Uncapped december 2017 by Frederick News-Post

About UnCapped UnCapped magazine is published quarterly by The Frederick News-Post, 351 Ballenger Center Drive, Frederick, MD 21703. It is distributed free in Frederick County and other locations throughout Maryland. Send comments to UnCapped@newspost.com. To advertise, contact 301-662-1163 or advertising@newspost.com.

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Cactoctin Breeze Vineyard Elk Run Vineyards Hidden Hills Farm & Vineyard Linganore Winecellars Loew Vineyards Springfield Manor Winery Distillery & Brewery Discover Some of Frederick Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Agricultural Bounty Frederick, Maryland

PUBLISHER, GEORDIE WILSON ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, CONNIE HASTINGS CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ANNA JOYCE | DIGITAL DIRECTOR, SARA HARDISON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, DEBRA TYSON MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISING MANAGER, KEVIN BERRIER

EDITORIAL EDITOR, & GRAPHIC DESIGN, ANNA JOYCE | EDITOR, CHRIS SANDS

Contributing Writers DANIELLE GAINES | RYAN MARSHALL | KATE MASTERS | COLIN MCGUIRE KEVIN SMITH

Contributing Photographers GRAHAM CULLEN | BILL GREEN | DAN GROSS | CHRIS SANDS

ON THE COVER Jed Gray, general manager of Big Cork Vineyards, with their Barbera 2014 paired with meatball appetizers. Photo by Dan Gross. All rights reserved by copyright. Prices, specials and descriptions are deemed accurate at the time of publication. UnCapped may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher. Advertising information has been provided by the advertisers. Opinions expressed in UnCapped do not necessarily reflect those of The Frederick News-Post or its parent company, Ogden Newspapers of Maryland, LLC. All terms and conditions are subject to change. The cover, design, format and layout of this publication are trademarks of Ogden Newspapers of Maryland, LLC, and published by The Frederick News-Post.

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U N C A P P E D | WINTER 2017

UnCapped

Podcast

If we gave out awards,

CHRIS SANDS

Hysteria would get this one.

Hysteria Rebooted The Brewery That Rose from the Ashes IN EPISODE 52 of the “UnCapped Podcast,” Tyler Kreis, director of sales for Hysteria Brewing Company, came into the studio to talk about the Columbia-based brewery. What really gained my respect was how they responded to some production problems early on by posting about them on social media and saying they were temporarily closing down to ﬁx things. I am happy to say Hysteria is now producing some amazing beer. Here are excerpts from that episode.

Chris: Yeah, I think it was a Monday that you guys posted that you were going to shut down, you needed to ﬁgure out what was going on and ﬁx it. And I read that post and I instantly had so much respect for your brewery. .... 4

U N C A P P E D | WINTER 2017

Tyler Kreis, director of sales for Hysteria Brewing Company, in the UnCapped Podcast studio

Tyler: I think people were just excited, and we were, too. And honestly, we shouldn’t have opened up in the ﬁrst place. We rushed everything because we were brewing so much. But people were just constantly hitting us up and we were desperate to get our beer out there so nobody would hate us even more. If we could do it over again, we wouldn’t have opened up at all. We would have just opened up in September like we did. .... Chris: So, I would hope that there’s a lot of … instead of being mad they couldn’t get your beer for a short amount of time, [people] are happy and respect the fact you guys want to put out good beer. Because it was at the Hops and Harvest Festival, I was like, alright, I’ve got to try Hysteria again. I came up and I tried everything you had and it was great. So, I’m like good, I can … Tyler: Yeah, Trash Panda, you had Mad Sun. You had Darkest Hour and I think you had our Coﬀee Milk style. Chris: Yeah.

Tyler: So that’s the stuff we wanted to put out the whole entire time and that’s the stuff we were putting out, you know, when we were doing our initial test batches. Chris: Until you abused your pilot system. Tyler: We called the guy who invented it or manufactures it and he was like, “I follow you on Facebook,” and he’s like, “You know the system was meant to do a handful of times a week?” And we were like, “Yeah.” He was like, “How many times you brewing on it?” We’re like, “Seven, eight times a day.” He was like, “Oh, my God!” He overnighted the new thing. Our actual control box literally caught fire, like flames, smoke. It was rough. But everything’s cool now. Everything is up and running, the 20-barrel is up and running. So, we can actually have fun again … To listen to the entire podcast, go to fnppodcasts.com/uncapped. Follow us on Facebook.com/uncappd.

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KREIS: CHRIS SANDS; PHOENIX: THINKSTOCK/ISTOCK

Tyler: [After opening} we started noticing issues with the beer. First of all, we couldn’t sustain anything. Second of all, we were noticing an issue with the beer because we were pushing our test batch way past the limit. It caught fire twice and then we also started noticing that the heating elements inside were sparking or they were getting … I don’t know what it was. All I know is it started scorching the beer and it took about two weeks for any flavor to even come out at all. I remember sitting in the tap room and somebody was like, “Man, this wheat beer’s cool, but it’s got a smoky flavor. Is that something you were going for?” And I was just like, “What are you talking about?” And I tried it and I was like, “Man, there is something off.” So we had a meeting the next day and we were like, “We can’t do this anymore. We’re dumping everything, all the stuff we’ve been brewing.” I mean a 20-barrel batch was taking us about 65, 70 hours. A 20-barrel batch now in our 20-barrel system takes us seven hours for the exact same amount of beer. It was taking us a full week-and-a-half of work time just to get one batch done, and we made the call and dumped everything.

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Sips & Shots

40 Flying Dog by the Numbers

The average age of home brewers. Most (60%) are between 30 and 49. - HOMEBREWERS ASSOCIATION

The first brewing company in Maryland opened in Annapolis in 1703. - MARYLANDBEER.ORG

At one time banned in Michigan because of the name. No more.

• GALLONS OF BEER PRODUCED IN A YEAR: 3.15 million, enough to fill 117

BEFORE PROHIBITION, Maryland was the third largest producer of rye whiskey, with more than 100 brands on the market. -MARYLANDSPIRITS.ORG

average-size in-ground swimming pools • HIGHEST ABV BEER EVER MADE: 16%, Blackberry Braggot,* the equivalent

of three Buds • LOWEST ABV BEER EVER MADE: 3.5%, Goseface* • BEST-SELLING BEER EVER: Raging Bitch Belgian IPA • NUMBER OF BEERS ON TAP IN THE TAP ROOM: 20, 21 counting firkin

A University of Greenwich study found that three or four beers can ease pain better than some overthe-counter painkillers. -VINEPAIR.COM

• KINDS OF BEER PRODUCED: 60 • NUMBER OF BOTTLES USED IN A YEAR: 39 million

There are 85 licensed wineries in the state of Maryland.

• MOST EXPENSIVE BEERS FLYING DOG HAS PRODUCED:

Year-round: Double Dog Double IPA, $13-$17 for a six-pack

*BREWERY-EXCLUSIVE RELEASES

In 2016, Maryland wineries sold about 2.3 million bottles of wine. -MARYLAND WINERIES ASSOCIATION

200,000

The number of barrels of beer per year Brewers Association of Maryland members produce. -MARYLANDBEER.ORG

U N C A P P E D | WINTER 2017

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Brew Your Own Attaboy Beer’s Fredhead Red, one of its ﬁrst beers, is piney, roasty and rich. Original Gravity: 15.9 Plato (1.065) Final Gravity: 3.3 Plato Percent ABV: 7.1 IBU: 50 Grist Bill: Amounts are based on a 6-gallon batch with 80% efficiency. 2 Row - 9 lbs 14 oz (76.6%) CaraRed - 17 oz (8.1%) Light Munich - 17 oz (8.1%) Crystal Malt 80L - 11 oz (5.2%) Black Malt - 2 oz (1%) Black Prinz - 2 oz (1%) 153F mash temperature for one hour 60-minute boil, with the following hop additions for a 6-gallon batch: 55 minutes - Columbus (14.8 AA) - 28 grams 5 minutes - Whirlfloc - half tablet 0 minutes Whirlpool addition - Columbus 25 grams 0 minutes Whirlpool addition - Simcoe 17 grams 0 minutes Whirlpool addition - Comet 25 grams White Labs 001 yeast Day 8 Dry Hop - Simcoe 46 grams Day 8 Dry Hop - Comet 29 grams Day 9 Dry Hop - Simcoe 61 grams Day 9 Dry Hop - Comet 26 grams CHRIS SANDS

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The Madras Mark Lambert, owner of Dragon Distillery, describes this cocktail as “super simple, but delicious.”

GRAHAM CULLEN

In shaker mix: 2 oz Paladin Pomegranate-Cherry vodka 3 oz ounces orange juice 3 oz cranberry juice Pour into a glass over ice and garnish with orange wedge if desired.

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U N C A P P E D | WINTER 2017

STORY: KEVIN SMITH

PHOTO: DAN GROSS

The Art of Tart Sour Beer: A Cult Fave That’s Hard to Love

like to think of myself as an equal opportunity beer drinker. I can happily enjoy just about any style of brew, provided it’s well made. That said, I understand that due to their different flavor profiles, some styles evoke seriously unpleasant reactions. Judging by online chats and memes, pumpkin beer tops that list and sours run a close second. Even so, sour beer has gained a cult following—one big enough that many brewers have started to produce their own takes on the style. Antietam Brewery in Hagerstown recently released a limited run Berliner Weisse, a lowABV traditional German sour. In Frederick, Barley & Hops produced Lemon Party kettle sour and Monocacy Brewing Company released two sours this year. And the folks down in Berlin, Maryland, at Burley Oak Brewing Company have their J.R.E.A.M. line of sours that inspired beer fans from across the state to head down to that beach community even during the off-season. I count myself a fan of the tart brews, but I know that even those who produce them realize that sour beers struggle to gain a broad audience. “Sour is definitely a polarizing flavor,” said Joe Idoni, the brewer and founder of Frederick’s House Cat Brewing, which is slated to open this spring on Industry Lane. “Since most of the tartness comes from lactic acid, people can register it as milk that has gone bad,” he said. Sour beer is complex, and that complexity is important. “What we want people to taste is that that tartness can accentuate the other flavors in the beer: tropical fruit, such as mangoes, pineapple, coconut; stone fruit like cherries, peaches, pomegranate; and earthiness, [including potential notes of] hay, petrichor [that smell after the first rain on the heels of a dry spell], minerality, and many others,” Idoni said. Newcomers to the style should be prepared for something different, said Kevin Blodger, co-founder and director of brewing operations at Union Craft Brewing in Baltimore. 10

U N C A P P E D | WINTER 2017

Joe Idoni, founder House Cat Brewing in Frederick, said sour is a ‘polarizing’ beer flavor.

“While it is beer,” he explained, “these are flavors not found in most conventional beers. But at the same time, there are familiar flavors to be found, from lemonade-like tartness, to pickle juice characteristics, to some vinous notes. Don’t judge all sours by the first one you have. Just like other beers, there are some styles you like and some you don’t. [You] just need to figure out what works for you.” The layperson should know the difference between a kettle sour and a barrel-aged sour, said Burley Oak founder Bryan Brushmiller. “They both take technique,” he said. With the levels of complexity of a wood-barrel-aged sour, you could drink it “like a fine wine. For a kettle sour...it’s like adding lemon to a dish. [They are] two totally different animals to me.” Blodger expounded. “The differences between kettle sours and

wilds and barrel aged sours are...kettle sours are done pretty quick...until the level of sourness is achieved then that wort is boiled to kill the bacteria,” he said. “Wilds are spontaneously fermented or fermented with bacteria cultures, and it can take some time for the flavor to develop.” Barrel-aged sours “can be made with finished beer that has bacteria added to develop the sour flavor. Again, it can some time to develop.” These longer fermentations tend to result in more complex brews, said Brushmiller. “Everyone should try sour beers because of the complexity they demonstrate,” Blodger said. “The sour flavor plays so well with hops and fruit that the possibilities are endless. Not everyone has to like them. There is so much different beer out there that everyone can find something to like.” FACEBOOK.COM/UNCAPPD

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U N C A P P E D | WINTER 2017

STORY: RYAN MARSHALL

PHOTO: GRAHAM CULLEN

Hop on a Bus to the Breweries

t was a little before 8 p.m. on a Saturday in October when Charlie Lakatos wheeled into the parking lot of Rockwell Brewery on East Street in Frederick. Dressed as Waldo in the spirit of the weekend before Halloween, Lakatos had a large basket of candy on one of the seats behind him. Lakatos drives the Frederick Brew Bus, a shuttle that ferries passengers to seven Frederick-area breweries and tap houses. The idea came to Lakatos recently when he was out with his wife and friends, serving as the designated driver while they visited several local establishments. Now, he spends his weekends driving a 12-passenger Econoline van on the circuit that includes Roasthouse Pub, Monocacy Brewing Company, Rockwell Brewery, Olde Mother Brewing, Flying Dog Brewery, Barley & Hops and Attaboy Beer.

He tries to stay on a roughly one-hour loop. While people can call for pickups, he prefers that they don’t, because it throws him oﬀ schedule for other stops. “But when I’m slow, I’ll do what I can to get business,” he said. On Saturdays, he drives from noon until 10:30 p.m., and noon to 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. Asked if driving the bus has taken any getting used to, Lakatos said not really and noted that he normally drives a Chevy Tundra pickup truck. “This actually has less blind spots than the Tundra,” he said. Lakatos is careful to establish that his is not a “party bus;” no drinking is allowed. It’s purely a means of getting from place to place. The breweries seem enthusiastic about his idea. The bus is deﬁnitely a positive thing to get people out into the Frederick brewing scene, said Keith Marcoux, co-owner of Olde Mother. It especially helps for people from out of town to know they can ride the bus and go to the next stop, he said.

Marcoux said he thinks Lakatos’s bus will bring more tourists to the local Frederick scene. It’s exciting that the Frederick craft beer community is growing to the point that it can support other, peripheral businesses, said Jim Bauckman, sales and marketing director for Monocacy Brewing Company. “We at Monocacy Brewing Company hope that Frederick Brew Bus is a success and that craft beer enthusiasts visiting Frederick will utilize this service as a safe and convenient way to responsibly enjoy the craft beer scene in our county,” Bauckman wrote in an email. Hopping off the bus at Attaboy that Saturday, Lakatos asks several people on the patio if they need a ride and tells them a bit about his business. He briefly haggles with a woman over the price of a trip. He normally charges $10 per person for a day’s worth of riding. But since it’s nearing the end of the evening, he offers to knock it down to $5 a head. CONTINUED ON 21 Charlie Lakatos, owner of the Frederick Brew Bus shuttle service, ferries customers among several Frederick breweries and a tap house.

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RYAN MARSHALL

DANIELLE GAINES

The Crusade for Craft Beer

TAPROOM COURTESY OF FLYING DOG BREWERY;

here’s nothing like a good craft beer to bring people together, state Comptroller Peter Franchot told a crowd gathered in early December at Brewer’s Alley in Frederick. Franchot was touting the Reform on Tap Act of 2018, a package of legislation designed to help local breweries. “All of the Trump voters and the Clinton voters are in collusion together to get this bill passed,” he said. The bill would remove all limits on beer production, taproom sales and take-home sales; allow counties to set guidelines for taproom operating hours; eliminate franchise law requirements; remove restrictions on contract brewing; and let smaller breweries distribute their own products. Brewery regulations came to a head last year when lawmakers sought to increase brewery taproom sales and loosen other restrictions in an eﬀort to allow Guinness’ parent company, Diageo Beer Co. USA, to open a large brewery taproom in Baltimore County. A bill passed by the General Assembly last year increased the barrel limits for brewery taprooms from 500 barrels a year to 3,000, but also required brewers that sold more than 2,000 barrels to buy the extra 1,000 barrels from a wholesaler at a markup. Opponents criticized the bill for creating an uneven playing ﬁeld for the industry and unnecessarily restricting the growth of brewery taprooms. Flying Dog Brewery threw the state’s brewery regulations back in the spotlight last month after CEO Jim Caruso said “legislative issues” caused him to place a planned $50 million expansion project on “permanent hold.” Randy Marriner, a Howard County restaurateur and owner of Manor Hill, a farm brewery, said Maryland’s reputation in the craft brewing industry is not good and needs to change. “Right now, our state has the national reputation of ‘the state with limits,’” Marriner said. “It is the state where Ballast Point did not locate. And where Flying Dog did not expand. It is the state where limits had to be raised for Guinness to even show up here.” Franchot said the proposed legislation is upsetting the “powers that be” of lobbyists and others who have controlled alcohol laws in Annapolis. “They are so panicked, they are so UNCAPPEDNEWS.COM

Flying Dog Brewery threw Maryland’s regulations back into the spotlight this fall when CEO Jim Caruso said “legislative issues” caused him to table a $50 million expansion.

6,541

shocked” that the public might The legislation is important ﬁnally realize what they’ve for not just the breweries, but been doing, he said. also the other companies and The “12-pack” of reforms The number of industries that support them would ﬁx the problems that in related areas, said Elizabeth jobs Maryland’s Cromwell, president and CEO of have led to Virginia and Pennsylvania actively recruiting the Frederick County Chamber craft brewing Maryland breweries to come of Commerce. to their states, he said. The laws governing the craft industry has brewery industry were written Franchot said he was “cautiously optimistic” the General after the repeal of Prohibition created. Assembly will pass the bill in in 1933, and then revised in the election year session that begins in January. the 1960s, said Tom Flores, the brewmaster The issue has the strongest and broadest at Brewer’s Alley and Monocacy Brewing support of any issue he’s dealt with in his Company. political career, he said. Generally speaking, the alcohol laws in the Senators and delegates aren’t going to want state are antiquated, Frederick County liquor to face voters if they don’t pass the legislation, board Chairman Jesse Pippy agreed. “Some of he said. “It’s a very potent issue.” them ... need to be updated.” CONTINUED ON 21 U N C A P P E D | WINTER 2017

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Holiday

Pairings Try these wines from local vineyards to complement your feast

Archer and Maeve from Orchid Cellar are meads, honey wine believed to be the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage.

BY KATE MASTERS

he holidays are practically synonymous with food and booze, but hosts today may struggle with an overabundance of choice when selecting the perfect wine for their warm apple pies or perfectly basted turkeys. To help you choose, ﬁve Maryland vineyards oﬀer inspired wine and food pairings to enjoy this season.

LOEW VINEYARDS: GRAHAM CULLEN; ORCHID CELLAR, BILL GREEN

• Big Cork Vineyards

THE WINES: Big Cork’s 2016 Viognier ($26), a white wine with origins in southern France, or its 2014 Barbera ($32), a red Italian varietal

you’re thinking about heavier items—herbs and cranberries and such,” Gray said. “And for a red wine, you want something a little lighter, so a lot of times, people will say a barbera.” Gray recommended pairing Big Cork’s Barbera with the vineyard’s turkey stuﬃng meatballs, which are wrapped in bacon and brushed with a red wine glaze. 4236 Main St., Rohrersville bigcorkvineyards.com

• Mazzaroth Vineyard

THE WINE: Vidal blanc ($20), a white French

of wine drinkers. Though it’s a dry wine, its fruity, fragrant notes still attract those who prefer sweeter, dessert-style varieties. “Even people who like sweet wines have fallen in love with it because of those fruit aromatics,” Cohen said. 8333 Myersville Road, Middletown mazzaroth-vineyard.business.site

• Orchid Cellar Meadery and Winery

THE WINE: Maeve sparkling mead ($16), or

Archer mead ($24)

PAIR WITH: Roasted turkey

hybrid known for its hardiness in colder climates (limited availability at the vineyard)

PAIR WITH: Salads, side dishes or desserts

HOW THEY PAIR: A full-bodied white, Viognier is

PAIR WITH: Baked Brie

often cited as the oldest alcoholic beverage in the world, is becoming a major player in the world of craft beverages. Given its versatile pairing power, it’s also a good accompaniment for holiday dinners, said Dan Kennedy, the sales and marketing manager for Orchid Cellar. The winery’s Maeve mead—a sparkling drink with notes of lemon zest and vanilla bean—can stand up well to traditional holiday side dishes like stuﬃng or sweet potatoes. It’s also a great pairing option for salads with oil and vinegar dressings, which tend to ﬁght the tannins in CONTINUED ON 16 traditional grape wine.

“one of the great holiday meal-pairing wines,” said Jed Gray, general manager for Big Cork. A drier wine with fruity undertones, Viognier has the body to stand up to heavier foods, including turkey, without being overwhelming. Big Cork’s 2014 Barbera also pairs well with hearty holiday cuisine, Gray said. Though it’s a red wine, barbera is light on tannins and retains notes of cherry and strawberry. That makes it juicier than other dark red wines, such as syrah. “When you think about holiday dinners, UNCAPPEDNEWS.COM

HOW THEY PAIR: Mazzaroth Vineyard’s vidal

blanc—a rich white wine with notes of pineapple, grapefruit and light peach—“would go ﬂawlessly with an amuse-bouche or appetizer,” said Garry Cohen, who co-owns the vineyard with his wife Micki. “It has a beautiful acidity that would cut through the cheese, especially a creamy cheese, like Brie,” he said. “It’s an absolute fabulous grape.” Vidal blanc also appeals to a wide range

HOW THEY PAIR: Mead, a honey wine that’s

U N C A P P E D | WINTER 2017

Mazzaroth’s vidal blanc

Catoctin’s Aged Amber mead

Loew’s Harvest Red

PAIRINGS, CONTINUED FROM 15 “Maeve is on the lighter side, so it would go with anything that has a good, robust ﬂavor, like olive oil for the salad,” Kennedy said. “The lightness of the sparkling mead really complements that, and the acidity from the lemon zest really comes through.” Kennedy also recommended Orchid Cellar’s Archer mead, an aged honey wine based oﬀ an old monastery recipe. With notes of cinnamon, clove and juniper, the mead pairs perfectly with holiday cookies and can be served warm in the style of mulled wine. “When it’s heated up, the juniper falls to the back and the clove really comes to the forefront,” he said. “It’s an absolutely wonderful pairing.” 8546 Pete Wiles Road, Middletown orchidcellar.com

THE WINE: Loew’s Reserve Harvest Red ($26),

a blend of chancellor and cabernet franc

PAIR WITH: Beef dishes, including roasts and

Big Cork owner Randy Thompson, left, and winewaker Dave Collins sample the vineyard’s Barbera.

recommended pairing the Harvest Red with after-dinner chocolates.

14001 Liberty Road, Mount Airy loewvineyards.net

beef stews

• Catoctin Breeze Vineyard

HOW THEY PAIR: An oak-aged blend of cab franc

THE WINE: Aged Amber mead ($23)

and chancellor grapes, Loew’s Harvest Red boasts a smooth, rich ﬂavor proﬁle that pairs particularly well with robust, beefy dishes, said Lois Loew, co-owner of the vineyard. “There are peppery notes, and some people pick up dark cherry,” Loew said. “It’s a really deep and intense bouquet.” That strong body allows the wine to shine alongside hearty dishes, such as beef stew or pot roast. For a sweeter alternative, Loew 16

U N C A P P E D | WINTER 2017

PAIR WITH: Desserts, particularly pumpkin

and fruit pies

HOW THEY PAIR: Aged for ﬁve years in oak

barrels, the Amber mead at Catoctin Breeze has strong notes of vanilla, allspice, cinnamon and cloves that pair beautifully with almost all holiday desserts, said Voytek Fizyta, one of the owners of the vineyard.

“It’s particularly suitable for something like pumpkin pie,” he added. “We use different recipes for all the meads, but this one is based off an old European recipe that monks developed over the years.” For those who prefer traditional grape wine, Fizyta also suggested the vineyard’s 2016 Romance Rosé, made with syrah grapes and aged in stainless steel barrels. That particular rose, he said, has a stronger body than other varieties, which helps it stand up to rich poultry dishes. “It’s a very dark rose, so it goes particularly well with turkey, in our opinion,” Fizyta said. “It’s not as cold as regular white wine, which helps with the flavor.” 15010 Roddy Road, Thurmont catoctinbreeze.com

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MAZZAROTH, BIG CORK: DAN GROSS; CATOCTIN, LOEW: GRAHAM CULLEN

• Loew Vineyards

STORY: KATE MASTERS

PHOTO: DAN GROSS

Your Guide to

Grapes T

he mid-Atlantic region is notoriously diﬃcult for growing grapes, but that hasn’t deterred dozens of Maryland winemakers from putting down roots. The secret to a successful bottle? Much of it has to do with the grape varietals that winemakers choose for their vineyards. A varietal wine is one that bears the name of the main grape from which it was made. Rachel Lipman, the assistant winemaker at Loew Vineyards in Mount Airy, explained that some of the most successful vines in Frederick County are hybrids—grape varietals speciﬁcally bred to weather cooler climates and withstand disease. Some classic European vines, including cabernet franc, also thrive here. Below, we’ve created a guide to some of the most commonly grown grapes in Frederick and Washington counties, from old European varietals to lesser-known hybrids.

Chambourcin

A hybrid grape, chambourcin tends to produce lighter-bodied red wines with higher levels of acidity. A good chambourcin will have bright notes of Bing cherry, Lipman said, with a touch of white pepper on the back palate. Chambourcin grown locally is usually kept as a fresh wine—one that’s aged for six months or less—and tends to be dry or semi-dry. More simply put, chambourcin wine tends to have little to no residual sugar, and won’t have the sweet notes that some wine drinkers prefer.

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet franc, a beloved French varietal, has the adaptability to withstand Maryland’s varied seasons, Lipman said. That makes it a popular grape at many local vineyards, including Loew. Cabernet franc is generally a medium-bodied red wine with bright, herbal notes. Most cab UNCAPPEDNEWS.COM

franc fans look for at least a touch of green bell pepper, a ﬂavor that’s indicative of the wine, Lipman said. That tasting note comes from pyrazine, a chemical compound found in the grapes. “To me, cabernet franc is a little bit wiser— it’s a little bit more elegant,” Lipman said. “It usually has a little bit more plum, cherry notes. And there’s the green bell pepper ﬂavor when it’s unripe, and when it’s riper, you get a little bit more of the black pepper.”

Vidal Blanc

Another hybrid, vidal blanc is widely popular and known for its versatility. Producers can use the grapes for ice wines—sweet dessert wines with slightly lower alcohol levels—and in more traditional applications. In Maryland, vidal blancs are often produced as off-dry whites with dominant floral notes, Lipman said. Vidals will also have a slight citrus flavor and notes of pineapple that vary in strength depending on the sweetness of the wine. “If it’s done as a dryer wine, I’ll get underripe pineapple, and if it’s a medium-sweet, I’ll get that day-old, more yellow pineapple,” Lipman said. “That’s kind of my indicator.” Vidal blanc is also commonly used for blending. At Loew, Lipman and her grandparents use it as the base for their fruit wines, and as one of the blends in their dry white.

Barbera

A European varietal, barbera can trace its origins to the Piedmont region of northern Italy. The grapes are becoming increasingly popular among Maryland producers, Lipman said, along with other Italian varieties. Locally, barbera tends to be oak-aged and produced as a more “serious” wine. It’s lighter in body and color than a cabernet franc, with notes of bright strawberry CONTINUED ON 21

Big Cork Vineyard’s 2014 Barbera, an Italian varietal

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Hootch & Banter bartender Jeff Naylor prepares the French 75 with a mulled sugar cube, Forager Gin from McClintock Distilling, fresh lemon juice and champagne.

glassware Getting the right

BY DANIELLE GAINES

ith the gentlest swirl, the tulip-shaped walls of a Glencairn glass force upward the lush scent of gin and fruity spice of cognac. “This is my absolute favorite glass,” said Braeden Bumpers, co-founder of McClintock Distilling in downtown Frederick, holding a Glencairn to his nose. “But really any tulip-shaped glass is what you want,” he said. “Because with spirits tasting, a lot of what you’re looking for is in the nosing before you taste it.” 18

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Bumpers’ favorite thing to drink from a Glencairn—traditionally a Scottish whisky glass—is a soon-to-be-released gin that’s been ﬁnished in a wooden cognac cask. “In terms of nosing, this one is my absolute favorite to play around with,” he said. The shape of a glass—with, of course, the help of what’s inside it—can deﬁne a drinking experience. The coupe, or champagne saucer, helps bubbles dissipate with its wide surface area and is less prone to spills than your classic V-shaped cocktail, or martini, glass. The lowball is great for unmixed spirits served with a chunk of ice. A highball might be the best option for a mixed drink served with cubes.

But establishing a home bar doesn’t mean going broke on glassware. “If you’re going to need eight of something, go poke around antique stores,” said Dan McNeill, who co-owns MISCellaneous Distillery in Mount Airy with his wife, Meg MacWhirter. For their home bar, McNeill and MacWhirter found a nice vintage set of teal and gold glassware. And while McNeill will also espouse the beneﬁts of a good Glencairn, he doesn’t dwell too much on glass choices. “We don’t say you must use a Glencairn to sample spirits. Use whatever you’d like. It’s ‘Live and drink by your own rules,’” he said, gesturing to the motto on the distillery’s wall. “…They’re all going to do the same thing; it’s FACEBOOK.COM/UNCAPPD

HOOTCH & BANTER, COUPE, SHOTSKI: DAN GROSS; GLENCAIRN, SHOT GLASS: GRAHAM CULLEN

How to Properly Stock Your Home Bar

The coupe ...

just conveying the drink from your hand to your mouth.” At Hootch & Banter, where bartender Jeff Naylor is mixing cocktails with local spirits, he’s got a range of glasses to choose from: rocks, Collins, pint, wine (white, red and port), Glencairn, brandy, copper mules, tiki, and the list goes on. A handful should be staples for a home bar, he suggested: rocks, Collins, wine, pint, and, of course, the coupe. He prefers to serve mixed drinks in the coupe instead of martini glasses because, “They don’t spill as easily. You really have a lot more room to move around, to play around.” A glass that remained en vogue in America for decades after Prohibition, the coupe is experiencing a bit of a resurgence thanks to the craft cocktail and speakeasy-throwback trends. Crate and Barrel offers more than a half-dozen different coupe glasses, describing them as a “go-to” option for cocktail glass. The coupe has caught the eyes of McNeill and MacWhirter as well. They hope to bring a couple of hundred vintage coupe glasses into the distillery in the future. And don’t worry about stocking margarita glasses, our experts said. McNeill and MacWhirter would sub in a pint glass, if necessary. Naylor said a Collins glass would also work well. Everyone agreed that a home bar needs some basic accessories: shakers, strainers, stirrers, jiggers, an ice bucket and pitchers. And while Naylor has all the bells and whistles behind the bar—at times employing several of them for a single drink—sometimes UNCAPPEDNEWS.COM

The Glencairn ...

And, of course, the shot glass

A shotski is what it sounds like: shots on a ski. From left, Michael Zico, Adele Whipps, Bob Emerson and Chelsea Rossick demonstrate how to use it at Roasthouse Pub.

you just need to throw out all the rules, he said. “Above all, it’s about having fun. Have fun with your choices. You’re having friends over to have a drink and have a good time,” he said. One last universal addition: the shot glass. Get plain glasses for far less than a dollar

apiece, or pick charming and kitschy pieces as conversation starters. “Everybody should have a couple shot glasses,” McNeill said. “…And a shotski as well.” “Every home bar needs a shotski,” MacWhirter agreed. U N C A P P E D | WINTER 2017

Fire Up the Dephlegmator! Clear the Bunghole! Learn to Make Spirits at Local Distilleries BY CHRIS SANDS

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Braeden Bumpers, co-founder of McClintock, leads a class on how to distill whiskey.

Bourbon making in progress at a Dragon Distillery class

year. This really highlighted how a whiskey smooths out as it ages and picks up flavors from the barrel. I found it very interesting how much science and art is involved with barrel-aging process. Through a detailed “family tree” of major whiskey makers, Bumpers explained that some of the most notable whiskeys start out from “juice” produced by the same supplier, and only differ in the way they are barrel aged. The final activity of the day entailed filling up two bottles with the rye whiskey we had made. We were then taught the proper way to label and seal the bottles so that it would be legal for us to take them home. In addition to the bottles, we each got our own two-liter oak barrel to age our whiskey. As if all that wasn’t enough fun, we also got to use words like bunghole and dephlegmator. Read all about Dragon’s bourbon workshop at UnCappedNews.com. FACEBOOK.COM/UNCAPPD

STILL, BUMPERS: CHRIS SANDS; DRAGON: GRAHAM CULLEN

f you want to learn how to make beer or wine, it is very easy to gain hands-on experience. As long as it is for your own consumption, you can legally make up to 100 gallons in Maryland. Most home brew supply stores even sell kits that have everything you need. Distilling spirits is another story altogether. While it is legal in this state to own a still, unless you plan to distill water or essentials oils, it is illegal to operate one without proper licensing. Thankfully, two Frederick distilleries offer hands-on classes that let you experience distilling firsthand, where everything is on the up-and-up. Dragon Distillery’s class focuses on making bourbon, while McClintock Distilling’s teaches you how to make rye whiskey. At McClintock’s class last month, co-founder Braeden Bumpers detailed the science behind distilling spirits. This could have easily been boring if not for his entertaining teaching style and humor, coupled with his keen expertise. One of the best quotes of the day came from his explanation about yeast and fermentation. Bumpers put it quite simply that yeast “eats simple sugars, farts CO2, and pees ethyl alcohol.” He wove interesting facts throughout his scientific explanations; Maryland, for instance, was the third largest producer of rye whiskey before Prohibition. The only states producing more were Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Class wasn’t all sitting in a chair, listening to Professor Bumpers, and taking notes. After he explained the steps of the distilling process, we went into the production area, where Tyler Hegamyer, McClintock’s other co-founder, demonstrated them. Anytime it was feasible, the class was given the opportunity to participate. They even let us play with some of their expensive test equipment, such as their density meter (used to measure alcohol content) and refractometers (used to measure sugar content). The words “please be careful” were used quite a bit. In addition to lecture and hands-on time, we also got to participate in what proved to be the class’s favorite activity: taste testing. The first series featured several brands of whiskey so we could experience the various flavor profiles that spirit can have. The second round of tastings accompanied instruction on barrel aging. We were given a vertical flight of McClintock whiskey to compare the taste after different periods of aging—nine days, three months, five months and one

BUS, CONTINUED FROM 12

CRUSADE, CONTINUED FROM 13

GRAPES, CONTINUED FROM 17

She says she has to check with the rest of her group. Eventually, they decide not to take Lakatos up on his offer. While several people at various establishments have heard of the Brew Bus, no one takes him up on his offer. Until he gets to Barley and Hops. There, he runs into a group of eight that he’d picked up at Attaboy earlier in the day. Gia Gries said she and her friends had heard about it at another bar recently, and she and Lakatos traded emails and she made reservations. Gries said she liked that the Brew Bus offers a tracking app so that riders can follow Lakatos’s route and know when he’ll arrive at their location. “The bus is awesome,” Gries said. Gries’s group assembles on the bus, and Lakatos drops them off at Rockwell. Lakatos said he would like to add group tours of wineries and distilleries to his schedule eventually. With establishments spread out around the city and the county, Lakatos sees his shuttle as a valuable service that benefits the businesses and their customers. “I’m trying to promote responsible drinking,” he said.

Frederick County has the largest number of breweries, wineries and distilleries in the state, Pippy said. There are 37 active Class 5 brewery licenses in the state, including eight in Frederick County. The county is also home to two of the state’s 29 microbreweries—Barley & Hops and Brewer’s Alley—and four of the state’s 10 farm breweries are in Adamstown and Mount Airy. A report from the Maryland Board of Revenue Estimates concluded that Maryland’s craft brewing industry had an overall economic impact of $637.6 million in 2016 and supported or created 6,541 jobs, including those in restaurants. Other states are looking at Maryland breweries that are prospering and doing everything they can to lure them away from the state, Flores said. “They’ve made a real eﬀort. It’s demonstrable.” Dave Blackmon, the owner of Smoketown Brewing Station in Brunswick, said he’s been approached by Virginia to move his business across the Potomac River to that state. But he’d like to stay in Maryland, and is very happy Franchot has stood behind the brewing industry. “Right now, I see good change coming,” Blackmon said.

and dark cherry. Some wine drinkers might also pick up hints of raspberry and spice. Barbera produced in Maryland also tends to have medium acidity—much less than chambourcin and some other French-American hybrids, Lipman said. It’s a good food-pairing wine and goes well with red meats and heavier dishes.

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Viognier

Viognier, a popular grape among Virginia winemakers, is also an up-and-comer in Maryland, Lipman said. A growing number of vineyards are beginning to plant the varietal, and locally made viognier should be an emerging trend over the next few years. A white wine, Viognier is heavily floral with strong flavors of peach and honeysuckle. A good bottle should be full-bodied and aromatic, with hints of vanilla if the winemaker chose to age it in oak barrels. Viognier is generally made as a dry wine, but should retain some sweetness thanks to its fruity profile. “It’s a versatile grape in the fact that it is pretty resilient and produces a nice wine,” she said. “But it’s something that, for some people, is like potpourri. You stick your nose in and you’re kind of overwhelmed with flowers.”

U N C A P P E D | WINTER 2017

LESSONS LEARNED

COLIN MCGUIRE

Mulling Wine

(in more ways than one)

need to lose weight. (Cue the third issue of “Uncapped,” where this column will begin, “So, I’m trying to lose weight …”). I’m fat. What can I say? I shudder to weigh myself for fear of facing the truth: over the last couple of years, I’ve regained some outrageously unhealthy eating habits. Long ago, I got it in my head that drinking wine, which I generally don’t do, would enable me to lose weight. I asked a coworker who loves her wine as much as I love the monthly Checkers coupons that come in the mail about this. She looked at me like I had 19 eyes. Naturally, I failed to justify my claim and I sounded how I looked: Like a guy with 19 eyes. Or, well, a fat guy with 19 eyes. Still, I reserve the right to live in the universe of my choosing, one where drinking wine helps you lose weight. And because we all live in a universe where The Internet exists, I was able to find evidence to back that up in the form of this, published on dailyburn.com in 2016: “Recent research in mice showed that resveratrol, an antioxidant in red wine, can help turn regular white fat into energy-burning beige fat, which can contribute to weight loss and prevent obesity.” Boom! Thank you, Al Gore, for inventing The Internet, which is filled with Convenient Truths. These things were running through my mind when I recently sat down with a bottle of red. If I’m going to need to change my drinking habits in the name of losing weight, what better time to test the waters than now, I thought. The result was … tough. The first glass reminded me that the first glass is always the hardest to swallow—or the easiest, depending on how hard your day was. The second glass? It was vaguely better, but it also reminded me of mulling wine, which I’ve done in my life, and which makes me question the intelligence of humankind. Boil alcohol? Are you serious? If you want a

U N C A P P E D | WINTER 2017

ILLUSTRATION/SERENA LODER

glass of grape juice, rip it from the clutches of the 6-year-old you couldn’t deal with unless things like wine existed. Anyway, the third, fourth, fifth and … oh, who am I kidding, I finished the bottle. And while the glasses did eventually go down easier, I didn’t walk away from the experience thinking I could jump back into drinking wine whenever I want to drink. Never mind losing weight. I need to learn how to love wine again. And that brings me to an article from something called “Wine Folly,” which offers seven tips on how I can stay healthy and enjoy wine. Among the nuggets of brilliance: • Know wine’s calories • Earn your glass • Don’t drink before you eat • Drink dry red wine • Don’t drink too late • Spend more on wine • Drink wine away from home To which I say, “No,” “What?” “You’re kidding, right?” “I’m into it,” “Not a chance,” “Ha!” and “Who drinks away from home? I prefer my wine alone, without lights, next to a bag of Doritos.”

As if I needed more reason to doubt my own personal truth about drinking wine and losing weight, this collection of stuff made it virtually impossible for me to ever drink wine again. I mean, if you don’t need a glass of pinot before mowing down a Big Mac, you don’t know what livin’ is. So, what’s the lesson learned? For one, I don’t know how the hell I’m going to lose weight now that it appears I might not like wine again. For two, never look on The Internet for information supporting your own truth, because it’s just as easy to find the opposite. For three, I’m an idiot, because according to a handy chart also found on The Internet, one glass of wine equals 105 calories, while a 12-ounce light beer provides only 99 (hello, Natty Boh, my old friend). For four, how about I just go to the gym once in a while? And for five, mulling wine is a lot more beneficial when it doesn’t involve a Crock-Pot, spices and the intelligence of humankind. Mulling solutions, however? That’s a little trickier. FACEBOOK.COM/UNCAPPD

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