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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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Contributing Writers CAMERON DODD | SAMANTHA HOGAN | NANCY LAVIN KATE MASTERS | KATE MCDERMOTT | COLIN MCGUIRE
Contributing Photographers GRAHAM CULLEN | BILL GREEN | DAN GROSS | CHRIS SANDS
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UnCapped
Podcast
ALL THE GRAPES OLD WESTMINSTER USES TO PRODUCE ITS 30,000 BOTTLES OF WINE A YEAR ARE GROWN AT THE VINEYARD OR ELSEWHERE IN MARYLAND.
CHRIS SANDS
The Magic & Mystery of Wine Drew Baker, co-founder of Old Westminster Winery, stopped by the UnCapped Podcast in May.
DB: Um …
DREW BAKER: Basically, Easter weekend 2011 we planted our first 7,600 grapevines on the farm and it’s been a hundred miles an hour ever since.
DB: No, it’s a great question. So, the short answer is most of them, because I’ve really come to love what we’re doing and what we’re able to do here. Broadly, are there varieties and styles of wine produced in other places in the world that I really enjoy and that we can’t do in Maryland? Absolutely!
CS: … That could be a com-
pletely stupid question.
CHRIS SANDS: That’s a lot
of grapes. DB: Yeah, yeah. So that was Easter weekend 2011. We have subsequently expanded to 10,000 vines on the farm. It’s pretty densely planted. It covers 8 acres. We also have a wine production facility and a tasting room on the farm, so we grow produce, bottle and sell all on the farm, which is really cool, kind of like full circle. And we welcome folks out to the farm every weekend to sort of connect with the land through a glass of wine. CS: So, leading up to open-
ing the winery and growing, did you do a lot of research to plan or was it trial and error?
CS: I guess that was more of …
Drew Baker brought bottles to the UnCapped Podcast from Old Westminster Winery, where the first grapes were planted in 2011. CS: Yeah, I remember that. Every year they come up with some new creative term to call it. What was it this year? It was the clone, something cyclone ... DB: Bomb cyclone.
DB: Not a lot of trial
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CS: So, is that one of the biggest deciding factors — what the nutrients in the soil are naturally and then obviously the climate?
CS: Bomb cyclone! Yeah. DB: (Laughs.) Well that was
the year of the polar vortex and it wreaked havoc on those two varieties, so we ended up replanting with albariño, and muscat albariño is the first one we will be trying today and these are grapes grown on
U N C A P P E D | SUMMER 2018
DB: Yeah, sure, yeah. You had kind of asked what sort of feasibility did we do and it was really for us all about finding that three-way intersection between the grape varieties, the soil, climatic conditions and then the styles of wine that we enjoyed to drink. And
the magic kind of resides where those things come together. And so in our initial planting we planted six varieties — three reds and three whites — and these were the varieties that…we enjoyed and we had reason to believe would do well there. And, like I said, four out of those six are a success story and two were not and we subsequently ripped those out and replanted those vineyards in 2013. CS: So how many of the varieties that you enjoyed beforehand the most are you able to produce now?
To listen to the entire podcast, go to fnppodcasts.com/uncapped.
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BAKER: CHRIS SANDS
and error. There’s some element of trial and error. Like I can look back, (and) as an example we planted some merlot and sauvignon blanc in 2011, neither of which we have anymore. You know, in 2013, we had this polar vortex. I don’t know if you remember that.
our farm and they do particularly well on our soils and in our climate.
DB: Yeah. For sure. But similarly, there are styles of wine that we produce here that in those places are precluded because of different environmental conditions. Wine, I think more than anything else on Earth, the magic of wine is that when done naturally and transparently it reflects a time and a place unlike anything else. And that’s what has captivated humans by it for so long, and the styles of wine that we produce in Maryland, you know, our effort is to reflect this place and be unique to here. So that this particular style grown and produced anywhere else in the world would be different. And that’s kind of the fun and the mystery of it.
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Sips & Shots Serve wine at the right temperature.
Mix summer drinks with these local spirits. Gin & Tonic: Short or tall, with regular or diet tonic, this sparkling concoction must be served with fresh limes—and in my opinion, many of them. Suggested Spirit: Frederick’s McClintock Distilling’s Forager Gin Long Island Iced Tea: It’s the pack-a-punch combo of gin, rum, tequila, vodka and triple sec that makes this drink. A couple of these and you won’t care about the daily heat index. Suggested Spirit: Stevensville’s Blackwater Distilling’s Sloop Betty vodka
Suggested Spirit: Lost Ark Distilling Co.’s Lady Anne White Rum -Kate McDermott
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to cook and learn new techniques/food styles, and I’m always hoping to find the next thing that will inspire us to make a unique beer, and food does that for me.
If you could have a beer with any person dead or alive, who would it be and why? Probably Jim Carrey. He was a huge influence on my sense of humor as a kid and he seems like he’s in a really weird phase of life right now. If nothing else, the conversation would be interesting. Plus, he lives in Maui, which is one of my favorite places in the world.
If you could only have one final beer, what would you choose? One final beer? That a tough one. The brand owner in me wants to say POST imperial stout with Vent Sumatran coffee. But I’ll go back to my roots with Tripel Karmeliet by Brouwerij Bosteels. I am always excited to see this beer in bottles at Whitey's Liquors or on draft at Max’s Taphouse.
What is your favorite Netflix/TV show? Right now it has got to be “Ugly Delicious” with Dave Chang. I love
What’s your favorite song from the ’90s? “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam or anything off of the album “Ten.” Or
U N C A P P E D | SUMMER 2018
anything off the “Space Jam” soundtrack. That cassette made me very popular in elementary school. What is the strangest ingredient you have used in a beer? The weirdest ingredient we’ve used in a beer has got to be the gooseberries, and black limes we used in a double IPA collaboration with the Wet City (Brewing) boys called Trap Trap Trap Trap Trap Trap. Yes, that’s the name. Listen to “Trap, Trap, Trap” by Rick Ross ft. Young Thug and Wale.
-The Washington Post
Do you like pickles? Pickles are delicious. Shout out Grillo's Pickles, the chips not the spears. They will change your life. -Chris Sands
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GIN: BILL GREEN; RUM, BREWER, CHRIS SANDS; WINE, THINKSTOCK
Hurricane: Imbibe a few too many of these crimson concoctions of light and dark rum, fruit juices and grenadine and you’ll definitely feel like you’ve been hit by a Category 5 storm.
In addition to being an all-around great guy, Tim Scouten brews for Peabody Heights Brewery and is co-founder of Goonda Beersmiths, both in Baltimore.
We tend to drink white wines too cold and red wines too warm. That’s because we pull whites right out of the fridge, around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Take them out about 30 minutes before you want to drink. If you doubt this, pay attention to the wine as it warms up. You’ll notice more flavors. Full-bodied whites, such as some chardonnays or the “orange” or “amber” wines fashionable today, are often at their best just barely cooler than room temperature. Reds should be served at “cellar” temperature, not room temp. A proper wine cellar is kept around 57 degrees (compared with 40 degrees for refrigerators and 70 degrees or more for modern houses). Stick your bottle of red in a bucket of ice and water for about 20 minutes.
GRAHAM CULLEN
Treat Yourself
Prices are subject to change. UNCAPPEDNEWS.COM
U N C A P P E D | SUMMER 2018
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drink these. you’ll feel better.
Brew Your Own Rockwell Brewery’s Jam Session IPA is a refreshing, flavorful and easy-drinking beer perfect for a hot summer day. Original Gravity: 12.6 Plato (1.050 SG) Final Gravity: 2.8 Plato (1.011 SG) Percent ABV: 5.2% IBU: 46 Grist Bill: Amounts are based on a 6.5-gallon boil with 77% efficiency: 2 Row - 5 lb (54.7%) Munich light - 2 lbs (21.3%) Dextrin Malt - 1 lb, 6 oz (15%) Caramalt - 13 oz (8.9%) 150F mash temperature for one hour w/5g calcium sulfate & 5 ml lactic acid (based on water at brewery) for a target of pH 5.2 60 minute boil, with the following hop & kettle fining additions for a 6.5 gallon boil: 60 minutes - Magnum, 7g (11.8% AA) - 10 IBU 15 minutes - Whirlfloc, 1 tablet 10 minutes - Amarillo, 8g (8.8% AA) - 3.1 IBU 10 minutes - Citra, 8g (13.2% AA) - 4.7 IBU 10 minutes - Mosaic 8g (13.0 % AA) - 4.6 IBU 0 minutes (steep/whirlpool 45 minutes) - Amarillo 12g (8.8% AA) - 5.9 IBU 0 minutes (steep/whirlpool 45 minutes) - Citra 12g (13.2% AA) - 8.8 IBU 0 minutes (steep/whirlpool 45 minutes) - Mosaic 12g (13.0% AA) - 8.7 IBU Wyeast 1056 or SafAle US-05
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U N C A P P E D | SUMMER 2018
CHRIS SANDS
Day 10 Dry Hop - Amarillo 30g Day 10 Dry Hop - Citra 30g Day 10 Dry Hop - Mosaic 30g FACEBOOK.COM/UNCAPPD
Simple Daiquiri Ladies and gentlemen, your new summer cocktail. • 1.5 oz Risky Rum • 1 oz fresh lime juice • .75 oz simple syrup
COURTESY OF MISCELLANEOUS DISTILLERY
Pour all ingredients into a shaker with ice, shake vigorously and serve in a cocktail coupe glass. It’s that simple.
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U N C A P P E D | SUMMER 2018
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W h at th e h el l is th is?
IS HR
makes
C
C
Taste TEST IN OL
drink
• BY COLIN MCGUIRE •
Chris Sands is the founder and host of the UnCapped Podcast and a craft beverage enthusiast. Colin McGuire is the features editor of The Frederick News-Post, a fan of interjections and possessor of a palate that believes discrimination is just wrong. Together, they hit up pubs and breweries, where—and if you deciphered our headline you won’t be surprised by this—Chris makes Colin drink. And Colin recounts the experience: WHO’S UP Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E. 30th St., Baltimore
WHY? Because God knows Chris needs yet another reason to somehow con his bosses into allowing his “work” to be “having someone else drive him to Baltimore for a beer release.” Or, well, I think there was a beer release 10
Peabody Heights Pseudo Science, Goonda Double Mumble SECOND ROW:
Variations of Goonda Post
there, at least. I don’t know. I just agree to do these things months in advance only to truly despise my life once it actually comes time to do them. An hour drive … to stand in a line for 15 minutes … to have a taste of a beer … on a Wednesday night. It’s a very specific blend of torture. HOW MUCH DID I WANT TO TRY ANY OF THESE BEERS? About as much as I wanted to drive around the block 9,471 times to try to find a parking space near this thing — only to eventually find a space on the street … and have Chris call me to tell me a
U N C A P P E D | SUMMER 2018
space closer to the brewery opened up. THE VIBE Pretty much exactly as you’d expect a brewery to look, smell, feel and taste in the middle of Baltimore. The coolest thing about the place, though, was the fact that it really felt like you were walking through the production side of a brewery to get to wherever you were going. Even the restrooms seemed to be in the middle of where beer was being made. Neat. THE BEST THING TO COME OUT OF THIS MESS Some kids approached my car at a red light and
while Chris and I were both under the impression our lives were going to end somewhat unceremoniously, they literally just washed half my windshield. I had no money for them. They moved on. So. Um. Well. At least I can say half my car is clean. NOW, ABOUT THE BEER … Have you ever had beer with chai tea in it? No, wait. Have you ever wanted to have beer with chai tea in it? Yeah, me neither. Turns out, though, Mr. Chris Sands loves himself some Goonda Post with chai tea. He even said things like, “I like that,” and “Surprising.” His fa-
WILL WE BE GOING BACK? I’m sure Chris will. And truth be told, I might even make the trek again one day myself. That stout was deeee-licious. Now, if only someone would tell me what the hell guava is.
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BEER: CHRIS SANDS; GUAVA (YOU’RE WELCOME, COLIN): THINKSTOCK
CHRIS MAKES COLIN DRINK : • Bash Bros with watermelon • Bash Bros with guava • Bash Bros • Goonda Post with chai • Goonda Post with coconut • Goonda Post • Peabody Heights Pseudo Science • Goonda Double Mumble
FIRST ROW:
vorite, though, was Double Mumble, which is also a beer that I think he said is one of his favorites ever. (It was hard to hear what he was saying due to both my inexorable apathy and the fact that the place was crowded.) The only one he didn’t care for much was the Goonda Post with coconut because, honestly, you could find more coconut taste in an orange. As for me … well, the only thing I walked away with was this prevailing question: What the hell is guava? “It tastes like Ecto Cooler Hi-C from back in the day,” I heard someone say, immediately reminding me how much I detest the phrase “back in the day.” No, but honestly. What the hell is guava? Anyway, I loved (loved!) the regular Goonda Post, which instantly became one of my favorite stouts ever (ever!). What I didn’t love was Kyle. Or Carl. Or Carlin. No, those weren’t people I met; those were names I was mistakenly called by Chris’s friend. To this second, I still don’t think she knows my name is “Colin.”
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U N C A P P E D | SUMMER 2018
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A rendering of the taproom that Guinness plans to build in Halethorpe, just outside Baltimore
COURTESY OF GUINNESS
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U N C A P P E D | SUMMER 2018
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BIGGER BREWERIES
Why Some Owners Are Building in an Already Crowded Industry
D
• BY KATE MASTERS •
rinking a beer at the new Union taproom should be an immersive experience, said Adam Benesch, a founder of Union Craft Brewing in Baltimore. The brewery’s new facility — which opened to the public in June — has a much larger taproom overlooking the brewing operation, where customers can enjoy their favorite beers basking in the glint of Union’s new 60-barrel brewing system. In addition to the new taproom, the 43,000square-foot space includes an outdoor beer garden and room for special events. The brewery is part of the new Union Collective — a huge former warehouse, conveniently located less than a mile from Union’s original site, with room for eight other businesses to set up brickand-mortar stores. UNCAPPEDNEWS.COM
Ambitious? Most definitely. But in the ever-growing world of craft brewing, largescale expansions have become almost a norm for breweries that succeed in an increasingly crowded landscape. In Laurel, Jailbreak Brewing Company recently opened a new kitchen and expanded its taproom space to 4,500 square feet. Justin Bonner, Jailbreak’s co-owner and CEO, is equally excited about the company’s new brewing facility exclusively dedicated to sour beers. Fans of the brewing giant Guinness are also breathlessly following the company’s planned expansion in Halethorpe, just outside Baltimore city lines. In October 2017, the corporation opened a “test taproom” within walking distance of its soon-to-be-opened brewery and on-site restaurant. As of April, around 30,000 people had already visited the smaller space, which gives
the company a chance to build excitement and introduce smaller, more experimental batches of beer, said marketing manager Oliver Gray. “For us, it’s kind of personalizing things and showing people all this great stuff,” Gray said. “Meanwhile, it’s been giving us a chance to build credibility with our neighbors and some of our fellow brewers around the state.” TO A LARGE EXTENT, brewery expansions are a
way to build barrel capacity and allow the most successful local brewers to fill growing demand for their product. Even in the world of craft brewing, the vast majority of beer is still sold through retail stores, said Kevin Atticks, executive director of the Brewers Association of Maryland. So, while investing more in brewing infrastructure can be a gambit for business owners, CONTINUED ON 21 U N C A P P E D | SUMMER 2018
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U N C A P P E D | SUMMER 2018
COURTESY OF STILLWATER ARTISANAL ALES
Artist Mike Van Hall’s striking geometric designs are on many Stillwater Artisanal Ales. Stillwater sells worldwide, but Van Hall views his work for the Baltimore brewery as visual bait that continually expands its FACEBOOK.COM/UNCAPPD
Beer
Art It Takes More Than Great Brews to Stand Out in a Crowded Market. • BY KATE MCDERMOTT •
IN
the crowded craft beer market, creativity is the key to survival—not just in the mixture of flavors and ingredients that go into the beers themselves, but also in the images the beers portray through label designs and related artwork. By now, most beer enthusiasts are familiar with the distinctive artwork of Ralph Steadman that has become an iconic feature of the Flying Dog brand. But for other, less established craft beers, finding their own unique look is the difference between standing out or merely blending in. “The market today is extremely crowded,” said Tristan Gilbert, brand manager for Heavy Seas Beer in Halethorpe. “You really need to keep the artwork fresh in the consumer’s eye. That’s why we are constantly reinventing ourselves.” Gilbert said that later this summer Heavy Seas’ flagship collection of pale ales, known as Cannon Crew, will get a face-lift with new packaging UNCAPPEDNEWS.COM
featuring brighter, bolder colors and a simplified design. The only thing that won’t change is the brand’s pirate-inspired type font, which has served as a constant in its branding efforts. The new look is likely to appeal to beer fans like Austin Braswell, a 25-year-old graphic designer from Frederick. “I feel like the art is what draws me to the beer,” he said. “I sometimes find myself actually choosing a beer from the art because I feel like it kind of gives me an idea from the packaging and branding what the beer might be like.” Craft beer consumers, like Braswell, tend to be younger and readily admit to having limited brand loyalty. Unlike major breweries that have built brand loyalty over generations (consider that Miller Brewing Company was formed in 1855), craft brewers are newbies in the industry, and their fans are willing to test drive any number of offerings. Nielsen research indicates that 32 percent of all craft beer drinkers bought seven or more brands in the past year, according to the Brewers Association. When Braswell sees edgy CONTINUED ON 16
“I sometimes find myself actually
choosing a beer from the art because I feel like it kind of gives me an idea from the packaging and branding what the beer might be like.” -Austin Braswell, Frederick
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MORE EXCELLENT ART
RALPH STEADMAN has been the label artist for Flying Dog Brewery since 1995. In 1990, Hunter S. Thomspon, famous gonzo journalist and author, introduced Steadman to his close friend and Flying Dog founder George Stranahan in Woody Creek, Colorado, where Flying Dog’s first brewpub was located.
Maryland, whose artwork is on the cover, has an online store with merch like T-shirts, caps and prints featuring art from its brews, including the ever popular Constipated Unicorn. Its taproom’s red oak tables are supported with works from several artists, like house “RARtist” B.J. Wheatley. Last summer, the brewery created a pop-up gallery featuring Wheatley works that were auctioned to raise money for a local organization, according to the Dorchester Star.
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labels being shared on Instagram, his interest is piqued. But, “When I see beer packaging that looks like something I’ve seen before, it makes me think that the brand might be just like something I’ve tasted before,” he said. That is why label art is becoming such a huge part of the craft beer business. Eye-popping design is critical for brewers who are trying to stand out in retail settings, but even breweries that don’t bottle or can their beer for retail sale create unique art for each of their new offerings. When beer fans see and share these images on social media, it can generate an interest that will drive traffic to their breweries and tasting rooms so people can try it. “I always think of social media when I design,” said Mike Van Hall, whose striking designs are on many of the products of Stillwater Artisanal Ales. Stillwater’s beers are available for sale around the world, but Van Hall views his work for the Baltimore brewery as visual bait that continually expands the brewery’s following. “I see it as an opportunity to bring more people into the Stillwater ‘cult,’” he said. Since he started working with Stillwater in 2013, Van Hall has begun to reimagine how the brand positions itself in the crowded craft brew universe. Unlike the beer’s earlier label art, Van Hall’s designs for Stillwater are striking in their simplicity. He eschews detailed illustrations, muted colors and heavy fonts. Instead, his work is often characterized by bright colors, clean fonts and geometric patterns. “Every beer is kind of an art project,” he said. “I want to be able to use the shape of the can to do something interesting with it.” Case in point: his design for Stillwater’s Yacht Dry-Hopped Session Lager. The beer is described as a “light and refreshing pilsner malt body…perfect for luxurious
cruises through the Caribbean.” Van Hall’s design employs a mix of traditional nautical colors and a typeface that recalls the shape of a sailboat. Aside from mandatory government labeling requirements that appear on the back of the can, the overall look is clean, uncluttered and evocative of smooth sailing—and drinking. Finding the right blend of powerful, descriptive words and complementary design is critical to creating a beer label that communicates and convinces consumers to give it a try. Heavy Seas’ Gilbert said his creative team always starts the design process with the simple question: What’s in the beer? Once the ingredients have been identified and the beer has been named, he will come up with some concept sketches and designs. “The goal is to try to highlight the personality of the beer,” he said. But truth in advertising matters, too. There’s nothing worse than promising strong hints of fresh orange and citrus if the beer tastes like a pilsner with a splash of Tang.
Talk about a buzz kill. According to the Brewers Association, as of April, there were more than 6,200 craft breweries in the United States, including 73 in Maryland. With more and more newcomers tapping into the trend every year, successful craft brewers recognize that innovative label art and packaging is a smart way to allot their limited marketing dollars. Just ask Courtney Patterson, a 24-year-old from Silver Spring. Although she’d never judge a person based only on their looks, she admitted she can’t say the same thing about beer. “I’m definitely attracted to a beer by its packaging. I look for colors or a cool design that really stands out,” she said. “I just think that for our generation, artwork really matters.” Heavy Seas’ flagship collection of pale ales, known as Cannon Crew, will get a face-lift with new packaging featuring brighter, bolder colors.
ABBEY ALE COURTESY OF FLYING DOG; LOOSE CANNON COURTESY OF HEAVY SEAS
RAR BREWING in Cambridge,
ART, CONTINUED FROM 15
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Bringing Back Hops • BY SAMANTHA HOGAN •
COURTESY OF FLYING DOG
F
lying Dog Brewery and the University of Maryland Extension have teamed up to complete a multi-year study of the economics and feasibility of bringing hop production back to the East Coast, after it fled west nearly a century ago during Prohibition. What’s driving this? “Local … and to ensure that it’s being done right,” said Flying Dog Brewmaster Ben Clark. Flying Dog uses more than 200,000 pounds of hops a year in its beer, but found that few East Coast growers know how to produce hops at the volume and with the consistency that brewers need to make their products. So the brewery brought in the University of Maryland Extension to fill in those knowledge gaps. Agriculture agent Bryan Butler is overseeing the hops experiment at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center in Keedysville, and he was instrumental in the writing of the first Maryland Hop Growers Guide, released in April. As of May, there were 24 varieties of hops planted at the research site, including 12 breeds that were selected by academic and industry leaders in 2016 and another 12 that were believed to have regional potential in 2017. The first year of the experiment revealed a wide range of yield and quality results, with one variety coming within striking range of the experiment’s 1,000-pound-perarea goal. Canadian Red Vine looked to be the variety of choice for Maryland’s climate in the field. The variety had the best yield but also one of the worst aromas, which the evaluation group described as smelling like “old grass” and “freezer-burnt berries.” UNCAPPEDNEWS.COM
Sean Hainline assists with harvesting hops at Pleasant Valley Hops in Rohrersville.
However, the first year of the study yielded some promising hops varieties of interest to Flying Dog. Southern Cross, which was planted in 2016, gave off the aroma of Hawaiian Punch, which fits within the profile of other popular citrus beers right now. It’s not a traditional citrus smell, and that could lead to some really interesting beers. Southern Cross was extrapolated to have produced only 182 pounds of hops an acre, which is well below the extension’s 1,000-pound goal. Low yields are a concern because they will drive up the sale price
of the hops, and economics will determine if the East Coast can compete with West Coast hops.
“The question is going to be: Does it economically make sense?” Butler said. U N C A P P E D | SUMMER 2018
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Absinthe Makes a Comeback • BY CAMERON DODD •
A
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—Absinthe fan Ernest Hemingway in letter to a friend in 1931
spread, it became associated with subversive elements of society. People suspected the brightgreen liqueur caused hallucinations, crazed behavior and even acts of violence. Absinthe never deserved that reputation, Wilcox said. Wormwood, a key ingredient, could only cause hallucinations if you injected so much it killed you. “For you to have any kind of hallucinatory experience, you would be dead from alcohol poisoning before you had enough in your system to hallucinate,” Wilcox said. How much wormwood an absinthe producer can put in their product is limited by law, according to Pearce. “But even if you tried to make an absinthe that would make you trip, it wouldn’t even be drinkable,” she said. “It’s not really something you have to worry about.” As for the violent behavior, that came from
bad press and fake science promoted by a jealous wine industry aiming to quell absinthe’s popularity, Wilcox said. “Absinthe doesn’t make you trip. It doesn’t make you hallucinate. It doesn’t make you do things that you wouldn’t already do when you were sober,” he said. Tenth Ward’s absinthe recipe comes from very traditional roots. Wilcox based it on techniques published in the 1871 book “A Treatise on the Manufacture and Distillation of Alcoholic Liquors” by Pierre Duplais. Grand wormwood, fennel and anise seed give absinthe its sweet, liquorice-like flavor. Lemon balm and roman wormwood give it the recognizable green hue. The ingredients are slowly distilled with low heat. Tenth Ward produced several varieties in small batches and let the public help decide which variety to release commercially. At a series of tastings in April, enthusiasts and first-time absinthe drinkers tested traditional and more experimental flavors. The absinthe Tenth Ward released this summer is based on the tasters’ favorite: A standard absinthe flavored with chamomile and eau de vie, in this case a white apple brandy distilled from McCutcheon’s cider. “People had a wonderful time. They love the opportunity to do something like this, to give us feedback and taste everything,” Pearce said. “You can tell who are the traditionalists and who liked the weirder stuff.” FACEBOOK.COM/UNCAPPD
CHRIS SANDS
s the list of innovative beers, wines and spirits pouring out of Frederick beverage companies continues to grow, one local distillery has taken on a historic liqueur steeped in myth. Tenth Ward Distilling Company is continuing its experimental take on traditional spirits with a newly released absinthe. “Our mission or our brand is to really revive historical craft spirits but give them a conventional twist,” Tenth Ward owner Monica Pearce said. “With absinthe, not only did I want to revive a very old traditional spirit, but there is a huge demand for it in the market now.” When Tenth Ward hired distiller John Wilcox earlier this year, he brought years of absinthe-making knowledge with him. Wilcox previously worked with South Carolina’s Dark Corner Distillery to release that state’s first commercial absinthe in 2012. Wilcox said he’s now excited to be working on what is likely Maryland’s first absinthe. “I’ve heard that some people are toying with it, but no one is selling absinthe,” Wilcox said. “It’s a super niche thing, but it’s growing in popularity as people become more knowledgeable about it, as people forget the kissing siblings scene in [the movie] ‘EuroTrip.’” Few beverages are as mired in myth as absinthe. As its popularity in 19th-century Europe
“Got tight last night on absinthe and did knife tricks. Great success shooting the knife underhand into the piano.”
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Why Hard Cider’s Not Easy • BY NANCY LAVIN •
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OWNER FAVORITES Lori Leitzel Rice, co-owner at Willow Oaks Craft Cidery Gloaming NV, 2017 Governor's Cup gold medal winner, best in class Features apples and black currents with “tiny and rich bubbles” What she said: “It's my favorite cider, not just of ours, but the best I have ever put in my mouth.” Rob Miller, owner of Distillery Lane Ciderworks Kingston Black, 2015 Great Lakes Cider and Perry competition gold medal winner in dry-aged cider, single-variety, bottle-conditioned, dry What he said: “I would have an entire orchard of Kingston Blacks if they weren't so hard to grow.”
A single cider can feature three, four or even five apple varieties. Both cideries sell a few single-variety ciders, too. Fermenting offers avenues for experimentation: in the strain of yeast, the time fermenting, even the vessel. Willow Oaks relies on neutral oak barrels, combining batches from several into a single cider, Rice said. Some are uncarbonated or ‘still.’ Others burst with bubbles. As tribute to the French ciders that inspired Eric Rice, Willow Oaks includes several varieties described as “pétillant” – a little bit fizzy, Rice said. Miller drew his inspiration from traditional English cider, bringing on home-brewer Tim Rose as Distillery’s cider maker. Rose began with brews, and found cider making more closely resembled wine than beer. Rice also described Willow Oaks’ products as “much more wine-like.” They’re not sweet, either, as they are fermented completely to eliminate residual sugar from the fruit. That
Rob Miller, owner of Distillery Lane Ciderworks, visits the orchard where he grows a variety of apples for hard cider.
Gold Rush apples to be crushed and pressed for apple cider at Distillery Lane Ciderworks
Oscar Montes spreads Gold Rush apple pulp that will be pressed for cider onto a rack.
has created perception problems when people visit expecting a sweet, juice-like beverage a la Woodchuck. Before they opened a tasting room, they would waive off those misinformed tasters seeking sweet beverages, Rice said. Now, they’ve tried to expand their offerings a bit to cater to all palates, experimenting with different fruits. There’s also a collaboration planned
with McClintock Distilling for an apple brandy. Growing popularity has paved the way for greater understanding, and with it, a wider spectrum of options. Red Shedman Farm Brewery in Mount Airy, for example, now boasts four regular ciders plus seasonal specials, in addition to its array of craft brews. FACEBOOK.COM/UNCAPPD
DAN GROSS
Well before popular ciders Angry Orchard and Woodchuck graced barroom taps and liquor store shelves, Rob Miller planted the first 1,000 apple trees on his Jefferson farm. The fruits of his labor became the basis for the first licensed cidery in Maryland, Distillery Lane Ciderworks, and catalyzed a craft cider craze that’s gaining traction statewide. On an icy February morning, machines whirred to life in the production room at Distillery Lane. Rows of apples cycled through a moving belt as Miller picked out the rejects. “Anything you wouldn’t eat, we don’t use,” he said. Surviving fruits were ground into pulp, then squeezed into juice through a hydraulic press. Trays of brown, leathery apple carcasses, the remains from the press, were stacked the floor, destined for the troughs of local pig farms. Along with yeast, the juice would be poured into the row of 500-gallon, stainless steel tanks to ferment. Give it a year, filter, blend, bottle and voilà, hard cider. Easy, right? Not exactly, according to Miller, or Lori Leitzel Rice, another leader in the craft cider industry. Rice and her husband Eric Rice own and operate Willow Oaks Craft Cidery in Middletown. Crafting hard cider takes years of experience, a green thumb, a mind for science and an artist’s inspiration. At hard cider’s core are the apples themselves: 40 varieties grow on Distillery Lane’s 9-acre farm, while Willow Oaks grows about 20, all organic varieties. Beware biting down on a stray fruit, though, especially bittersharps. Food and cooking website Serious Eats compared the taste to “sucking on a black tea bag soaked in lemon juice.” The high tannins and acidity make bittersharps uniquely suited for cider-making, the sharpness offset by blending with other, sweeter cooking and eating apples.
BIGGER, CONTINUED FROM 13 it can also allow them to expand into a statewide or regionally recognized brand. At the same time, breweries are also factoring the taproom experience into their plans for expansion. Union, Jailbreak and Guinness have all made sizable investments in more capacious taprooms with space for added perks, including restaurants, food trucks and the like. Emphasizing taprooms has been an industry trend for the past decade, Atticks said, but some brewers say that it’s heightened even within the past couple of years. With more and more consumers focused on the how of drinking — the process of moving beer from barrel to bottle — brewery visits are the single best way to connect with customers and promote a brand. “We just don’t have the ability to touch each and every one of
our consumers at every location where we distribute,” Bonner said. “So, if you really want to know what Jailbreak is, you can visit the taproom. That’s how we connect with people.” “Our goal is to grow in general, including the taproom,” said Benesch. “Mostly to create a good experience for people. So, if you’re
at the store figuring out which sixpack to purchase, you can think back to that experience and that can help inform your decision.” Jailbreak even decided to move forward with its kitchen after tabling plans to expand distribution into new territories, Bonner said. The company’s sour beer facility will increase production slightly,
but the brewery is now looking to expand in other ways, searching out locations for smaller brewing facilities and taprooms in Northern Virginia. “Early on, you’re just looking to fill out your production, and I think a lot of breweries make the mistake of being impatient,” Bonner said. “You’re making more beer than you can sell, and the first impulse is to open in new territories.” With expansion, though, comes the need to invest significantly in infrastructure to supply those new areas, Bonner added. Jailbreak decided to focus instead on building a restaurant and switching to a brewpub license, expanding production only in the areas where it had already been successful. “If anything, we’re patient and we’re fiscally conservative,” he said. “Yeah, the majority of our revenue comes from distribution. But I think for us, the best margins are in our taproom.”
COURTESY OF UNION CRAFT BREWING
Union Craft Brewing’s new taproom, above and below, opened to the public in June.
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lessons learned
colin mcguire
Absinthe Minded
O
h, the curious case of absinthe. Frat bros ready to bro out via a bro-centric drink that was once reportedly banned from the Bro States of Bro ‘Merica love it. Why? Because there’s nothing more bro-tastic than putting on a backwards baseball cap and proclaiming you’re about to “down this s#!% that makes you hallucinogenic” while moving money from your third trust fund into your “high-stakes” fantasy football account and listening to Migos. That’s why. As for me … well, I just like the stuff because it’s uber potent. No, it’s not hallucinogenic. No, it’s not impossible to find in this country. And no, I don’t believe drinking absinthe ensures that your night will either be special, lit, woke or breeze (a word I’m working on popularizing as the next adjective du jour). Still, the spirit sure does have its share of folklore attached to it. As liquor.com wrote a few years ago, “The history of absinthe is a cocktail of myth, conjecture and controversy. A turn-of-the-twentieth-century favorite of artists and writers, the spirit was banned in the United States in 1912 because it was believed to be hallucinogenic.” Naturally, the same website followed that up with a list of absinthe myths, including, of course, “absinthe is hallucinogenic” and “absinthe was banned because it’s hallucinogenic.”
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ILLUSTRATION/SERENA LODER
In the wake of a recent trip to New Orleans, and the type of afternoon I pieced together because of it, I couldn’t help but paraphrase Future President Jerry Seinfeld and ask … What’s the deal with absinthe? ANYONE WHO’S BEEN to Bour-
bon Street has probably been to the Old Absinthe House. It’s one of my favorite places to go, not only because of the absinthe, but also because of the business cards pinned to the wall and the old-style football helmets hanging from the ceiling. Definitely not the bathrooms, though. Anyway, I only really had one day to soak in Bourbon Street on this trip, and after lunch, I, along with my traveling companion, arrived in the heart of the party midafternoon. We wanted to get as much in as we could. Sure, we weren’t able to get there until 2 p.m. or so, but we had a solid 12 to 14 hours
in front of us to immerse ourselves in the debauchery that is Bourbon Street. Immediately picking up a hand grenade (another staple of Bro States of Bro ‘Merica) and a whole bunch of beers, we thought we’d head to the absinthe house. It was a little after 6 p.m. and by this point, we had seen some great bands, walked into some shops and even followed a parade. We sidled up to the bar to look at the menu of absinthes and … whoa, there. I definitely forgot that a tiny glass of absinthe will run you the cost of approximately three children, nine pets and a full ride to an Ivy League school. But, I digress. Two glasses were ordered. The liquor came. The sugar cube appeared. A fire was lit. A first taste down the hatch and … … and … … and … … that was about the end of that. A milli-drop of absinthe to
my traveling companion’s lips and it was time to head home. Around 6 p.m. On a Saturday night. In New Orleans. I couldn’t blame her, of course. It had been a tiring, busy day thus far, and the menu listed our particular absinthe at something like 128 proof. Thankfully, the New Orleans open container laws are, well, the best, so I poured the rest of her drink — along with mine — into a to-go cup, and we bolted out into the early evening rain. I wasn’t about to leave half a Harvard scholarship in a glass at a dive bar in New Orleans. SO, WHAT’S THE lesson learned? One, definitely head to the credit union and take out a mortgage before stepping foot in the Old Absinthe House. Two, schedule more than one day for Bourbon Street if you plan on drinking absinthe. Three, and when you do that, save it for a nightcap. The place is open until three in the morning. Hittin’ it hard and hittin’ it early doesn’t necessarily work for all people. Four, definitely do not chance the bathrooms on the first floor of the Old Absinthe House. Definitely. And five, while absinthe might be “a cocktail of myth, conjecture and controversy,” there’s no mistaking the realities a glass of it will bring on a cold, rainy, Saturday afternoon in April, no matter your intentions, no matter your ambitions.
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