Ready your taste buds, Baltimore, there's a new brewer in town. Full Tilt Brewing has been taking Baltimore bars by storm with its Baltimore Pale Ale since its official release on December 29. After one sip of this new brew we were on board, so we grabbed a few minutes with co-owner Nick Fertig to talk about the company's path to success.

Co-owners and cousins Nick Fertig and Dan Baumiller have been building the brand in their kitchen since 2008, when they purchased a home brewing kit off of eBay. Their shared passion for craft beer and entrepreneurship pushed the pair to move to a semi-auto brewing system not long after, in hopes of brewing more types and larger quantities of beer. After a few years passed, the two were finally ready to move beyond the living room parties where friends had been enjoying their creations and into the hands of the craft brew-loving Baltimore public.

Fertig and Baumiller’s success is in large part due to their ability to be in the right place at the right time. Fertig was connected to Alex van Breukelen (owner of The Americana) through their shared veteran status, and Alex agreed to put Baltimore Pale Ale on tap, as well as host their opening party. The debut was a massive success, spreading word of the new beer while raising $1,1,40 for Heroes to Hometowns as well.

Additionally, while looking for a great tap handle to go with the brewery logo Fertig's tattoo artist had created, the duo was put in touch with Stephen Demczuk of The Raven Beer. From this connection Full Tilt was able to secure a spot as a contract brewer at the Peabody Heights Brewery. Finally, through even more networking, Fertig and Baumiller were able to connect with FP Winner, a local beer distributor, creating a very successful partnership that has put Baltimore Pale Ale on tap in many locations throughout the city.

The future of Full Tilt is looking bright. Nick hopes to be in as many of the Peabody Heights Brewery fermenters as they will allow, and he hopes to introduce Fleet Street Raspberry, a fruity wheat beer, to the masses this spring.

Full Tilt is already on tap at many of our favorite bars including The Americana, Hudson Street Stackhouse, Max’s Taphouse and Brewer’s Cask. For a full listing of where to find it, check out the company website, and when you try the beer, be sure to let us know what you think.