Crafting a dream: Baltimore brewery wins chance to collaborate with Samuel Adams beer

Judy Neff started brewing out of her basement 17 years ago. Soon, she’ll be brewing with national beer giant Samuel Adams. Checkerspot Brewing Co., the South Baltimore brewery that Neff runs with her husband, Rob Neff, is the winner of Samuel Adams’ 11th annual Brewer Experienceship, a philanthropic program that links one craft brewery a year with loan opportunities and mentorship from Samuel Adams’ Boston-based experts. Keep an eye out for a joint Samuel Adams/Checkerspot beer release, too: The program offers winning breweries a chance to collaborate with Samuel Adams brewers on a beer that would be distributed in several states, including Maryland.