Opening a restaurant just as the pandemic was heating up may seem like an odd decision, but for Forward Brewing Company co-owner Cam Bowdren, it was the culmination of a more than 15-year journey.

“It was pretty scary for a while, because we [had] just spent over two years getting to the point that we were ready for inspections and trying to get our licensing together, and then the pandemic came,” Bowdren said. Those two years came after a decade and a half of trying to figure out the best way to start his business.

“We were unable to open the inside of our taproom, so everything had to be to-go. And luckily, we had a growler machine, so all of our beer was put into 32-ounce growlers and essentially sold through our side window.”

Forward not only survived, but thrived. Bowdren and his wife Claire opened the nano-brewery on May 16, 2020. The restaurant was soon allowed to have outdoor dining, something Bowdren has stuck with and feels is important to its identity, though they do offer indoor seating now.

Bowdren grew up in Anne Arundel County, became a teacher, and worked at St. Martin’s Lutheran School of Annapolis. In college, he became interested in craft beers and was fascinated by the breweries he encountered on his travels. He decided to open one in Eastport because his family already owned a piece of property on Fourth Street that, years before, had held a marine electronics shop.

Claire Bowdren, whose background is in public health and sustainability, has been influential in the way Forward mostly sources its ingredients from in-state.

Meat is a sticking point for the Bowdrens: chicken comes from a group of North Carolina farms. Crab dishes use Maryland crabs, and if there are no Maryland crabs available, they aren’t on the menu. They also make ample use of blue catfish, an invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay and many of Maryland’s rivers. There is no limit for blue catfish.

Bowdren said he makes sure there is a beer for every type of drinker, as well as foods that pair well with the drinks and don’t interrupt a conversation, such as tacos.

“I think the biggest lesson is probably sticking to the goals rather than how the plan is supposed to be executed, but at the same time allowing yourself room to adapt to whatever the demand is,” he said.

Forward is celebrating its birthday Friday with $5 beers and free birthday cake.

The growler machine that helped launch the business in 2020 does not see much use anymore, but Bowdren said they keep it around just in case.

Have a news tip? Contact Benjamin Rothstein at brothstein@baltsun.com, 443-928-1926.