic development. The panel talked on the same day Regional Economic and Studies Institute Chief Economist Daraius Irani threw some cold water on Maryland's overall economic forecast, predicting slow growth and tough state budget decisions in the future.

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