FREDERICK, Md. — In the space that’s soon to become Tenth Ward Distilling Company, Frederick’s latest distilled liquor maker, proprietor Monica Pearce whips past a vat filled with 1,000 liters of locally sourced cider — this is for the applejack, she says.
WTOP visited months before the distillery’s official opening, planned for April 20.
“We’re going to start off by just selling out of the tasting room to see to see what we can keep up with, in terms of demand,” Pearce says. “And then I’ll work on getting a wholesale license for Tenth Ward and we’ll do our own distribution. We’ll start locally — local liquor stores, bars and restaurants and then, who knows? Maybe in a few years we can expand outside of Frederick.”
Tenth Ward is Frederick’s second craft distiller to open within city limits. Dragon Distillers was the first. Two others — McClintock Distilling and Frederick Distilling — are on the horizon.
Why are all these distilleries coming to Frederick? And why now?
“There’s the mix, a push from the local tourism industry to change legislation because it is a tourism boost, similar to having a brewery or winery trail,”says Pearce. “Distilleries bring the same type of money to your town or local city. I think there’s a push from that end, of cities wanting to attract that.”
Pearce was a driving force behind the formation of the Frederick Distillery Association, a way for local craft distillers to band together, collectively promoting their businesses and marketing Frederick as a destination for hand-crafted liquors.
Finding good spirits in Frederick
Beer makers already have a major presence in Frederick, Flying Dog Brewery being the biggest player. Laws are also changing, making it easier for craft distillers to set up shop. In 2013, Frederick started adjusting its laws, allowing craft distilleries to open in the city.
The Frederick County Office of Economic Development has partnered with the Tourism Council of Frederick to market wineries and breweries — and, now, distilleries, according to the Frederick County Office of Economic Development blog.
Frederick’s newest micro distillers say they’re hoping to match the success of craft breweries.
Mark Lambert owns a nuclear transportation and engineering firm in Howard County but said he saw a business opportunity in a completely separate venture — booze.
“Frederick has over two million tourists a year,” Lambert said. “Besides the tourist draw, people are interested in buying local.”
So on Feb. 13, he opened Dragon Distillery near Frederick Airport. Dragon Distillery specializes in moonshine and vodka. There are also plans to produce bourbon and a single-malt American whiskey.
Dragon’s signature moonshine, Bad Bill Tutt, is an homage to his grandfather, a man Lambert described as a “doctor, womanizer, gambler and moonshiner.” Dragon’s Bad Bill Tutt is based off a family recipe, Lamber said.
A lemon meringue flavored moonshine will be named for Bad Bill Tutt ‘s wife, Fannie Tutt. “Everybody does apple pie, peach pie and cherry pie. We wanted to be a little bit different.”
Finding your passion
Amidst the syncopation of banging hammers, muffled shouting and clanging equipment, Pearce heads up a set of wooden stairs to a quiet loft full of empty whisky barrels and labeled bottles.
Here’s where she talks business.
Tenth Ward, she says, will specialize in whiskey and brandies. They’re making applejack sourced from McCutcheon’s, a local favorite.
A few miles away in the heart of Frederick’s historic district, Tyler Hegamyer and Braeden Bumpers are in the midst of transforming a 105-year-old auto garage off Carroll Creek into McClintock Distilling.
“There aren’t many opportunities nowadays where you can take something from a raw ingredient, produce it all the way into a finished product and market that and sell it to your customers,” Hegamyer said.
Bumpers says they’re planning to open in June.
At launch, McClintock plans to offer gin and a white whiskey, all organically made.
They scoured Appalachia in search of botanicals for their Forager Gin and say they’ve created a flavor that falls somewhere between the London dry gins and the new-wave American gins, “which we think are a little too flowery and citrusy,” Hegamyer says.
Their journey into craft distilling began when they were students at Elon University, where they dabbled in craft brewing — sometimes concocting beer in the dorms.
They see themselves as pioneers.
“For someone who enjoys business and enjoys making things, it’s a really exciting business to be a part of,” Hegamyer says.
