Monocacy Brewing hosts couple, singles for Paints and Pints

Jack Hogan, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·2 min read

Feb. 19—Liz Braun established an essential rule before beginning her couples and singles canvas painting class Sunday at Monocacy Brewing Co.: keep the canvas in between cups of water and glasses of beer.

The water is used to wash the paint brushes. The beer? Well, not so much.

"It has happened more than one time," Braun said, advising that her class of nine learn from previous students who have absent-mindedly spoiled both a beer and a brush with one wrong dip.

Braun teaches the class, Paints and Pints, monthly at Monocacy Brewing Co. On Sunday, she guided the class through a canvass painting of two birds touching beaks while perched on tree branches with vibrant sunset colors in the background.

Braun is the owner and operator of Gathered Night In, a Leesburg, Virginia-based business. She began offering painting classes at breweries in 2019, she said.

Monocacy Brewing Co. hosted its first Paints and Pints in September of last year, said Emily Lesho, the brewery's tasting room manager. She brought the idea with her when she left her job at another brewery.

"It was a really fun way to get people out of the house and into a brewery, and, maybe, people that don't necessarily always drink beer," Lesho said. "We'd love to get more people here... we have the space for it."

Megan Hailu said that she and her husband, Sharew, enjoy trying new activities — including axe-throwing — when they're able to take time away from parenting their two young daughters.

Sunday was the first time they'd done a painting class together since their honeymoon, years ago. It was also part of their extended Valentine's Day celebration.

When asked what they'd do with their paintings, Sharew Hailu said, "Well, we'll see what it looks like. I think that determines a lot of our decision."

"Our girls like to paint. So, I think they'll be excited to see a joint painting of two little birdies kissing," Megan Hailu said.

Michele Witherow-Williams and her husband, Jason Williams, used to attend paint nights "all the time" in Montgomery County before moving to Thurmont last June.

"When we saw that they had one here, we were like alright, yeah, might as well. We did it everywhere else," Witherow-Williams said. "What's better than beer and painting?"

It's fun to decorate the walls of their home with their own artwork, she said.

"We are not artists," she said. "But, we try, we try."

Follow Jack Hogan on Twitter: @jckhogan