Antietam Brewery officially opened its new 7,500 square-foot production facility in Hagerstown last week, hosting more than 100 guests including local residents and representatives, media, and beer enthusiasts.

Located on Western Maryland Parkway, the brewery's new location includes a tasting room with outdoor seating, a production space, and a canning line with the capability to brew 3,500 barrels of beer per year.

As Western Maryland's first craft brewery, Antietam can host approximately 185 guests and have 10 brews available on tap at once. With the additional available space, the company hopes to continue expanding and eventually grow into producing 10,000 barrels per year.

Founded in 2012 by William Skomski Sr., inside his restaurant "Benny's Pub," the brewery quickly took off as a local favorite. Named after the Battle of Antietam, Skomski says the brewery stands out because of the battlefield heritage and American history surrounding the area. Read more about the brewery's name on its website.

"We name most beers after the Civil War and we like to include short stories on our cans," said Skomski. A portion of the proceeds from last week's grand opening were even donated to the Civil War Heritage Association of Washington County.

Skomski tells us they are beginning to distribute products in Baltimore City and Baltimore County now, and they should soon be available throughout most of the state. Antietam's products can also be found in West Virginia, and the company hopes to be distributing to Pennsylvania and Virginia by the end of summer.

Learn more about Antietam Brewery on antietambrewery.com.