Midwatch Brewing Co. is a dream in the making. Until “the making” becomes “reality,” we’re a pretty ambitious homebrew operation with some great beers registered on Untappd. And here, on our website, we want to share with you our thoughts, ideas, successes, failures and pontifications about beer and loving life.

Either way – dream-in-the-making or reality – our mission is to build community by brewing great-tasting beer that people like you want to drink together. At the Midwatch, we want you to find a beer you love and the space to take a time-out from to-do lists, let your guard down, connect with new and old friends, and recharge. Relax, we’ve got the watch.

What’s The Midwatch?

“The Midwatch” is a naval term for the first watch of the day – stood between midnight and some later morning hour. It’s also called “balls to 6” or “balls to 4” – based on the 24-hour time clock (so… 00 hours to 0600 hours, etc…). Standing the midwatch means everyone else can sleep, worry-free, carefree while the watch standers keep everyone secure. It’s considered the “best” watch, because no one else is awake and a sailor can really get to know the people s/he serves with. Camaraderie. Personal. Friendly. The Midwatch. Midwatch Brewing.

Our Core Values:

1. We have the courage to honor tradition and the commitment to serve only beer we’d drink ourselves. Tradition represents a critical piece of our culture and reminds us that we are part of a greater whole. We think of beer as something that – like breaking bread – brings people together. Beer has no class lines or political parties. It isn’t picky about degrees or income levels. Beer is an equalizer, a unifier, a common round.
2. Hospitality is our gift – it’s what we love to do. It might even be our calling. We are committed to providing a friendly, engaging, personalized customer experience, and we want to make beer that people love. We engage in and with our community, and invite our community to engage with us. Our beer is for everyone, and Midwatch Brewing Co. serves our neighbors as a gathering place to unwind, relax, recharge, and connect with old and new friends.
3. Honesty and integrity foster strong relationships and emotional connections. With each small and large decision, we have the chance to choose with integrity, and when we make that choice time and time, our choices build our reputation as honest human beings (and an honest company), and that reputation leads people through our doors.
4. We are Characters of Great Character. Quality always shows up, whether in the beer, or in the person. We understand the value of hard work and believe in doing more than enough to get by. We practice this work ethic and professionalism in how we present ourselves a a company, how we expect our team to represent our company, how we treat others, and by the pride, dedication and accountability we take in our work.

Who We Are:

We are Ed and Cindy Sabato. High school sweethearts (well, for those 5 months in the 11th grade, anyway). Married since 1992. Eternal romantics. Ed is a retired CWO3, “old-school” Navy guy, and one look at our submarine movie posters will tell you he’s also got an old-school, nostalgic view of the U.S. Navy. He’s served on four fast-attack submarines and a sub tender, with one or two barely-shore-duties thrown in between. Cindy is The Wife, a lifelong amateur dancer, animal lover, scuba-diver, encourager, eternal optimist and exuberant soul. Ed pretty much swept her off her feet.

We grew up in Frederick, Maryland, and between the two of us, we’ve lived in nine states and territories and traveled a little of everywhere from one side of the International Dateline to the other. You could call the Midwatch a coming home of sorts, and we’re glad to be here.

How the Midwatch was born:

In 2002, we took off on a 3-week motorcycle trip across the country. We called it our “Freedom Ride.” No major highways, no chain restaurants, only B&Bs. Our only goals were to see this great country we live in, meet people along the way, TALK to people and hear their stories, and EXPERIENCE life. Freedom Ride launched our dream to make a decent living doing something we love alongside the great life adventure stories of our community. Welcome to Midwatch Brewing Company. Come, have a beer and share your life adventures with us.