Old Westminster Winery – Baltimore Magazine https://www.baltimoremagazine.com The Best of Baltimore Since 1907 Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:38:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-favicon-32x32.png Old Westminster Winery – Baltimore Magazine https://www.baltimoremagazine.com 32 32 Old Westminster’s Baker Siblings Are Sowing Their Future at Burnt Hill Farm https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/burnt-hill-farm-clarksburg-old-westminster-winery-baker-siblings-build-natural-wine-food-oasis/ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:00:22 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?post_type=article&p=180302
Food & Drink
March 2026


IT’S LABOR DAY LAST SEPTEMBER, but that’s of no concern to Drew Baker, who’s been up since before the sun. The cool nights of autumn have started slipping in, and with only a few more weeks of warm weather in Maryland, that means it’s finally go time at Burnt Hill Farm. By 7 a.m., he’s out the door and off to work, soon standing wide-eyed before a rolling expanse of ripening grapevines, now ready to be picked.

As light breaks over the horizon, his six-man crew is setting the morning in motion. They dart about the vineyard, dropping stacks of yellow crates at the bottom of thousand-foot rows, each to be filled with inky fruit before lunchtime—about four tons in total.

“That’s my back-of-the-napkin math,” says Drew, his hands tucked into his Patagonia pockets, as the current 50 degrees feels downright cold after the dog days of August. He looks around approvingly. “We’ve got a lot to pick.”

By all measures, at Burnt Hill, it’s been an extraordinary year. Not every season is great for growing, which the 38-year-old has learned the hard way on his two farms. First, at Old Westminster Winery in Carroll County, where he broke ground with his sisters Lisa Hinton and Ashli Johnson in 2011. And now with this promising plot 25 miles south in Montgomery County, sitting on a high stretch of Appalachian foothills halfway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. He knows that sometimes in the Mid-Atlantic, a late spring frost will stunt an entire crop before it’s even had the chance to get started. And that often, our wet summers make a hotbed for pests and disease. Of course, come autumn, hurricanes can wreak havoc on harvest, too.

So far, so good, though, on this almost-fall day in Clarksburg. That spring, a few May rains tapered into months of sunshine, helping his fruit reach its full potential. And now once again, there are blue skies, meaning they can take their time with this acre of Cabernet Dorsa, a European hybrid perfectly suited for growing here.

“A big honking cluster,” says Drew with a chuckle, using a pair of heavy-duty clippers to pick a cartoonishly plump bunch of grapes, casually dropping it into the crate at his feet with a thud. “The only rule is don’t cut your fingers.”

Which is good advice, even for him, given all the excitement. He’s been chomping at the bit for weeks now, ripping up and down the grassy rows on his mini dirt bike, scouting the vines for their potential first picks. Each plant will reveal a series of clues, which he rattles off with encyclopedic detail.

For starters, there’s color, when the grapes begin changing from green to gold or purple. Then, there’s the vine’s trunk, which a swift kick, as Drew demonstrates, should knock a few berries loose. A woody stem means you’re almost there, as does a slight shrivel to the fruit’s skin—less water, more flavor, on its way to wine.

“And then we can taste,” says Drew, popping a marble-sized grape into his mouth. “Nice and sweet, the acidity’s dropping.” He crushes another between his thumb and forefinger, noting the maroon juices, nearly staining his skin. The small dark seeds that speckle the flesh are another indicator. But if they’re still green, like the Cabernet Franc a block over, “they’ve got another month to go.”

Within the hour, his son, Jeffrey, has arrived—the first of three Baker children out of bed that morning. The 5-year-old wandered up the hill from their farmhouse to find his dad, who tenderly peppers him with “dudes” and “bros.”

Before long, they’re squeezed into an orange Kubota together, tearing down the dirt lane, then whipping onto the county road, off to check out the other hundred-some acres of this dream property, more than a decade in the making.

In that time, the Old Westminster siblings have become the cool kids of Maryland wine, not to mention one of the most buzzed about winemakers on the East Coast. This next chapter at Burnt Hill is bound to only amplify that enthusiasm. They’ve envisioned this land as a sanctuary of sorts, something much more than just a winery, something that “outlives me,” says Drew. Which is especially poignant, given not that long ago, no one was sure he’d be alive to see it.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t walk around and look at all of this and think to myself, wow, I’m so grateful, I’m so blessed,” says Drew. “Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming—to think about how we got here. There were months and months when nobody was betting on me. Including myself.”

ABOVE: CLOCKWISE, HARVEST TIME AT BURNT HILL; RIPE GRAPES; DREW AND HIS SON JEFFREY SURVEY THE LAND.

few months earlier, the family gathered up the road at Old Westminster. Jeffrey was once again in tow, along with his siblings and cousins—a pack of nine sandy-haired children all under age seven, who ran about the industrial winery as if they owned the place. They romped through the grass. They climbed up the forklift. They carried teetering towers of cardboard boxes to their very pregnant aunt Lisa.

“I just kept praying that I wouldn’t go into labor before this,” said the 36-year-old middle sibling, dragging thick hoses between ceiling-high fermentation tanks and the rented bottling rig that was parked outside.

While Drew handles farming and Ashli oversees operations, Lisa is the one who actually makes the wine. That late May afternoon, she moved with an intense focus to bottle some 600 cases. There were blends, with names like Dreamscape and Earthsong, as well as single- barrel selections, highlighting a specific grape, like Cabernet or Merlot.

At this point, she’d been watching these wines for years, making a thousand deliberate decisions to help draw out their singular magic. It’s an alchemy—or really, an art form, learning to capture that transformation at just the right moment. There are always extensive notes, endless tests, and a fair bit of intution. But still, Lisa paid extra close attention to this batch—Burnt Hill’s very first vintage, hence the day’s entourage.

Her main goal each time, she says with a nervous smile: “Just don’t screw it up.”

In all honesty, though, Lisa’s a total pro by now, having made more than a million bottles of wine since turning 21 years old. But all this started before that, when the siblings were still in college, then pursuing what turned out to be serendipitous degrees. Business for Drew. Marketing for Ashli. Chemistry for Lisa. In 2008, the financial collapse had put their dad, Jay—a carpenter—out of work, forcing the family to either sell their home, aka Old Westminster’s 17-acre former plant nursery, or find a way to save it. After reading about the rise of regional wine, their mom, Virginia—a nurse—threw out the idea of growing grapes. After much deliberation, it was “if you’re in, I’m in,” says Ashli, at the time only a sophomore.

And all in they were. The Baker parents lent their life savings to launch the winery, while the kids juggled classes and exams with planning and permits. In 2011, they hand-planted 10,000 vines, built a simple pole barn, and in it, soon enough, with the help of fruit from other Maryland vineyards, started making wine. Within two years, they sold their first bottle. “And it was like, okay, this is actually pretty good,” recalls Drew.

The Mid-Atlantic is no Napa Valley, long struggling to become a bona fide wine region. Here, a few vineyards strive for serious recognition, while even more sling sweet sips for a good-time crowd. From the beginning, the Baker siblings set out to change that, initially inspired by those successful West Coast styles, winning them the Governor’s Cup for best white wine in 2014. Then that winter, on his honeymoon in France’s Loire Valley, Drew discovered an age-old practice—and soon-to-be buzzword—that would upend their entire approach.

Natural winemaking has a simple philosophy: less is more, work with the land, let the wines do their thing. For instance, instead of buying lab-cultured yeast, grapes ferment with the native spores that naturally grow right in their vineyard. And sometimes, as with pétillant naturels, the juice turns into wine right in the bottle, imparting a rustic effervescence, unlike anything Drew had ever tasted before.

“You maintain your own sense of place,” he remembers realizing. So from then on, they’d lean into their own Maryland terroir—the French concept for a region’s unique character, based on its soil, geography, and climate. Their wines might no longer be as precise or predictable. But they’d also be one-of-a-kind.

In short order, Old Westminster shifted gears: cranking out their own pét-nats, opening a tasting room, expanding production, finally able to pay themselves. National press applauded their efforts. Phone calls poured in from their bicoastal distributors. They threw it all at the wall, like experimenting with canned wines, and navigated the accompanying curveballs, like when those started exploding on store shelves—still making them shake their heads today. Back then, it all only encouraged them.

ABOVE: CLOCKWISE, SCENES FROM OLD WESTMINSTER WINERY: THEIR CHILDHOOD HOME; LABELS; LISA AT WORK.

Before long, Burnt Hill would be an even grander vision—for growing next-level wines, and reds in particular, which happen to be a unique challenge in these parts. In 2016, the siblings purchased the second property. Slowly, they started preparing the land. Drew moved in. His kids were born. But a year after their first harvest, before those wines could be finished, that high-spirited, ever-hustling young father suddenly got sick.

“Everything happened so fast,” recalls Ashli. “Nothing can prepare you.”

In 2022, Drew was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. By the end of the following year, he’d spend 450 days at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. It was a painful slog: rounds of intensive chemotherapy, full-body radiation, brand-new drugs, endless tests. One brain surgery. Two bone-marrow transplants—first from Ashli, then from Lisa. Prayers, more than anything.

“There were a lot of conversations about what we should do if he doesn’t make it,” says Casey, Drew’s wife and longtime sweetheart.

After all, the odds weren’t good. It’s a rare, fast, complex cancer, accounting for about one percent of all new cases in the U.S., with the five-year relative survival rate around 30 percent. And due to a genetic mutation, Drew’s had spread into his central nervous system, further complicating treatment. In other words, “shit luck,” as his doctor put it.

While he was stuck at Hopkins, his family kept moving, juggling fighting this disease with running the business, often providing candid updates to their community on social media. All the while, the vines kept growing. And those first Burnt Hill wines sat in Lisa’s cellar, waiting. “It doesn’t always work out, you know?” Drew says today.

He is now in his second year of remission.

Which is why last spring’s bottling was so special—and nerve-racking. Outside that day in Old Westminster, lush lime-green vines climbed to the top of their trellises, marking the start of a new season. Inside the winery, after nearly four years in casks made from Clarksburg ash trees, the first taste of Burnt Hill was finally heading out into the world.

“These wines are very precious,” said Lisa.

“It almost feels like there’s not enough,” agreed Ashli.

With some clinking and clanking, the dark-glass bottles rolled around the bottling rig and down a conveyor. At the bottom, the kids all stretched their tiny arms out to catch them, including Nelly, Drew’s eldest, who was born just before those grapes were planted. Hopefully one day, they’ll drink this wine together.

“That would be, like, the best moment of my life,” said Drew.

He’s always been a bit sentimental. Even more so now, after all he’s been through. It’s made him a bit of an anomaly—both a youthful livewire and a beyond-his-years wise man, someone who’s hyper-consciously manifesting his own destiny but also deeply moved by the mysterious unknown.

“I’m a spiritual person—you know, walk out into the middle of a field, and feel just how small I am, and how big everything else is,” he says. “People call that different things, but for me, you’re not alone in that moment. At the end of the day, we’re making alcohol. But that is not the point of all this. It’s an extension of our farm, of our efforts...”

And that’s why, cancer be damned, he’s still at it. Because Drew knows their wine is only as good as the care given to its land.

ABOVE: DREW AND CASEY BAKER WITH JAMES, NELLY, AND JEFFREY; LISA HINTON WITH JED AND HUCK; ASHLI JOHNSON WITH MACI, CLAY, AND KODI; A FLOCK OF SHEEP GRAZING IN THE FIELD AT BURNT HILL.

o get to Burnt Hill from Baltimore, head out of the city and hop on I-70, due west. Eventually you’ll pull off into suburbia, then onto a country road, riding past farmland, climbing over creeks and through forest, until you come to a broad clearing. You’ll know it when you’ve found it—this soaring hillside, perched high atop the Piedmont Plateau, covered in almost 30,000 grapevines. Way up there is a rare view, overlooking the vast splendor of the Mid-Atlantic.

To the north, in the valley, sits the city of Frederick, and beyond that, there’s the low blue ridge of Maryland’s Catoctin Mountain. Right out in front is Little Bennett Park, a 3,700-acre protected woodland, past which Sugarloaf Mountain gently slopes into the horizon like a slumbering giant. Further still, if you squint hard enough, you might even see where Virginia and West Virginia meet in Harpers Ferry, their mighty rivers flowing south from there to the Chesapeake Bay.

It was an exhaustive search, finding this exact property. Ten years ago, Old Westminster was cruising along, making their own wines, processing grapes for other vineyards, and Drew felt an itch for something bigger. This time, instead of working with the land they had, he’d go looking for precisely what they wanted—the perfect blank canvas for starting their own grand-cru vineyard. It took the better part of a year, working closely with a geologist and analyzing each new prospect across an array of parameters: soil type, topography, elevation, temperature, sun exposure, rainfall, among many others.

Then one Sunday morning, Drew and Casey were lying in bed when he got a notification for a new listing. They hopped in the car and hauled ass to Burnt Hill Road.

“I remember it distinctly,” he says, feeling right away that this might be it.

The next week, they were out there with a Bobcat and backhoe, digging holes around the then-fallow field to confirm those suspicions. The site proved promising—steep and rocky earth, littered with quartzite like Sugarloaf. They put in an offer, got outbid, then the seller had a change of heart. While it could’ve felt like fate, Drew was quick to stay grounded. Besides, they had plenty of work ahead.

Conventional farming is an extractive process. You take from the land and return just enough so that you can take from the land again. But meeting other growers, visiting other vineyards, consulting with experts and elders, Drew eventually learned another way, again.

Soil is the foundation of any farm, and regenerative agriculture works to not only sustain but improve it. This yields more biodiverse, dynamic, and resilient ecosystems, impacting everything that lives and grows in them. And to this first-generation farmer, that just made sense. “For me, it’s about stewardship—you help build healthy soil and, over time, you become a net benefit to the land.”

Not to mention, you can also make better wine. In general, healthier soil means healthier plants means higher quality fruit with more robust flavor. Think of it like an heirloom tomato, which out of a thriving garden in summer’s peak needs nothing but a pinch of salt. One from a hot house in the middle of winter will just never taste the same, no matter the amount of seasoning.

ABOVE: CLOCKWISE, THE BUILDINGS AT BURNT HILL, A GRAPE STILL ON THE VINE IN AUTUMN, A GLASS OF SPARKLING WINE TO TOAST.

For this, the Burnt Hill crew set their sights beneath the surface. For two years, they added biodynamic preparations to enhance the soil, like manure that’s been packed into cow horns and buried underground over winter. (“People think it’s witchcraft, but whatever, dude—anecdotally, I think there’s power in it,” says Drew.) They also rotated cover crops, like daikon radishes and hard red wheats, helping loosen the ground without disruptive tilling.

When it came time to plant in 2019, they abided by those same nature-forward principles. Rows were positioned to follow the sunlight in the east and protect against winds from the west. So, too, were plots of both old-world European varieties and modern American hybrids, each having different needs and tolerances, with many also chosen for their climate-change adaptability.

Still, out there, it’s tough terrain, with no irrigation beyond Mother Nature, forcing the grapes to work harder. But that’s actually a good thing, says Drew. “The best wines are made from vines that fear a little for their own existence.”

Meanwhile, the grass grows freely, only cut twice a year. No herbicides have ever been sprayed here, with the weeds beneath each plant cultivated by hand with the help of their H2A workers. Then after each harvest, a flock of sheep arrives, their hooves and hindquarters also working to aerate and enrich the land.

Altogether, it’s a uniquely controlled chaos. “A nice, manicured, Roundup-sprayed, golf-course-style vineyard is the recipe for an out-of-balance ecosystem,” says Drew. “Nature wants to express itself.”

That’s what they want for Burnt Hill wines, too—to be wild, vibrant, alive. No two vintages will taste exactly the same. And with more than 30 varieties planted, there are endless possibilities, from delicate Pinot Noirs and Gamays to the big, bold Bordeaux: Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot. Barbera, Syrah, Tannat. A block of up-and-coming Trousseau. Sprawling swaths of Regent, which Drew declares is the largest of its kind in the United States, at least “until proven otherwise.” That summer’s Cabernet Dorsa.

Old Westminster will continue to be the trendsetter, crafting the sort of fresh, fun wines currently sought out by younger drinkers. But Burnt Hill is an old soul, its deep, dark, meditative palate probably more familiar to a boomer. With these, they’re thinking about longevity.

“Once you plant, it’s several years before you have a wine to show, and then you’ll have those vines in the ground, if all goes well, 30, 40, 50 years,” says Drew. “Probably longer than I’ll be here.”

He’s been feeling pretty good lately, still taking chemo every day, getting knocked back when his kids bring a cold home, making the occasional trip to the hospital with a spiked temperature. “My immune system just sucks,” sighs Drew. “But I felt as good as nine out of 10 at moments this summer, which was awesome—just remembering what it’s like to wake up in the morning, ready to kick some ass.”

At the bottom of the hill, back in the middle of that September harvest, he’s revving his utility vehicle across the road and up a path through their native wildflower meadow. Those scrappy blooms—rudbeckia, echinacea, mullein, chicory—support a host of pollinators, including Drew’s apiary at the wood’s edge. While there were 30 hives before his diagnosis, only one survived when they checked again in early 2025. With the help of a master beekeeper, he’s now back up to six, which meant some 60 pounds of honey.

A few hundred yards away, his pack of Mangalica pigs roots deeper into the forest. Sometimes they escape their pen, stopping all farm work until they’re caught, sparking wild-boar lore on the neighborhood Facebook. Under a grove of oaks, they munch on acorns and itch their butts against stacks of firewood, both of which will soon be used in their forthcoming restaurant on Burnt Hill’s summit.

“They’re the Wagyu of pork,” says Drew, waxing rhapsodic about their fat-to-muscle ratio. “Six of their kin just went to the butcher and chef put them on the menu last weekend. This next chapter will really be his. We’re just helping set the table for him.”

ABOVE: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT, SCENES FROM OLD WESTMINSTER: WINE ROLLS DOWN THE LINE, JAMES CLINGS TO CASEY, STACKED BARRELS IN THE WINERY, PACKING BOXES, THE VINEYARD AT SPRINGTIME.

hen Drew talks, he often speaks in the collective. We do this, we do that. Not every family can go into business together, but the Baker siblings sure make it look easy. They’re genuinely friends, spending most waking hours together—in fact, after that Labor Day harvest, their families spent the evening picking crabs by Lisa’s pool. His cancer surely strengthened that bond. But it’s also a labor of love they work on constantly.

For one, there are the routine check-ins. Like every Monday, when the three of them sit down with coffee and plan the week ahead. Or every Wednesday, when they also meet with their managers, who help supervise a now-100-plus-person team. Then, just after the holidays, the siblings do an annual review, giving and receiving constructive feedback about the business—which they bought from their parents in late 2024—as well as about each other.

“It’s not for the faint of heart,” says Lisa with a laugh. “It takes a lot of time and trust and intention. You can’t just set it and forget it.”

Through all that reflection, she calls Drew a visionary, “always learning and growing and looking for ways to push us.” He thinks of her as the executor—smart, observant, problem-solving. “I always trust her judgement, because she’s always right.” “Our steady center,” adds Ashli about Lisa, while her older siblings agree that their youngest is the listener, the caretaker, the community-builder. “She has high emotional intelligence,” says her brother. “Full of life,” says Ashli about him these days.

Meanwhile, Casey—titled both “chief of staff” and “mother of the farm,” for obvious reasons—keeps everyone in line. But like iron sharpening iron, they all balance out and build up one another, with family always coming first.

And so it was a big deal when they brought in a fourth party—who they’re not even related to.

“The missing piece in our team was a talented culinary partner,” says Drew—someone who could bring this vision full circle, and also have their own skin in the game. “And without hesitation, our sommelier, Joey, was like, ‘You have to meet Tae Strain.’”

In early January, the 42-year-old Korea-born, Howard County-bred chef sits down in the Burnt Hill lounge at sunset. He rests his forearms on the family-style table, showing off a pair of Celtic tattoos. Adopted from Seoul as a child, he was raised nearby in a large Irish family, where he quickly learned to cook for himself and, in the process, discovered he loved doing so for others.

ABOVE: CLOCKWISE, THE DINING SCENE AT BURNT HILL; CHILI OIL ROASTED LAMB WITH SAMBAL, SWEET POTATO, AND KOHLRABI; CHEF-PARTNER TAE STRAIN.

First, he got a job at Pizza Hut. Later, he opened his own restaurant, the beloved Demi in Belvedere Square, for which Baltimore named him “Best New Chef” in 2011. After that, he hit the big leagues, from chef de cuisine at the Michelin-starred Progress in San Francisco, where he discovered the value of local ingredients, to executive chef at David Chang’s Momofuku in D.C., where he started to culinarily connect with his Asian-American identity. He met the Old Westminster crew back in Baltimore, during his more recent Ggoma Supper Club pop ups. Then, just over a year ago, Drew slid into his DMs.

“There was a little courting process,” says Strain. After years in the industry, he wasn’t looking for a boss, which was good, because Drew wasn’t looking for an employee. In the end, it was the right fit for everyone.

Last fall, Burnt Hill officially opened to the public, a cherry on top of what Lisa calls their “year of extravagant blessing.” At the top of the hill, above the vineyard, guests are now welcomed into one of three Scandinavian-style structures, their stark black lines cutting against the sky, contrasting the curves of this Andrew Wyeth-esque landscape.

In the middle tasting room, the vineyard’s inaugural wines are the star of the show, and everything from the decanters—made from glass that Ashli found behind the beehives—to the dishes—fired with clay from the local soil—all help tell their story. Next door, to the north, the lounge has equally epic views and a more casual vibe (where Gov. Wes Moore had this 47th birthday party). But in many ways, the pièce de résistance will be Strain’s restaurant, on the property’s south side.

Slated to open later this month, the 12-seat chef’s counter won’t be the standard farm-to-table fare one might easily expect here. And thank goodness for that, says Drew, calling such cuisine “at high risk of being boring.” Instead, the multi-course menu will emphasize their shared ethos—simple, regional, seasonal—and also explore Strain’s own roots.

“At the end of the day, it will be soulful food,” says the chef. Think a big bowl of spicy noodles, made from local heritage grain ground in their in-house stone mill. Or Chesapeake rockfish, slow-cooked over curried congee, with herbs from the on-farm garden. Then there’s the Mangalica pork neck with fermented chile, Virginia peanuts, and Drew’s honey that he trialed last spring. And the dry-aged duck plucked from the farmhouse yard, served at the James Beard House in New York last summer.

Strain is dreaming about what to do with the orchard’s peaches, or the shiitakes that Drew started growing in the woods across the road before he got sick. Plus ingredients like ginger and lemongrass, purchased from other regenerative growers throughout the watershed. To the space’s serenity, his plates will add a splash of color, somewhere between “fancy pants” and “fucking rustic.” He, like the rest of them, wants to show off what this land can do.

On this winter evening, they’re in the home stretch. The concrete cures on the counter. A wood-fired oven waits in the back corner. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Burnt Hill is now barren, speckled with sheep, about to be blanketed in snow. In a week, it’ll be a top-notch sledding spot for the Baker kids, including their youngest, James, who, like his siblings, looks just like his dad.

“This place is so special to me, it’s just such a privilege to be able to share it,” says Drew in the early new year. “I’m so proud of where we are, and where we’re going. Because I’m always reminded from whence we came.”

That brush with his own mortality has brought out a profound urgency, a sense of obligation. As a father. As a husband. As a brother. As a farmer. To live and do his work well.

“And there’s so much left to do.”

THE SIBLINGS LOOK OVER THE HORIZON.

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]]> Old Westminster Winery’s Drew Baker Searches for a Cure https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/old-westminster-winery-drew-baker-searches-for-leukemia-cure-bone-marrow-transplant-donor/ Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:56:20 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?post_type=article&p=145702
—Photography by Justin Tsucalas

“My nightmare journey began April 10, 2022,” says Drew Baker of Old Westminster Winery in Carroll County.

A leukemia diagnosis meant that his plans and dreams—for his business and for his family—had to be suspended and redirected toward fighting his disease. Shortly before that, he and his co-owners—his two sisters—were working to transform this rural stretch of land into more than just a vineyard. It was slated to take a more holistic approach to farming, which would include pastured-raised cattle and hogs, an apiary, and, of course, grapes. Today, everything is on hold but the vines.

“I have only so much energy,” says Baker before a vista of the Appalachian Mountains. “We sent the hogs to slaughter, the bees are here, but they’re on their own for now.”

Still, the 36-year-old father of three has an infectiously positive energy that continues to flow, and he remains excited for Old Westminster, which has become one of the region’s preeminent wineries since opening its doors in 2013. One more recent land acquisition dubbed “Burnt Hill” is devoted in part to native American grapes, part of an ongoing experiment to push the limits of what is possible in Maryland winemaking.

“Not only that, but we may become the first Certified Organic vineyard in Maryland history,” he says. “Regent, man—it’s an amazing grape. It’s a Chambourcin hybrid, which we know succeeds in Maryland, but it also has DNA from Müller-Thurgau and Sylvaner, grapes more resistant to disease. It could be a gamechanger here!”

Ironically, it’s his own disease he’s grappling with instead. Hopes that his sister, Ashli, was a high-quality donor for his bone marrow transplant at Johns Hopkins were dashed this year when his cancer returned and only a brand-new drug is keeping it at bay.

He needs a new donor, which if luck is on his side, he’ll find through Be The Match, an organization devoted to registering donors and matching them to patients. And he has taken to social media this year to raise awareness and encourage people to register—many followers have signed up. Additionally, on Thursday, September 7—to coincide with Blood Cancer Awareness Month—Old Westminster is teaming up with chef Bryan Voltaggio to host a multi-course wine dinner with all proceeds benefiting Be The Match.

Throughout our conversation, Baker radiates wisdom and introspection. Facing death has distilled what is important in life with brutal clarity, compelling him to lean into his mental and spiritual health. And even if his kids are too young to understand, his wife, Casey, does.

“She’s my rock—my absolute rock,” he says, standing in front of one of his meadows, which teems with life. “Elements of this journey, I wouldn’t wish away. I have an opportunity to intentionally invest in my relationships—I am grateful for that, win or lose.”

We’re all rooting for a win.

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]]> Days of Wine https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/at-old-westminster-winery-winemaking-is-a-family-affair/ Tue, 27 Jul 2021 17:10:56 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?post_type=article&p=109945
Siblings Lisa Hinton, Ashli Johnson, and Drew Baker. —Photography by Justin Tsucalas

It was a cold and bleak evening in December 2009 when the Baker siblings gathered at the family farm in Westminster for a reckoning. The fall semester had ended, and Drew, Lisa, and Ashli were home for the holidays from their respective colleges. The Great Recession and the accompanying slump in housing starts had eviscerated their father’s carpentry company, and they’d been informed that their 17-acre Carroll County family farm, which they had never farmed but had rented out to local farmers, was going to have to be sold.

“My sisters and I were all home for Christmas break,” recounts Drew, then a senior at Towson University. “This was the place we grew up. It’s the only home we knew.” The siblings were crestfallen. “The whole family was trying to figure out what to do when our mom, Virginia, said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to plant grapes?’ She read an article about the rising popularity of wine grown in unlikely places around the country,” says Drew. “That’s where the idea for all of this began.”

And so, what started as a farm rescue fantasy is now Old Westminster Winery, a welcoming sprawl of neatly kept vineyards that surround the original farmhouse, flanked by their spacious Western ranch-style tasting room and events space, built by none other than Jay Baker, carpenter and proud Dad. It is here that visitors may sample Old Westminster’s offerings, from their fanciest reds to their fun, low-alcohol, spritzy canned beverages.

The fantasy became a reality in no time at all. Virginia and Jay fronted all their savings to seed the business as their children began to set the plan in motion. The siblings weren’t even finished with school; only Drew was of legal drinking age at the time and would spend the year applying for permits while studying for final exams. The following year, they planted their first vines, and, on June 8, 2013, they opened for business. They have never looked back.

In the interim, they have become not just local winemakers but Maryland wine evangelists. Today, Old Westminster Winery produces roughly 120,000 bottles a year from grapes grown on the farm or at neighboring vineyards in an effort to showcase all of the potential of the region’s winegrowing. They were also the first Maryland winery to can some of their wines. The tasting room and events space, completed in 2015, hosts weekend events, live music, and wine dinners. They also support a wine club that boasts 2,000 members.

All their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. At the 2014 Maryland Governor’s Cup Competition, Old Westminster’s Albariño 2013 was awarded best white wine and brought home a gold medal. At the 2015 Maryland Winemaster’s Choice Competition, Old Westminster’s Greenstone 2014 was awarded best white blend wine and a gold medal. In 2017 alone, they won a gold medal at the Governor’s Cup and Best in Class, two double-golds, and four golds at the Comptroller’s Cup. Even without the accolades, a visit to Old Westminster is an experience on par with any of America’s wine country destinations.

Maryland’s winescape has always been an eclectic mix of businesses, ranging from purveyors of sweet fruit wines to focused aficionados striving to put Maryland on the national stage of serious wine regions. Old Westminster was conceived from the beginning as the latter, looking to stalwart producers such as Rob Deford at Boordy and Sarah O’Herron and Ed Boyce of Black Ankle Vineyards for inspiration. Lisa, now 32, a chemist who was sizing up a corporate career before that fateful December, is now Old Westminster’s winemaker.

“We began with a vineyard consultant and a winemaking consultant,” she says. “We had a broad idea of what our soil composition was, what grapes might work, and a sort of orthodox conception of the winemaking.”

For Lisa, that initially meant using techniques to emulate a Californian style. But the sibs were quick to learn that chasing a West Coast ideal was a fool’s errand. Instead, they decided to take advantage of Maryland’s unique terroir (the French concept of defining a place based on its soil composition, weather, and geography), and pursue natural winemaking, though that term is difficult to define and is still the subject of heated debate globally.

Essentially, the family is building a model of Maryland winemaking that leans into our region’s limitations rather than trying to patch them up. “We go with what nature gives us, rather than fight for a predetermined style of wine,” Lisa (now Hinton) points out.

 

The family is building a model of Maryland winemaking that leans into our region’s limitations rather than trying to patch them up.

 

It was in the Loire Valley that Drew, Old Westminster’s wine grower and farmer-in-chief, and his wife, Casey, discovered wines that were fermented not with purchased yeast, but with the local spores that rode into the winery on the grapes. “Our principles and philosophy evolved rapidly,” says Drew, 33, especially after his honeymoon trip to France in 2014.

Along the way, they also fell in love with a style of wine known in France as pétillant naturel. These are wines that undergo fermentation in the bottle itself, capturing the resulting carbonation in a lower-alcohol, super-fresh style of sparkling wine. Upon their return to Maryland, Drew and Casey shared their discoveries and stories with Lisa and Ashli.

“That was a pivotal year for me,” recalls Lisa as she gazes out over the vines. “The 2015 vintage was a learning year. It was empowering and liberating to let go of orthodoxy and begin making the wines our vines wanted to make.”

In many winemaking regions around the world, it is considered safer to use purchased yeasts that have been bred specifically for winemaking purposes. Fermenting with yeasts that naturally hang out in the air and on the grapes is a risky endeavor. Will your yeasts impart desirable flavors? Will they be robust enough to complete fermentation as alcohol rises? This is one of the biggest challenges to anyone who wants to make wine naturally, without intervention.

“No doubt it’s a challenge,” admits Lisa. “But coming to this from a chemist’s perspective, it’s a matter of understanding the science. We are okay if the wines are a little wild.” Drew agrees. “Today, what our wines lack in refinement they make up for in intrigue.”

“We make Maryland wine,” adds Ashli (now Johnson), 30.

Local retailers are more than happy to hawk the wine. “I like that they’re adventurous,” says Lauren Loeffler, wine manager and buyer at The Wine Source. “They’re willing to try out various winemaking techniques, which I think is a smart move for a Maryland producer to stand out. They definitely have a loyal following and customers seek out their wines to try and often come back for repeat purchases—I think they have a positive presence in the market and are adept at reaching their audience.”

Clare Yost, beverage director and general manager at True Chesapeake Oyster Co., agrees. “I find the wines compelling because they are giving Maryland Wines a sense of place. They have a distinctive style that is relatable. They’re bright, balanced, but with a hint of funk…just like the people of Maryland!” Ashli Johnson sums it up this way: “This is what Maryland tastes like if you aren’t trying to influence the wine.” The youngest of the three, Ashli is ostensibly in charge of business and marketing, but her brother and sister assert she is also the unsung hero of Old Westminster. “She holds this all together,” says Lisa. Gesturing to the tasting room, the patio, and the outdoor entertaining space, she adds, “And all this.”

“This” is a concerted effort to create a space as warm and welcoming as the Baker family itself. In 2015, the family ramped up the hospitality aspect of the winery, with a tasting room built by Jay Baker, and plenty of space for outdoor revelry. Visitors can visit the tasting area, hang out on the patio, or help themselves to picnic tables on the grounds.

There is also a push to spotlight the bounty of Maryland farms with a burgeoning food program. “We want to take a holistic approach to food and wine from Maryland farms like us,” explains Ashli. “We want to showcase Maryland on top of a pizza!” Consider this offering, called “The Crew.” It features housemade honey mustard, Kitchen Girl Farm kale, salami made from pigs raised at Burnt Hill Farm, and mozzarella from Caputo Brothers Creamery in Spring Grove.

Artisan farmhouse pizza may be where it starts, but what’s happening at Old Westminster now is just the beginning of a much grander plan that these three visionaries conceive for the farm. “We now know what European wine grapes do best here. Albariño is our white wine rock star,” says Lisa, “and Old Westminster in more suited to white wine.” “But what we grow here now are all European wine grapes, the same ones used around the world,” adds Ashli. Drew agrees, adding, “Burnt Hill is where our future will truly be written.”

 

THE SIBLINGS WERE QUICK TO LEARN THAT CHASING A WEST COAST IDEAL WAS A FOOL’S ERRAND.

 

Located 25 miles south of the main farm, Burnt Hill was acquired in December 2016. It represents the culmination of all these emergent philosophies—dedication to the land, to a sense of place that speaks through its produce, produce that is coaxed from nature without any reliance on outside help or influence. Burnt Hill is a parcel of land that the family has exhaustively researched—soil types, drainage, orientation to the sun, elevation, average temperatures, rainfall, and a dizzying array of other factors.

“It’s an ideal site,” says Drew. “It is our opportunity to take 10 years of learning to a blank canvas.”

It is here that an even grander winemaking experiment is underway—to learn which of our region’s native grapes, grape varieties that were here long before European settlers, are best for making wine as local and ancestral as anyone has ever thought possible. Alongside new experiments with grape varieties from Europe is a block of vines of dozens of native American grape varieties.

“We’ve got some experimental genetic diversity in there,” Drew says with a chuckle. “There’s this guy who has been carefully collecting and nurturing all these native grape vines,” adds Lisa. “It’s nuts. We have acquired over 20 different plantings from him, and they are all planted at Burnt Hill. I am so excited for 2021. After all the craziness of this past year, this is going to be Burnt Hill’s first harvest, and there is going to be a lot of fruit coming in!”

Fruit won’t be the only thing coming in, though, as Ashli is quick to point out. “There is a dual aspect to what we are doing there with agriculture. Yeah, there are the grapes, but Drew is living [at Burnt Hill] now and raising animals, and there’s an apiary . . . the holistic bond between our wine and our food here is going to be vastly different.”

One can’t help but be taken in by Ashli’s energetic enthusiasm for everything that’s happening at Old Westminster. She sees how every facet of the family business flows into the others and is often the one to shepherd them all along. Drew exudes the same passion and positive energy, and he is clearly happiest when he’s connected to the land.

On one recent spring day, he was super excited about a new tractor (“I mean, it’s just like the old one, but this one won’t break!”), and on another day he had to bow out of an interview due to a lost pig at Burnt Hill. (“It sounds kind of funny, but actually I’m really stressed out about it,” he said. “And I need to stay here and find it.”)

It doesn’t take long to understand why Lisa is the scientist of the group. Her relaxed bearing belies an intense focus, a constant striving to improve, and a sense of practicality born out of a mission to make truly good wine in a region bereft of a reputation for doing so. Collectively, they represent a superhero team of hospitality, passion, and inquiry that is the essence of Old Westminster’s success.

“In retrospect, I am amazed that it didn’t go as poorly as it could have,” says Drew. “We really just want to make the best wines possible while sticking to our principles and philosophy about how we nurture our land and nurture our fruit.”

Nearly 11 years into the project, all three siblings are married with families of their own. In the context of establishing a vineyard and a winery, 11 years is nothing—the greatest sites in Europe have been under vine in one form or another for millennia. Given the extraordinary legacy Old Westminster has already established, it is breathtaking to imagine the future as a second generation grows into the business. How amazing will it be? We can’t wait to see—and taste.

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]]> Three Local Beverages That Celebrate the Women Who Created Them https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/local-wines-spirits-beers-made-by-female-industry-leaders/ Wed, 04 Mar 2020 15:51:33 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?p=71249

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting three libations brought to you by female leaders in the beverage business. Better still, they’re all made-in-Maryland producers, contributing their spirits and flavors to our local culture.

Old Westminster Winery “Anthem” 2016
($35, Old Westminster Winery)

Lisa Hinton and her sibs, Drew Baker and Ashli Johnson, have poured their tremendous youthful energy into their family property to transform it into one of Maryland’s most respected wineries. Lisa has quickly grown into her role as winemaker, as evidenced by her 2016 Anthem, a red Bordeaux-style blend. Deep red fruit tones from Cabernet Franc, structure from Cabernet Sauvignon, and lip- smacking acidity from Petit Verdot make this a delicious local wine for hearty meals.

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Lisa Hinton at the Carroll County winery. —Old Westminister Winery

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Checkerspot Cider
(On draft, Checkerspot Brewing Co.)

Judy Neff merged her Hopkins degree in microbiology with her love of brewing to found Checkerspot Brewing Co. on South Sharp Street. All her creations are cask-conditioned and currently available only on draft as a result. Checkerspot is a mecca for local beer aficionados, but we also want to point out their excellent cider, a dry Normandy style made from apples and pears sourced from Baugher’s Orchard in Westminster.

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Catoctin Creek Distilling Co. Roundstone Rye
($38, Prestige-Ladroit)

Becky Harris began her professional career as a chemical engineer but landed in Virginia as co- founder and chief distiller of Catoctin Creek Distilling Company. Her most popular offering, Roundstone is crafted from locally sourced rye and offers notes of butterscotch, vanilla, and cigar box spice.

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]]> Weekend Lineup: June 21-23 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/events/weekend-lineup-june-21-23/ Thu, 20 Jun 2019 17:57:20 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?p=11908

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June 22: Chesapeake Crab, Wine, & Beer Festival

Harbor Point, 1310 Point St. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Free-$89.

With more than 30,000 perfectly seasoned crabs and all-you-can-drink samples of 30-plus beers and wines, this summertime staple is a Marylander’s dream come true. Now in its sixth year, this Old Bay-coated festival returns with live music, kid-friendly activities, and plenty of alternative eats for those wary of crustaceans. So, grab a spot at the brown-paper-covered tables, crack open a cold one, and celebrate the start of crab feast season.

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June 22: Summer Solstice Festival

Burnt Hill Farm, Clarksburg. 12-6 p.m. $20-160.

A few years ago, Old Westminster Winery acquired a second farm named Burnt Hill, and, since then, the acclaimed winery’s team has been working nonstop to prepare the land for planting. Before the vines go in the ground, they’re inviting members of the local natural wine community to the farm’s picturesque hillside for a celebration of all things wine, featuring 100 unique pours from dozens of regional purveyors. Be sure to check out the live art by No Kings Collective and snack on eats by Clavel, Blacksauce Kitchen, and Ekiben in between glasses of pinot and rosé.

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June 22-Aug. 2: The BIG Show

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 6-10 p.m. Free-$40.

If you couldn’t tell by its title, this annual arts exhibition at Creative Alliance is a big deal. Now in its 23rd year, this beloved show invited members of the Highlandtown arts center to contribute their own works of art to this hodgepodge collection of more than 175 pieces. Whether you submitted your own masterpiece or just want to browse the artworks in this salon-style exhibit, check out the floor-to-ceiling display during the opening reception on Saturday and then stick around for a wacky variety show full of musicians, jugglers, and contortionists.

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June 23: The Alchemy of Art Courtyard Craft & Flea

The Alchemy of Art, 1637 Eastern Ave. 12-6 p.m. Free.

This isn’t your average craft and flea market. For one thing, the Fells Point art gallery will be offering 15-minute portraits, tarot card readings, and freshly shucked oysters along with wares from 30 local vendors during its annual markers’ market. But maybe our favorite part about this one-of-a-kind sale is that DJ James Nasty will be spinning beats out on the sunny courtyard alongside shoppers all afternoon long. And, really, what could be better than browsing through handmade jewelry while jamming to “Knightwerk” and “Main Course”?

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June 22: FIT + Fitness Festival

Harbor East, Aliceanna St. 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free.

Instead of sticking to your usual Saturday morning workout (aka walking from your bed to the fridge and back), start your weekend with a high-energy fitness class—or two—in the streets of Harbor East. With seven back-to-back classes ranging from an energizing yoga flow to a calorie-burning HIIT class, this fitness festival is an easy (and free!) way to test out a wide variety of workouts and meet fitness gurus from The MAC, Under Armour Brand House, lululemon, and Charm City Run. If that’s not enough to get you out of bed, there will be tons of snacks and drinks, giveaways, and raffle prizes.

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]]> Weird Wine Event to Showcase Maryland’s Most Peculiar Blends https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/weird-wine-event-to-showcase-marylands-most-peculiar-blends/ Tue, 16 Apr 2019 15:15:00 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?p=25156

It’s easy to think of wine in simple terms of red or white, but as the industry has evolved, we’ve seen a shift toward embracing the eccentric. Now, it’s not uncommon to see shelves stocked with colorfully designed bottles (and cans) that incorporate ingredients like java and dragon fruit.

“Shopping for wine has changed a lot,” says William Layton, co-owner of Layton’s Chance Vineyard & Winery in Dorchester County. “It used to be that people knew they liked their merlot or chardonnay, but as time has gone on, labels have gotten more creative. People are seeing it as more of an adventurous thing, rather than just a sit-down-with-dinner kind of thing.”

To showcase all of the innovative blends that the local scene has to offer, the Maryland Wineries Association (MWA) is gathering more than 20 vineyards from across the state for the inaugural Weird Wine festival at Union Collective on Sunday, May 5.

Organizers are transforming one of the vacant spaces inside the multi-purpose warehouse into a whimsical wonderland (think twinkling lights, bubble machines, and neon paper lanterns) where guests will sample wines made with everything from crabapples and heirloom tomatoes to fish peppers and Black Lotus flowers. There will also be a DIY popcorn bar, charcuterie and focaccia from Well Crafted Kitchen, live watercolor portraits by Frederick artist Goodloe Byron, and a pop-up shop with wine for purchase.

Grow & Fortify, the consulting firm for local craft beverage organizations including the MWA, hopes that the turnout is a mix of seasoned wine enthusiasts and millennials who might have misconceptions about how approachable Maryland wine can be.

“We’ve really noticed a portion of that millennial generation that hasn’t embraced local wine as much as we hoped they would,” says Grow & Fortify’s chief strategy officer Kelly Dudeck. “It’s funny, when they do come to events they’re usually asking us, ‘Can you tell us which one tastes most like,’ and they’ll name one of the big non-Maryland brands out there.”

The breadth of the state’s wineries will be fully represented at the showcase, where attendees will be able to sip outside-of-the-box blends from Baltimore City and beyond. Highlights in the lineup will include a bourbon barrel-aged blueberry wine from The Urban Winery in Silver Spring, a wine made from French-American hybrid grapes by Romano Winery in Southern Maryland, and the popular mango comapeño mead from our own Charm City Meadworks.

James Boicourt, co-founder of the Mt. Vernon meadery, says that the flavor was partially inspired by his farmers’ market neighbor Joao Narona, who imports his comapeño chili peppers from Veracruz, Mexico.

“We were messing around with mango meads, and I thought it needed a little zip of something to perk it up,” Boicourt says. “There’s a misconception that traditional meads have to be sweet, but we generally do a lot of dryer, lower ABV meads that are light and super refreshing. That’s more of a rarity.”

Layton has adapted to a similar style. He says that he and his team are always thinking of unconventional approaches to winemaking.

“I’m not growing merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and other grapes most people are familiar with anyway,” he says. “Our grapes are a little different, so we feel free to do different things and not stick within the same confines. We just like to experiment and see what happens.”

Among Layton’s showcased varietals will be his award-winning lemonade wine and the Rise Up Red, an estate red infused with fresh brewed coffee from Easton-based Rise Up Coffee Roasters. In fact, many of the state’s so-called “weird” wines are crafted using local produce. Dudeck explains that this, in turn, helps to sustain Maryland agriculture as a whole.

“It’s not only through grapes,” she says, “but when these guys are using some of the more odd ingredients like crab apples, fish peppers, tomatoes, and peaches, they’re getting them from Maryland, too.”

Participants agree that the event will serve as a good representation of what’s to come as the winemaking industry continues to evolve.

“In general, [the local scene] tends to have a pretty creative, inventive spirit,” Boicourt says, mentioning big players like Old Westminster Winery and the Millstone Cellars founders who went on to start Graft Cider in New York. “We’re doing some really unconventional, wonderful things, and that ilk is really catching on.”

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]]> Drink Trends to Look Out For in 2019 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/drink-cocktail-beer-wine-sprits-trends-2019/ Fri, 18 Jan 2019 14:20:00 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?p=25655

While most people start off their year thinking about meal preps and workout plans, we’re asking an entirely different question: What’s on tap in the drink world for 2019? We asked some local experts—brewers, distillers, bartenders, and wine makers—to conjure their best ESP skills and predict what drink styles we’ll be seeing more of in the year to come.

IPAs are Here to Stay
Brewers are still waiting for lagers to have their big day in the sun, but consumers will continue to want their beer hop-heavy. “Juicy, hazy, New England-style, brut, and sour will all continue to be applied to IPA, IPA, IPA,” says Union Craft Brewing co-owner Jon Zerivitz. However, some of the novelty of the milkshake-style IPAs might wear off and you’ll see brewers playing less with lactose than they did in 2018, according to Hop Culture. While Wet City owners PJ and Josh Sullivan say they are hearing “chatter” regarding lager beers, they echo the IPA growth prediction. “The popularity of Hazy IPAs is still going strong,” PJ says. “And we don’t see any end in sight.”
Where to try now: So many options! Change Order at Union; Lil Woozy at Wet City; Nobo at Monument City; Astrodon at Peabody Heights.

CBD, THC, OMG
It’s easy to find CBD—a cannabis compound that is not psychoactive like THC—in oils, juices, and sparkling water around town. But expect it to slip into more and more cocktails this coming year. Some bars will give you off-menu options and the bartenders at Gunther & Co. even mixed up some for a dispensary event last fall. This week, Frederick-based Flying Dog Brewery announced that it’s releasing Hop Chronic, a non-alcoholic IPA infused with therapeutic cannabinoids available at dispensaries throughout Maryland. (Release of the product is subject to regulatory and legal approvals.) “We see a lot of interest in cannabis from the craft beer community,” says Ben Savage, CMO of Flying Dog, which is partnering with Green Leaf Medical Cannabis on the product. “There are definitely similarities between the natural flavor profiles we extract from hops and the terpenes and found in cannabis.”
Where to try now: CBD oils are available at MOM’s Organic Market and area dispensaries to try out your cocktail-making skills at home.

Blurring of Categories
It’s no secret that the craft beverage market has become a really crowded space, so brands are looking to diversify and break out in any way they can. Looking at the year ahead, many breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries will be collaborating to come up with sub-genres to potentially attract a new customer base. “At our bar, we’ve seen kettle sours bring wine drinkers and people that don’t normally drink beer into the craft beer scene,” PJ of Wet City says. Lyon Distilling in St. Michael’s and Jailbreak Brewing in Laurel just collaborated on a “beerskey,” or a beer distilled into a whiskey, and Old Westminster Winery (OWW) is seeing great success by mixing it up. “Some of our most popular products are the wine and cider hybrids,” says Drew Baker, co-owner of OWW. “Producers—whether you’re making beer, wine, or spirits—are looking to fill that space in between.”
Where to try now: Pip & Berry from OWW at Grand Cru; Cherry Berliner Cider at Union Craft.

Non-Alcoholic Cocktails
Yes, this is a thing! Dry January participants can rejoice as the popularity of teetotalling and even zero-proof spirits will make a bigger impact on the market this year. “A large part of the population is not drinking as much as they used to or are a bit more conscientious about their intake,” says R. Bar manager Amie Ward. “This is a great thing! But it does require bars and restaurants to start thinking about alternative options. Simply throwing together juices isn’t going to cut it.” Non-alcoholic spirit companies—like Seedlip and Ceder’s—have launched in recent years, applying the same distilling process and equipment to create zero-proof booze. But, more commonly, bars in New York City, Chicago, and LA, are simply taking the alcohol out to create thoughtful and tasty mocktails.
Where to try now: R. Bar has four options that start as non-alcoholic and include a suggested spirit; Woodberry Kitchen has a lovely mocktail menu.

Ready-to-Drink
Thought the concept of bottled and canned cocktails has been around for a while, things are starting to get a little more sophisticated. “When people think ‘ready-to-drink,’ there is the unfortunate connotation of the sugary stuff from the 2000s,” says Jaime Windon, co-owner of Lyon and president of the Maryland Distillers Guild. “But you’re going to see the new age of bottled cocktails. You don’t have to go to the bar to necessarily have a beautiful cocktail.” Many brands around the country are bottling classic cocktails like the negroni (sign me up!) to elevate the trend. Next month, winemakers at OWW will be coming out with a low-calorie, low-proof spritzer cocktail in a can. As Windon sums up: “People want less work.”
Where to try now: The 84-proof Rock & Rum, basically a rum old-fashioned, at Lyon Distilling.

Fermentation Experimentation
Of course, the fermentation process is crucial in making alcohol of all forms and flavors, but expect people to get pretty weird this year. Brewers will play more with barrel-fermented and mixed-fermented sours for extra tart and acidity, which many drinkers in the market have demanded. Plus, fermented beverages like kombucha will still have a place as mixers or additives in booze. And exotic fermented cocktails like the pineapple-flavored Tepache are staying prevalent on local bar menus, as well. “I’ve many customers start to appreciate the more complex, mixed-fermentation sours these days,” says PJ of Wet City.
Where to try now: The Artista Zynergia barrel-aged sour series at Wet City; Tepache at Alma Cocina Latina and Clavel.

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]]> In The Can https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/sip-tips-some-of-our-favorite-drinks-come-in-cans/ Thu, 26 Jul 2018 08:30:00 +0000 http://server2.local/BIT-SPRING/baltimoremagazine.com/html/?post_type=article&p=1339

What to serve when faced with a big ol’ pile of steamed hard shells? We’re recommending a beer, of course, but also a few things to consider if you want to break tradition and move in a fancier direction. Best of all, everything is in a can and ready for a plunge in a cooler full of ice.

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Monument City Penchant Pils ($11 6-pack)
Natty Boh is Baltimore’s beer of choice, but we have two complaints. First, it hasn’t been brewed in Maryland since Cal connected on his 3,000th career hit. Second, well, not everyone is a fan of this can. Monument City solves both problems. Brewed in Baltimore, this crisp, refreshing brew offers the same “crushability” as a Boh but with a little more finesse and flavor for a new generation of beer lovers.

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Old Westminster Winery “Bloom” NV
($10 can)
Old Westminster sees your Maryland brew in a can and raises you a Maryland wine in a can. This semi-sweet blend of Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, and Muscat offers a delicious and homegrown alternative for any crab feast. There’s just enough sweetness to combat that Old Bay without crossing into dessert-wine territory. Chill these and prepare to elevate your crab feast with this vinous option.

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Novo Fogo Sparkling Caipirinha ($19.99 4-pack, Country Vintner)
It’s Brazil’s national cocktail—in a can! Inhabiting the same general cocktail space as the daiquiri and the Margarita, the Caipirinha lends itself well to spicy food because of its sweetness and its thirst-quenching citrus zing. Treat those crabs to a little international flair! Fun Fact: Cachaça is a spirit made from distilled sugarcane juice and is mostly made in Brazil.

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]]> Weekend Lineup: May 25-28 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/weekend-lineup-may-25-28/ Wed, 23 May 2018 15:36:00 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?p=27201

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May 26: Ice Cream Making With Taharka Bros.

School of Food, 1412 N. Wolfe St. 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. $55. 443-708-3789

Even if you’ve never heard of Taharka Bros. ice cream, chances are you’ve sampled it at area restaurants and retailers. The droolworthy flavors (honey graham, anyone?) are currently sold at more than 75 eateries, college campuses, and ice cream shops all over town. Plus, the Clipper Mill-based creamery roves in its hot pink “Change-Maker Mobile” to serve scoops while promoting its mission of supporting Baltimore youth. This weekend, join the Taharka team at School of Food in East Baltimore to learn the ins and outs of ice cream making—starting with a classic base. Just as Taharka dreams up flavors inspired by the local community (including the peppermint “Greenmount Chip” and coffee-flavored “Get Woke”) participants will be tasked with creating unique recipes influenced by their own experiences.

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May 25: Old Westminster Winery Can Jam at Sandlot

Sandlot, 1000 Wills St. 5-10:30 p.m. Free.

Old Westminster Winery changed the game last year when it rolled out its canned vino varieties—which are each equivalent to half of a bottle. From the beginning, the team knew that the cans would be a perfect fit for Sandlot, the island oasis at Harbor Point that has a strict no glass policy. As the sun sets over the water this Friday night, head to the beachfront hangout to feel the sand in between your toes and celebrate Old Westminster’s newest seasonal releases including the dry white Vine & Vigor, semi-sweet white Bloom, and vibrant Raw Rosé. Crack open a can and welcome the long weekend in style by dancing to live music from the Timmie Metz Band all night long. 

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May 26: Merriweather Movie Night Double Feature

Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia. 5-10:30 p.m. Free. 410-715-5550

There’s nothing quite like a summer night at Merriweather Post Pavilion—with warm breezes, cold beverages, and glimpses of fireflies lighting up Symphony Woods. The venue’s annual summer movie series returns this Saturday night with a special double feature starting at 6 p.m. Bring the kiddos and spread out a blanket on the lush lawn to enjoy a showing of Sing, followed by Dirty Dancing at 8:30 p.m. Another draw is that Merriweather will be offering discounted concessions (think essentials like chicken tenders, fries, soft pretzels, ice cream, and popcorn) and, of course, plenty of adult beverages. 

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May 25: Summer Sounds Kickoff With Kelly Bell Band

Belvedere Square, 540 E. Belvedere Ave. 6-9 p.m. Free. 410-464-9773.

For 15 years, locals have made this Friday night gathering at Belvedere Square a summertime ritual. Kicking off the concert’s special anniversary season this weekend is the genre-defying funk, blues, reggae, and rock sounds of local favorite Kelly Bell Band. After the clock strikes five and the long weekend has officially begun, throw a lawn chair over your shoulder and head to the square to enjoy live tunes, snacks from the market’s vendors (including newbies Mason’s Lobster Rolls and Prigel Family Creamery), mingling with friends and neighbors, and all-around good vibes. 

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May 27: 35th Annual SoWeBo Arts & Music Festival

Hollins Market, 1100 Hollins St. 12-8 p.m. Free.

Hundreds of local artists, crafters, and musicians will gather in the heart of Hollins Market this Sunday for the 35th annual SoWeBo Arts & Music Festival—a Memorial Day Weekend tradition that showcases the breadth of Baltimore’s arts scene. Wander around the four-block footprint to peruse handmade wares, outdoor sculpture, kid’s crafts, food trucks, puppet shows, and a non-juried art exhibit with an array of affordable pieces. This year’s jam-packed live music lineup spans three stages. With acts ranging from roots and folk band Skribe to the funk and jazz-inspired Joe Keyes and The Late Bloomer Band, there will be plenty of opportunities to jam out. 

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]]> New and Improved Sandlot Returns to Harbor Point This Weekend https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/new-and-improved-sandlot-makes-its-return-to-harbor-point-this-weekend/ Mon, 30 Apr 2018 13:45:00 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?p=27316

When Corey Polyoka started to configure the beach furniture, recycled shipping containers, and vintage 1968 Safari Airstream trailer at Sandlot last spring, he knew he had something special. But he didn’t anticipate just how much his urban island concept would catch on with locals.

On opening day last June, hundreds packed the 40,000-square-foot, open-air oasis to sip slushies, sample skewered snacks, and challenge friends to yard games while soaking up sunshine on the border of Fells Point and Harbor East.

“That first day was incredible,” says Polyoka, managing partner of Spike Gjerde’s Foodshed restaurant group, which operates Sandlot, as well as other restaurants like Woodberry Kitchen and Parts & Labor. “I’m an operator, so in my mind I quickly realized, ‘Wow I’m not sure if we were quite ready for that.’ But then seeing how people were enjoying it on social media and making their way down there a lot last summer was really amazing.”

Polyoka is hoping to keep that momentum going this year, as he and his team gear up for Sandlot’s second season opener on Saturday, May 5. This time around, the beachfront hangout is upping its game with additional seating and shaded areas, expanded food and drink offerings, weekly live music, athletic programming on the sand, and even more community events. 

“There’s more of everything at Sandlot this season,” Polyoka says. “I think toward the end of last year we really found our groove. We’re excited to start there and pick up where we left off.”

Beginning this weekend, the outdoor eatery and rec yard will be open from 4-11 p.m. on weekdays, and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on weekends until late October. Here’s what to look out for as the season kicks into gear. 

Expanded Eats

Larger Focus on Seafood: In keeping with Foodshed’s sustainability mantra, the food program will serve more seafood this year. “We’re so close to the water and connected to the bay,” Polyoka says. “So it made sense to focus the menu around fish and shellfish coming out of the Chesapeake.” Though fan-favorite snacks like garlic and herb fries, soft pretzels, ice cream, and pulled pork sandwiches will remain, Polyoka is hoping to incorporate more fish into Sandlot’s skewers, burgers, and nachos this season. He is also looking forward to hosting more waterfront crab feasts as the summer goes on.

Karma Farm at Harbor Point Growing On-Site Produce: Last month, farmers from Monkton’s Karma Farm began installing two hoop houses and a hydroponic unit on the Harbor Point land surrounding Sandlot—making it even more convenient for the kitchen to source local ingredients. The farm will provide greens and fresh vegetables for the culinary team, while also hosting a weekend produce stand at Sandlot for visitors to purchase items like fresh herbs, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes.

Beach Flag Service Model: Table service will have a fun twist this season. In order to streamline wait times, each outdoor table will have its own custom-made flag that diners can raise when they’re ready to order. The model was inspired by a trip that Polyoka took to Florida with his family last summer. “We were on the beach and our cabana had a flag next to it,” he recalls. “After raising it a few times it dawned upon me. I was like, ‘This would work great for us.’” 

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Beach Beverages

Soak Up The Sun by The Brewer’s Art: Later this month, Sandlot will introduce its own exclusive beer in collaboration with The Brewer’s Art. The brew, fittingly dubbed Soak Up The Sun, is a light-bodied saison made with Choptank hops and lemon peel from The Brewer’s Art co-owner Tom Creegan’s lemon tree. Creegan says that it was “overwhelmingly fun” to partner on a brew for the waterfront spot. “We’re such a fall-winter place,” he says of his dimly lit brewpub in Mt. Vernon. “We love finding ways to have fun outside. And Sandlot is such a different thing for Baltimore. If you can’t make it to Ocean City for the weekend, you can do a little bit of that right here after work.” An official Soak Up The Sun release party will take place on Sunday, May 27.

Old Westminster Wine in a Can: When Drew Baker of Old Westminster Winery (OWW) first began toying with the idea of canning wine last year, Sandlot was one of the first spots that came to mind. He remembers running the idea by Polyoka, who was naturally enthusiastic about the prospect of offering 100-percent Maryland wine at the island hub. “That was one of the first major greenlights for us,” Baker says. “The Foodshed group has a tremendous support of local agriculture right down through their wine program, however Sandlot was always tough for them because they have a glass-free policy.” Old Westminster began canning wines last fall and is looking forward to offering its varieties at Sandlot for the first time this summer. (OWW is even hosting a “Can Jam” party at the beach on May 19th to celebrate.) The spring line—featuring a semi-sweet white and sparkling rosé—will be offered at Sandlot until June 19th, when OWW debuts its summer releases.

Bottled Kombucha Cocktails: Aside from additional satellite bars to minimize lines, the beverage program now boasts two new slushie machines with more flavors, and a signature bottled cocktail that combines local Counterpart Kombucha with vodka and fresh herbs. “They’re going to hit that vodka soda kind of ABV,” Polyoka says. “We think it’s going to be a nice addition especially for the warmer weather.” 

Sandlot Beer Label

Seating and Shade

Beach Chairs: To accommodate the crowds, staffers have added more lounge seating and outdoor patio furniture on the beach. They’ve also invested in massive outdoor fans to help visitors stay cool during summer scorchers.

Summer Shade: Speaking of heat waves, the team is making it a priority to add more shaded sections this year. In addition to installing heavier cloth over the garden area near the decks, there will also be increased shade over the shipping containers for diners waiting in line for food and drinks.

New Covered Structure: Sandlot’s new building, which Polyoka describes as a “vintage metal carport,” will act as a permanent rain and shade structure. The building will be able to seat 40-50 guests and will also be available to be rented out for private parties. 

Sandlot Garden

Upcoming Events

5/5: Opening Day Pig Roast and Monument City Pagoda  Release Party
Sandlot’s opening day bash will double as a release party for the new Pagoda Pale Ale from Monument City Brewing in Highlandtown. Plus, the team is roasting a full pig to celebrate. Snack on special pulled pork tacos and sandwiches while sampling beer and dancing to live music from Mike McHenry and DJ Kev. 

5/10: Baltimore Teachers Happy Hour
After the final bell rings, all teachers are invited to head over to Harbor Point to receive 15-percent off of their bar tabs during happy hour when they present their school ID’s. 

5/13: Mothers’ Day with B. Willow and Charm City Meadworks
Celebrate mom at this flower-filled event with Remington plant shop B. Willow. There will be bouquet-making stations for little ones, and a specialty mead from Charm City Meadworks for moms to sip while their kiddos participate in the craft. 

5/26: King of The Castle Competition
Show off your skills in the spot’s first-ever sandcastle competition later this month. Participants will have four hours to build their structures while spectators enter to win raffle prizes and sample Monument City brews throughout the day. The contest is open to professional and novice sculptors of all ages. “I was happy that Sandlot became such a family place last year,” says Polyoka, a father of four. “It was something I was really hoping we could do, and it was always great to see kids there playing in the sandboxes. I think that’s one of the things we really got right.”

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]]> Old Westminster Winery Introduces First Canned Wine in Mid-Atlantic https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/old-westminster-winery-introduces-first-canned-wine-in-mid-atlantic/ Mon, 30 Oct 2017 13:25:00 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?p=28530

Once was, the idea of not packaging wine in a glass bottle was reserved for a cheap Franzia box in the fridge, a means to an end at an outdoor concert, or a laughable concept made popular on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. But innovators like Black Box in California or Union Wine Co. out of Oregon have proven that good quality wine doesn’t only exist in a 750-milliliter bottle.

Now the owners of Old Westminster Winery, about an hour’s drive from Baltimore, say it’s time for Maryland to get in on the alternative packaging game by introducing the first canned wine to the market.

“If we had done this two years ago, I don’t know if the market would have been ready for it,” OWW co-founder Drew Baker says. “Producers are basically scared of making a product in a box, keg, or can because they think it will cheapen their brand. But we want to challenge that notion and think people are more willing to try something a bit off the wall.”

The staff at OWW will begin canning their first three releases on November 1, making a total of 500 cases for the market. There will be Carbonic, a semi-carbonated cabernet franc; the Farmer Fizz, a sparking home-vineyard chardonnay; and Seeds & Skins, a partially skin-fermented pinot grigio.

“With it being November, let’s do a juicy red, a sparking wine, and sort of this fall rosé style,” Baker explains. “We wanted to target campfire wines.”

In fact, the setting for drinking wine was part of the reason that the OWW founders were motivated to release this product. After toying with the idea in-house for a while, Baker talked to Foodshed managing partner Corey Poloyka, who runs the bar program at beachfront Sandlot. Because there is a strict no-glass policy, the bar was getting its boxed wine from South Africa and Baker realized then that a locally canned wine could have huge market potential.

“Our vision is to offer a product to enjoy while you’re camping or on the beach and you can leave the glass and corkscrew behind,” Baker says. “But this is still true to us being that its single-site, Maryland-grown, no makeup kind of wine.”

In fact, he emphasizes, the only thing different about the process of making these wines is at the very end. The product is still fermented with wild yeast and grown on their vineyards. Each can will be equivalent to half a bottle of wine, retail for $9.99, and be available in four packs or individuals. 

“Will there be that long-time wine club member that thinks we’re going off the deep end? Probably,” Baker says with a laugh. “But this isn’t a qualitative conversation. Putting something in a can will not ruin a product. These are wines that are meant to be enjoyed right now.”

The three varieties feature vibrant label graphics by Baltimore artist Rebecca Smith, and a release party will take place at Parts & Labor in Remington on November 12. The launch will be a street-party style event with live music, outdoor games, and that campfire element Baker knows will pair well with their new products.

“Cans aren’t better than cork,” he says. “But these are brighter, fresher styles of wine that are meant to be enjoyed, not cellared. We’re excited for a high-quality wine release that doesn’t have a lot of pretense.”

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