Just what is HEX Superette anyway?

Half of this hybrid in Mid-Govans fits the traditional definition of the second half of its name, which means a small supermarket. Customers can buy locally grown produce and made-in-Maryland goods like stationery and soap. Beer, wine, spirits, and sauces line the
shelves, along with plenty of jars of sauerkraut.

Which brings us to the first part of that name. In the back of the building, HEX Ferments makes kraut, kimchi, and kombucha. For years, owners Shane and Meaghan Carpenter had longed for a building of their own where they could both produce and sell their food and drink, as well as offer a place for people to relax and enjoy them on site. (Leading the fermented food craze, they sold their jarred products at Belvedere Square Market for years before closing during the pandemic. Their fermented products are still for sale at the JFX and Waverly farmers’ markets.)

Last year, they opened HEX Superette. A bar anchors the tasting room, which has one of the most unique drink menus in the city. The cleverly named Timm’s Cup is a mixture of spiced floral liqueur, sparking wine, lemon, and HEX’s turmeric tonic kombucha. The more traditionally named Whiskey No. 1 is a rye-based drink with rosemary oxymel and HEX’s ginger kombucha. Both are refreshing takes on classic cocktails—with a twist.

“Kombucha has natural carbonation, which is a by-product of the ferment,” Shane says of the tea drink that is often hailed for its health benefits. “Most of the bubbly drinks you’re drinking in the world have been force-carbonated by a CO2 tank hooked up to some pressurized vessel to create that bubble. It’s a lot bigger, more acidic bubble than what you find in kombucha.”

The cocktail list stems from years of experimentation by the Carpenters and the tasting room staff. In addition to the mixed drinks, there are mocktails, wines, housemade sodas, and a few beers available, including Year of the Peach, HEX’s collaboration with Peabody Heights. (At only 2.5 ABV, it tastes more like a cider—a delicious one—than a beer.)

Snacks, salads, soups, and a few sandwiches emerge from the kitchen. Every dish includes something fermented because, as Shane puts it, “We want to participate in the full spectrum of fermented delights.”

Despite how all of this might sound, there’s nothing pretentious about the Carpenters’ methods. “We’re not using tweezers or foams, it’s very approachable food that’s extremely nutrient-dense,” Meaghan says.

The vibe in the tasting room is casual. Music plays as customers shuffle in past the 10-seat bar, grab a basket, and shop at the attached superette. In fact, one of the best ways to enjoy a drink here is while browsing the store. There you’ll find ground beef from Liberty Delight Farms, duck eggs, produce, a book on wild fermentation, plant-based hair products—you get the idea. And of course,
jars and bottles of HEX Ferments products, all of which are available to taste at the bar for free.

What is HEX Superette? It’s a place we’ll return to soon

From food trucks to fine dining, fermented foods—like kimchi, sauerkraut, and miso—are appearing on menus around town. Not only do these foods pack bold flavors, they’re good for our bodies, as well.

“I’ve always liked the way miso tastes,” says Juliana Converse, a writer living in Baltimore. “When I realized it was probiotic, I tried to eat more of it because it’s good for the gut.”

Fermented foods like miso—a Japanese seasoning made from fermented soybeans—are rich in enzymes and acids, making it easier for organs to break down food and absorb nutrients.

“When you add sea salt to fresh produce [like cabbage], you wake up colonies of lactic-acid-loving bacteria, or lactobacillus,” says Meaghan Carpenter, co-owner of Belvedere Square Market’s Hex Ferments, which specializes in fermented foods. “That’s going to line your gut with billions of good guys that are going to help your gut break down the foods you eat.”

Good bacteria also help to keep inflammation and food sensitivities in check, according to nutritionist Kasia Kines of Holistic Nutrition Naturally in Baltimore. “They help provide energy for the colon, they crowd out pathogens, [and] might support a healthier weight and a stronger immune system,” says Kines.

The probiotic revolution is backed up by data, with science showing the strong interconnectivity of the gut to the rest of the body, according to Dr. Gerard Mullin, associate professor of medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and author of the upcoming book The Gut Balance Revolution.

“The gut is kind of like what the brain was several years ago and what the heart was before it. It’s not as sexy, but it’s your inner being,” says Dr. Mullin. “Your gut—it’s the core of your health.”