Baltimoreans love anything that is their own, almost to a fault. So what if Edgar Allan Poe left University of Virginia after a semester? Who cares if they never found Ray’s suit? The Inner Harbor smell just adds to the atmosphere of the place. Charm City locals will and can find pride in all things—good, bad or ugly—related to the place they call home. And Baltimoreans find no greater pride than in their booze. This city has enough local alcohol to propel the entire Mid-Atlantic region into the morning after scene in The Hangover. Speaking of tigers and drinking, the Baltimore Zoo put on an event this summer featuring exotic animals and craft beers. Any city crazy enough to sponsor a Zoo and Brew event takes their alcohol very seriously. Here are 10 Baltimore favorites that are representative of the city they flood—bold, indignant and true to their roots.

1-Union Craft Brewing

The newest Baltimore beer venture, Union Craft Brewing’s Jones Falls River locale began production in the spring of 2012 with two truly Bawlmer brews. Duckpin Pale Ale, named after the quirky Charm City pastime, is a lip-smacking, attitudinally-hopped beer, paired perfectly with the loud personality of the city it calls home. Union Craft’s darker Balt Altbeir takes from the German tradition, both in brewing and in name. Each beer is available in cans throughout the Baltimore region, and at the brewery’s free samplings and tours on Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. That’s right, I said free.

2- Heavy Seas

With an alehouse on Bank Street in Upper Fells, Heavy Seas brewing is arguably the most established craft brewery in Baltimore. Although relatively young—founder, Hugh Sisson consolidated his economic/alcoholic ventures into Heavy Seas in 2010—he and the rest of the Heavy Seas crew have a passion for brewing, which shines through in their variety of beers; most notably Loose Cannon, Heavy Sea’s aromatic and punchy IPA. Of all the Baltimore India Pale Ales, this one might be the best.

3-Pub Dog beer

Pub Dog, a Fed Hill institution, has been serving up quality pizza and their own draft beer since 2001. Little by little, the drafthouse began to expand; first, to Columbia and then to bottling its beer. 750 mL varieties of their canine-themed beers hit shelves in 2007 and can be found at local distributors (most notably Wells) throughout Baltimore. More traditional IPA and lager styled beers, along with Pub Dog’s fruity beers, offer a diversity of options for Baltimoreans of all sizes and palates. More recently, Pub Dog beer has even been spotted in six pack bottles around town—a good omen for fans of this local establishment.

4- Millstone

Millstone’s mission comes through in part on their website, when they mention that their cider’s goal is to recreate “early America’s libation of choice.” What they did not include in that succinct description is that their products are also artfully crafted with local fruits and packaged in aesthetically pleasing glass flip top bottles. A perfect blend of craft brewing attitude and artisanal ability makes Millstone a Maryland champion of cider and mead. Having an apiarist on the payroll can’t hurt either (that’s “beekeeper” for us lay people).

5-Flying Dog 

Their brewery may be in Frederick, but Flying Dog turns out eer too good to not claim as our own. Since the brewery’s arrival in Maryland during 1994, Flying Dog has grown into the region’s biggest microbrew. And why shouldn’t it be? They have developed 11 mouthy year-round varieties, nine seasonal brews and a host of limited edition concoctions. If you have a hankering for a stout, Flying Dog’s Pearl Necklace is the one to pick up.

6-Brewer’s Art beer

A brewpub as ballsy as it is talented; Brewer’s Art combines skillful experimentation with the know-how to put good beers in the glasses of their patrons and on the shelves of local distributors. They claim to “reserve the right to make a new beer at any time”—an ambition that has won over the hearts and taste buds of Baltimoreans. If you’re looking for an intro to the Brewer’s Art family, look no further than their 7% Resurrection, a beer that by sheer popularity has worked its way into the fridges of beer distributors throughout the region.

7- Raven Beer

“The taste is poetic” reads the mantra of this Peabody Heights Brewery product, and Baltimoreans have no plans to dispute that claim. Created the closest geographically to Loyola and Johns Hopkins on E. 30 Street, Raven beer offers a range of flavorful brews with Poe-inspired twists. The Tell-Tale Heart IPA is a top-seller, along with Raven’s Edgar Allen Poe lager. Full-bodied beer, along with a comically caricatured Poe portrait on each bottle cap, combines novelty with flavor—a pairing Baltimore has made commonplace in both food and beverage.

8- Boordy

Not all of Maryland is overrun by microbrews. Boordy wineries make the claim—even if only figuratively—that the art of winemaking lives on in our state. This Baltimore County winery stays true to its grapevine roots through its Icons of Maryland collection. While Boordy features dozens of whites, reds and everything in between, it doesn’t get much better than their Petit Cabernet. Boordy wines can be found at most Bawlmer distributors, or at their location just eight miles northeast of the city.

9-Natty Preme

National Premium stopped production when I was five years old. However, local entrepreneur Tim Miller has resurrected the Natty Preme name and product, which hit shelves (again) in early 2012. The result is a satisfying beer for the economically-conscious. Natty Preme goes well with a long day that warrants kicking your feet up on the coffee table and saying things like “I need to let my ole dogs breathe” and have a “cold one.”

10- Natty Boh 

National Bohemian doesn’t make this list because it’s particularly good, or even because it’s brewed in Baltimore (the beer production side of Boh left Maryland nearly 17 years ago). Rather, Natty Boh is here because its history and allure are so entwined with our city. The Mr. Boh head appears on billboards and T-shirts everywhere. Local teams are featured on Natty Boh tall cans during their seasons. Even after tasting the beer, you’d swear they used water from the Inner Harbor to craft their inexpensive, light beer offering. For better or worse, this amorphous beverage—which can be found in any size and shape (6 packs, 12 packs, 30s and 40s included)—is and always will be a Baltimore staple.