I found my way to the Pratt Street Ale House during an overnight trip to Baltimore last weekend (July 11-12).  Benjamin and I went to a pair of weekend Orioles games on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, staying at the new Hilton right across the street from Camden Yards.  The former Wharf Rat was a block from the hotel and after we checked in and visited the Sports Legend Museum, we headed to the new Ale House for an early dinner before the baseball game.

What’s behind the name change from the Wharf Rat to the Pratt Street Ale House?  New owners, who shut down the brewpub for a month to renovate into a more tourist-friendly destination.

The bad news: the renovation sanitized the place and took away a lot of the old Wharf Rat’s character and ambiance.

The good news:  they are still serving Oliver Ales!

I only had time for three pints, and enjoyed them all:

• Old Habit, a classic English brown ale
• Cherry Blossom Ale, a delicious seasonal selection
• Rustic Red, a malty farmhouse ale

I liked the Cherry Blossom Ale the best.  Overall, the beers are still great and I’ll definitely continue my pre-game tradition of having pints here before an O’s game.  But I was a little disaapointed that the old Wharf Rat is gone.