Seems like all of the closures in Maryland area are due huge rent increases.

the taproom-only model only works when there's a certain novelty about going to a "brewery"... "craft" brewing hasn't been novel in 30 years in most locales. People aren't interested in going to a place that ONLY has IPA beer, and nothing else, that's never changed, it's just that the novelty of "craft" has worn off. combined with obscene pricing in a struggling economy, its gonna be hard to survive if all you do is "beer". The reality that most small breweries don't have a still in the back (licsensed to be a distillery as well) is bewildering to me.