UnCapped, Fall 2018

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 and Montgomery counties in Maryland, in select locations around Baltimore, and in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Send comments to UnCapped@newspost.com.

To advertise, contact 301-662-1163 or advertising@newspost.com.

CORPORATE PUBLISHER, GEORDIE WILSON ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, CONNIE HASTINGS CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ANNA JOYCE DIGITAL DIRECTOR, SARA HARDISON

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

Contributing Writers NANCY LAVIN | KATE MASTERS | COLIN MCGUIRE

Contributing Photographers GRAHAM CULLEN | DAN GROSS | CHRIS SANDS

ON THE COVER

Photography: Dan Gross, Bill Green Styling: Chris Sands, Anna Joyce Glass courtesy of Adroit Theory All rights reserved by copyright. Prices, specials and descriptions are deemed accurate at the time of publication. UnCapped may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher. Advertising information has been provided by the advertisers. Opinions expressed in UnCapped do not necessarily reflect those of The Frederick News-Post or its parent company, Ogden Newspapers of Maryland, LLC. All terms and conditions are subject to change. The cover, design, format and layout of this publication are trademarks of Ogden Newspapers of Maryland, LLC, and published by The Frederick News-Post.

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“Basically he took fleas and put dog feet on them and that is what became Old Scratch.”

UnCapped

Podcast

CHRIS SANDS

Free Speech Never Gets Old For episode 91 of the Uncapped Podcast, Ben Savage, chief marketing officer, and Ben Clark, brewmaster, of Flying Dog Brewery stopped by the studio to talk about their Throwback Pack. In this excerpt, Savage discusses history of some of the beer names and label artwork.

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Ben Savage, left, and Ben Clark...two of many Bens at Flying Dog Brewery the fleas he’d already drawn.

(Laughs.)

So we always laugh when we see the artwork because, you know, Ralph is always …

Ralph is an artist and sometimes we lose sight of the fact that we want artwork to look a certain way because we control an aesthetic and a look in a business of naming beers and stylizing beers, but he’s an artist so he just draws what inspires him and he’s often … he wants to say, he’s never really said it, he wants to say, “If you know exactly what you want, you can draw it yourself. But I’m an artist and I’m going to draw what I want to see.”

And you know, were not always sure if it will work when we initially get the artwork, but by the time it makes it on the label, we’ve already fallen in love with it.

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So we end up loving everything that Ralph does for us and he’s such a great inspiration to what we do as a business. So that story behind Old Scratch is basically he took fleas and put dog feet on them and that is what became Old Scratch. ….

Road Dog probably is the biggest legacy beer for us.

It’s one of the first beers we ever did … What’s interesting about Road Dog is that it was the first label that Ralph did.

So not many people know it.

We started in 1990 and there was at least five or six years there where Ralph wasn’t involved in doing the label art.

Um, if you search online you can see the doggy style back in the day that isn’t Ralph’s artwork. So 1996, I believe, this is the first label he did for us and Road Dog is a

nickname for somebody that has done time or is doing time in prison.

Legend has it there may have been a friend of the brewery that was doing time in prison and the inspiration for this beer. And so Ralph drew what looks like a person in prison or at least a person or a dog that has a shirt that looks like a referee, but I think those are meant to symbolize prison bars. But the most interesting thing about this artwork is that he just sort of off-handedly scribbled a little tagline on there that has since been one of our taglines that we use: “Good beer, no shit.” And legend has it that another competing brewery, um, in Denver, uh, maybe …

Similar brewery …

Legend has it, I don’t know for sure, somebody ratted us out, uh, and said that that

To listen to the entire podcast, go to fnppodcasts.com/uncapped.

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CHRIS SANDS

Old Scratch, you know, that’s a multimedal winner.

Ben [Clark] probably knows exactly how many medals that beer’s won, but the story behind that is … Old Scratch is a nickname for the devil, and it was also one of our founder’s George Stranahan’s nicknames for some reason.

I don’t know if those are related.

But, I think, we had asked Ralph Steadman, our world-famous gonzo illustrator who does all of our labels, to draw fleas or some scene that would illustrate a dog scratching or fleas with the dog or whatever. And he did, as he is often to do, just drew whatever was in his head. And he actually drew very detailed fleas, like the actual bug. And I think when we got the artwork back we were like, “Well, this is very, very great, Ralph, but nobody wants to drink beer with fleas on it. And can you make the fleas look more like dogs, because that fits with Flying Dog and, at least if they’re bugs maybe we can make them look like dogs?”

And, as he’s often to do, he just, as maybe a nice little middle finger to us, he just ended up drawing dog feet on

is profanity or obscenity on the label that you would have the word ‘shit’ on the label, and so the state of Colorado banned the label and it cost us a quarter million dollars, which back in the ‘90s is not unsubstantial. It would hurt today, very much, to pull all that beer back and relabel that beer.

We took it on the chin and re-issued the beer with a new label that said “good beer, no censorship” instead of “good beer, no shit,” and that ran for three years while, at the same time, the ACLU took up our cause because they thought it was a violation of free speech in art.

And so, it took us three years, but we ended up winning the rights to put that back on the label. And so, of course, you know, “good beer, no shit” has to appear on the throwback pack version as well.

You know, “good beer, no censorship,” “good beer, no shit” Road Dog is very much, even then back then in 1996, 1997, is very much a part of who we are, the identity of our brewery and the fact that we stand for something, we don’t back down and we’re not afraid to fight for what we believe in. In this instance, it happened to be whatever Ralph wants to put on the label is what we’re willing to fight with because, at the end of the day, it’s art. You can’t censor art. And that’s a big part of our brewery’s DNA and it still is today.

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Sips & Shots Also makes pickles from his house lactobacillus culture

293,298 The number of barrels craft breweries in Maryland produced per year as of last year, ranking it 20th in the nation. That was the equivalent of 2 gallons for everyone over 21 in the state.

Neighboring Virginia produced 358,903 barrels, and was 18th.

-Brewers Association

Meet the Brewer Larry Pomerantz is head brewer at Vanish Farmwood Brewery in Lucketts, Virginia.

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If you could have a beer with any person dead or alive, who would it be?

Frank Zappa. He was an extremely talented musician and had an amazing intellect.

And he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind or offend anyone by doing so. I think being able to respectfully, peacefully and intelligently speak one’s mind is important and the foundation of a good and functional democracy.

What is your favorite Netflix/TV show?

Right now I’ve been binge watching the AMC series “Turn:

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Washington’s Spies.”

It’s a historical drama about George Washington’s spy network among British loyalists in the Revolutionary War. I’m a huge history nerd.

However, my most beloved show ever is likely Alton Brown’s “Good Eats.” I’m also a food science nerd.

Basically a nerd in general.

Durian. As a home brewer and a chef, I was introduced to the durian fruit by Anthony Bourdain’s book “A Cook’s Tour.”

I got some at my local Asian market and made a Hefeweizen with it. NEVER AGAIN! Unless you like dirty sweat socks and cheesy smoked bananas, don’t try this at home!

If you could only have one final beer, what would you choose?

Somehow Unibroue’s La Fin Du Monde seems appropriate.

Or anything from Cantillion [a small family brewery in Brussels].

What were your childhood dreams?

I wanted to be a breakfast cereal developer. I grew up in Michigan. In third grade, we toured the Kellogg’s factory.

Since then I’ve been very interested in big machines and creative foods. So in a way, that’s what I’m doing now!

-Chris Sands

What is the strangest ingredient you have used in a beer?

Are Beer & Wine Safer to Drink Than Spirits?

Nope, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One 12-ounce beer has about the same amount of alcohol as one 5-ounce glass of wine or a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor. It’s the amount of alcohol consumed that affects a person most, not the type of alcoholic drink.

Beer Fests!

Oct. 6 Make a weekend of it and hit up the Virginia Blue Ribbon Craft Beer Fest at Meadow Event Park, near Kings Dominion.

More than 20 breweries are expected.

Nov. 3 The Baltimore Craft Beer Festival on Canton Waterfront will feature more than 40 breweries, food and a battle of the bands.

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BREWER, CHRIS SANDS; GETTY IMAGES

Where do you get you inspiration for your beers and their names?

Our beer ideas and inspirations are drawn from a number of areas.

Some are classic styles. Some are modern trending styles. Some just happen. Specifically, our Muddled Gose series came about because we wanted to create a line of fruited sours. The founder, Jonathan Staples, said he was muddling some ideas over in his brain.

That term ‘muddled’ sparked the inspiration for cocktail-like

beers. Thus, the current one, Muddled Watermelon Mojito, was born.

NEW

For You

Summer Openings GUINNESS

GUINNESS, OLDE MOTHER: CHRIS SANDS; HOUSE CAT, DAN GROSS

Hundreds went to Halethorpe, Maryland, to celebrate Guinness opening its first brewery in the United States in 60 years.

RIGHT: Peter Wiens, brewmaster, taps the first cask with the rest of the brewery team at the Aug. 2 ribbon cutting.

HOUSE CAT Joe Idoni prepares the tasting room of House Cat Brewing at 400 Sagner Drive in downtown Frederick. The new brewery, which opened in August, focuses on natural wood-aged beer.

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Karen Wilson, cofounder Nick Wilson, cofounder Keith Marcoux and Courtney Marcoux celebrate the opening of Olde Mother Aug. 3 at its new, larger location on North Market Street in downtown Frederick, Maryland. At the reopening party, Olde Mother unveiled its new logo, lovingly referred to as The Queen of Hops.

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DRINK THESE. YOU’LL FEEL BETTER.

Brew Your Own Hysteria Brewing’s Company’s

Mad Sun

Original Gravity: 16.5 Plato (1.068 SG) Final Gravity: 5.08 Plato (1.019 FG) Percent ABV: 6.43% IBU: 42 Grist Bill: Amounts are based on an 8.5 gallon preboil with 75% efficiency: 6.25 gallon post boil with a 5 gallon final gallon total.

2 Row – 5 lb (40.8%) Maris Otter – 5 lbs (40.8%) Cara Pils – 12 oz (6.1%) White Wheat Malt – 12 oz (6.1%) Flaked Oats -- 8 oz (4.1%) Flaked Rye -- 4 oz (2.0%) 154F mash temperature for one hour 60 minute boil, with the following hop & kettle fining additions for a 6.5 gallon boil: First Wort - .25 oz Falconer’s Flight 10 min - .75 oz Falconer’s Flight (9.6 IBU) Whirlpool - 1.5 oz Simcoe (19 IBU) Whirlpool - 1.25 oz Falconer’s Flight (13.4 IBU) Whirlpool - .75 oz Mosaic (0 IBU) Whirlpool - .75 oz Simcoe (0 IBU) London Ale III Dry Hop - 1.5 oz Mosaic 3 days Dry Hop - 1.5 oz Mosaic 3 days Dry Hop - 1.5 oz Simcoe 4 days Dry Hop - 1.5 oz Simcoe 4 days

CHRIS SANDS

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Whiskey Lemonade aka

Basil-Spiked Tenth Ward White Rye Whiskey & Elderflower Lemonade with Watermelon Ice This one requires time (where you’re not doing anything but waiting,) and an ounce of effort, but, as they say, you’re worth it! So is this cocktail.

• The night before, fill and freeze ice cube tray with 2 1/2 cups of pureed watermelon.

Each tray yields enough for four to five cocktails.

• Pour 1 1/4 oz whiskey over regular ice in a mixing glass.

• 1 oz elderflower cordial • 2 tsp agave syrup • Juice from 1/2 lemon • 3 oz club soda or seltzer Shake cocktail mix twice, then strain into glass over the watermelon ice cubes. Garnish with 2 large basil leaves torn into medium pieces.

GRAHAM CULLEN

Makes one cocktail.

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Taste TEST

Chris Makes Colin Drink • BY COLIN MCGUIRE •

McGuire prepares for liftoff.

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 and a connoisseur of microwaved Natty Boh (see page 22). Together, they hit up pubs and breweries, where Chris makes Colin drink.

And Colin recounts the experience: WHO’S UP Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Leesburg, Virginia

WHY? I’m in a band. That band’s name is DoubleMotorcycle. There’s a lyric in one of our songs, “Lollipop,” during which it is said: “Come on, girl, you know I like to live in extremes.” Such can be applied to my life as well. When we walked 10

THE BEST THING TO COME OUT OF THIS MESS Have you seen the concoction in which these 12 beers are served?! What a treat in excess!

in and I realized that you could either order a flight of 12 beers or a flight of 24 beers, I immediately begged Chris to go with the 24-pack.

He said he had to drive us home and that would be irresponsible. Pft! Rookie. The compromise was the 12-er.

HOW MUCH DID I WANT TO TRY ANY OF THESE BEERS? About as much as I get the itch to make pancakes, which is once every, say, six months.

But, see: That’s not to say I didn’t want to try them. I actually did — for months I’ve been hearing about this Vanish thing, and I figured it was time to put rubber to the road.

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Star of wrestling and “The Princess Bride,” Andre the Giant has been memorialized not only with his own doll, but also by a Vanish beer.

THE VIBE Very modern. Very Justin Timberlake “Man Of The Woods” ish. In fact, it’s almost as if some of the same people who own Volt restaurant in Frederick started a brewery. Oh, wait.

NOW, ABOUT THE BEER Look, man. I’ve got no idea. After about beer No. 4, I was ready for dinner or bed or both. The interesting thing here was the fact that Chris, genius that he is, lined them up so we would essentially intersect about halfway through the experience.

We started with beers he would love and I would hate. We ended with his “throw a dog a bone” moment, which was the Nitro Stout, always my preference. Chris the Expert contended that Peach Pie was the best

(because he made the stuff, duh), while Beyond The Farm was a solid No. 2. Me? Well, I liked the stout, of course, but what meant more to me was André V.2 Brut. Why? Because it’s named after André the Giant! Even more so because I made what I thought was a very good joke by asking the brewmaster if they put cologne in it. Get it? Brut? Get it? Anyone? Naturally, it didn’t land. But hey: It’s a beer named after André the Giant!

WILL WE BE GOING BACK? Funny you ask. Because my band, DoubleMotorcycle, is playing at Vanish Sept. 21. You’ll be there, right?

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MCGUIRE: CHRIS SANDS; ANDRÉ THE GIANT DOLL: GETTY IMAGES

CHRIS MAKES COLIN DRINK: (Holy moly, are you ready for this?)

• Muddled Watermelon Mojito Gose • Juicy Tangerine Sour Ale • Muddled Lime Gose • Strawberry Blonde Ale • Ghost Fleet IPA • Lucketts Calling IPA • Fat Boys IPA • Beyond The Farm IPA • Denali IPA • André V.2 Brut IPA • Peach Pie IPA • Nitro Milk Stout

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You ever lie in bed thinking about work? How are you gonna land that client, why won’t those numbers reconcile, why does the marketing guy clip his $#@!-ing nails at his $#@!-ing desk. Mark Osborne has. Except his nocturnal musings ran more toward how to make a beer taste like a piña colada. Which led to his brewery crafting a beer called Ugly As Sin, Tasty As Hell. A photo of which went viral. Which led to Adroit Theory establishing itself as the poster child for weird brew.

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✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢

Y

ou could be forgiven if the first three words that popped into your mind after someone said “beer” were “hops,” “barley” and “yeast.”

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U N C A P P E D | FALL 2018

than someone who just said, ‘Eh, that’s an IPA.’” He sighs. “‘Tastes like a pale ale.’” ✢✢✢✢✢✢✢✢ TO SAY THAT OSBORNE original-

ly wanted to name his brewery “Antithesis” is kind of like saying Ray Kroc originally wanted to name McDonald’s “Grease Pit.” The ideas are just too obvious, yet one of them is true.

In short, Osborne was looking for a name that embodied his vision for a brewery — and his vision for a

brewery meant that boxes of Oreos could be used to brew stouts and bright colors reminiscent of Crayola 24-packs could shine through pint glasses. So, Antithesis made all the sense in the world … except that, well, someone already had that trademarked.

Still, he knew he wanted a word that started with an “A,” if only because art for a logo was already in progress. Enter Adroit, which means “clever” or “skilled with your hands.” Osborne’s wife Christina found it in a thesaurus after they realized Antithesis was a no-go.

“We added ‘theory’ because we very seldom make beers to style,” Osborne said between sips of one of his signature brews. “We wanted to build a reputation of having avant-garde-style beers and we also didn’t want to be gimmicky because it’s just gimmicky — we wanted everything to taste great.”

Perhaps he achieved the best of both worlds when Adroit released something that eventually went by the name Ugly As Sin, Tasty As Hell. The genesis of the brew came to Osborne as he lay in bed, thinking of a Gose that could taste

Adroit Theory owner Mark Osborne shows our writer the brewhouse.

ADROIT THEORY: CHRIS SANDS; HOT DOG: GETTY IMAGES

“Pomegranate,” “jalapeño” and “apricots,” though? Well, there might be some who find those unforgivable.

Adroit Theory owner Mark Osborne would not be one of those people. In fact, his sharp eyes and knowing smile would probably convey all he needed to say to someone who would find such brewing techniques unforgivable.

“I think all our stuff is very normal,” his grin would suggest through a well-manicured graying beard. “I’m not worried about ‘This is what the book said it should be.’”

And frankly, why should you worry, either? Adroit’s Illusion Of Safety, the Gose that includes pomegranate, jalapeño and apricots — as well as 4 pounds of lactose per keg — is hardly tough to drink.

Sure, you can smell and taste the jalapeño, but you don’t feel the heat. Yeah, it’s a little tart, but it’s also light. In short, it’s not a bad beer. And better yet, the pure novelty of it takes the tasting experience to an entirely new level.

“It always starts with a terrible idea,” Osborne explains while standing behind his tasting room’s bar on a rainy August afternoon.

“Like the Hawaiian Punch nonsense. I was just thinking of what I liked to drink as a kid — Hi-C, Kool-Aid — and thought, ‘How can I make a beer like that?’

“Besides,” he continues with a rare moment of seriousness, “I would much rather someone have an opinion about my beer

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✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢

LEFT TO RIGHT:

EBK, New Englandstyle imperial IPA: complex of nose of grapefruit, melon, earthy pine undertones, creamy semi-dry finish Therapy Sessions, imperial stout: dark sugar sweetness cut by roasted malt, a hint of smoke, alcohol heat, creamy mouthfeel, boozy finish Invisible Art, black IPA: dank hop aromatics of lemon, pine, & stone fruit, full body roasted malts with umami notes from sesame seeds

like piña coladas. Upon finishing the batch, he took a photo of the beer, and, in his words, it almost instantly went viral.

Why? “Because it looked like someone threw up,” he explains matter-offactly. “I thought it was a great idea. It smelled great, tasted great, but it just didn’t look good.”

The beer became a calling card of sorts for Adroit, and people drove from hundreds of miles away to try the profanely ugly beverage.

By Thursday morning — only one day after it was made available to the public — Ugly As Sin, Tasty As Hell was out of stock and the Purcellville, Virginia-based brewery had further solidified itself as the poster child for weird beer.

“Everything we do is pretty tongue-in-cheek,” he said. “I mean, I’d put hot dogs in beer if I needed to.” ✢✢✢✢✢✢✢✢ THE BEERS AREN’T the only examples

of the brewery’s eccentricities.

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‘I’d put hot dogs in beer if I needed to.’

Consider the labels. For one, they don’t indicate the style of the beer.

And that’s a tricky proposition, considering the ambiguity of names like BLVCK Celebration and Dia De Los Muertos.

But secondly — and definitely more intriguing — is the storytelling.

If you look closely at the beers’ labels, you’ll find fictional tales that span multiple releases. The writing is done by Ida Grabiak, who also serves as the business’s makeshift office manager.

“He comes up with the idea for a series,” Grabiak says as Osborne pours, “and then I see the artwork and get going.”

As for the design, Adroit’s owner isn’t shy about how he constantly feels caught between two forces of acceptance — his mom and his fans.

“They can’t be too satanic or my mother will call me,” he notes.

“But if it’s not metal enough, people will harass me.”

Heavy metal is a touchstone of the brand. Not only are some beer names inspired by the music — B/A/Y/S stands for “black as your soul,” part of a refrain in the iconic Nine Inch Nails song “Head Like a Hole” — but Adroit has also collaborated with the bassist from Anthrax on a beer.

Given these peculiarities, one has

to wonder: Is there anything these guys won’t do? Is there any type of ingredient Osborne and his crew absolutely refuse to put into a brew?

“Lavender,” he answers quickly.

“It’s too strong. People equate it with one of two things: hand soap or their grandmother’s perfume.

So, it just doesn’t work.”

When it comes to what does work, however, Osborne makes no bones about not knowing. As he stands in what will eventually become the brewery’s new tasting room, he half-heartedly mulls chances he’s taken, chances he wants to take, and the chances he’s yet to even ponder.

“We basically vandalize beer that’s already been made,” he admits. “There’s Potion Of Healing.

It has yuzu, birch and orange blossom. I love this beer. The general public? Maybe not so much. But if you add Pop-Tarts to a stout, you get a 4.5 rating.”

He pauses with wonder.

“So, what are you going to do?” he asks softly with a partial grin.

“But if you make good beer, people will show up.”

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How to

Pair Food with Spirits I • BY KATE MASTERS •

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Pan seared jumbo day boat scallops piccata with toasted orzo and quinoa salad with fruits and nuts heirloom tomatoes and balsamic reduction. Paired with basil spiked vodka and apricot lemonade.

like a basic vodka sauce — then I wouldn’t be too concerned about the quality,” Negas said. “But if you’re adding cognac or brandy to your duck à l’orange, or you’re deglazing roasted mushrooms with bourbon, I would cook with what you’re drinking, and not the cheap stuff.”

He gave us a rundown on some of his favorite marriages between sustenance and spirits.

Chef Niko Negas of Roasthouse Pub

l’orange in your mouth,” he said.

But DON’T pick spirits that would overshadow the dish (for example, pairing a peaty scotch with poached tilapia), and don’t try it with cheap liquor.

“Unless you’re doing something

Whisky

Negas suggests pairing whisky with roasted, grilled or smoked meats, or a spicy or blackened seafood dish.

“That way, if you’re sipping it, the dish itself won’t be overpowered,” he said. Lighter-bodied whiskys even pair well with chocolate or bread pudding.

Gin

The botanicals in gin make it a unique spirit to pair with food.

Negas recommended trying it with prosciutto, a cured ham that’s brined with juniper and black peppercorns.

Gin also makes a nice vinaigrette, he said, and can be paired with pheasant and pearl onions with roasted grapes.

“You get a little bit of char and some gaminess from the pheasant, but then the sweetness of the grapes complements the spirit,” Negas added.

Tequila

Negas’ spirit of choice, tequila, is a natural fit for smoky dishes like barbecue or chicken mole. The FACEBOOK.COM/UNCAPPD

NEGAS: CHRIS SANDS; FOOD AND DRINK: DAN GROSS

s it possible to pair spirits with food? Sure. Should you?

Well, that all depends on the pairing, according to Chef Niko Negas with Roasthouse Pub in Frederick, Maryland.

“You want to be careful that you’re not overwhelming the flavors of the dish,” Negas said. “So, it’s all about pairing complementary tastes, the same way you would with wine or beer.”

That can mean creating a segue between the dish and the drink — for example, glazing a ham with the same rum you’ll be sipping on later. Introducing fresh herbs or infused liquors to cocktails is also a great way to bridge food and beverages. Think mint juleps with lamb and mint sauce, or pairing an infused basil vodka with a caprese salad. Negas recently infused a rye whiskey from McClintock Distilling Company with bacon drippings and paired it with smoked brisket and a maple bourbon bacon jam.

“It was amazing,” Negas said.

“It was really, really good. And the cocktail really stood up to the meat. That’s the most important thing — you don’t want one or the other to get lost.”

Pairing meals with spirits, even when they’re neat, isn’t uncommon.

Countries like France and Italy have a strong tradition of apéritifs and digestifs, alcoholic drinks designed to stimulate the appetite or help with digestion. Then there are iconic pairings like steak and whisky or vodka and caviar.

Still, Negas has a couple of important dos and don’ts for spirit pairings. DO experiment with juxtaposing flavors that make sense, like roasted duck and an orange bitters old-fashioned. “Then all of a sudden, you almost have duck à

chef likes to incorporate it into a chipotle blueberry barbecue sauce he serves with wings.

Beware, though — tequila’s strong flavor makes it a more difficult pairing.

“If you have something that’s steamed or boiled, it’s going to have a hard time standing up to the distinct flavor of agave nectar,” Negas said. “So, it just takes some of those options off the table.”

Vodka

Rum

RIGHT: Smoked pork shank confit with garlic and white truffle mashed potatoes and fresh brussels sprouts is paired with an applewood smoked bacon Manhattan garnished with pork belly and fig.

The sugarcane spirit is an ideal pairing for Caribbean flavors or Asian-inspired dishes like orange chicken.

Rum’s sweet flavor profile also goes great with desserts, Negas said.

Savor the spirit with a slice of rum baba or plate of bananas foster.

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“Vodka is just a huge canvas,” Negas said. The neutral spirit pairs with pasta dishes, salads, seafoods, and sweet dishes, as well as roasted vegetables, including potatoes and beets. It’s also perfect for infusions.

Try soaking fresh strawberries in vodka and enjoying the results with cassata cake or a spinach salad with strawberries and candied pecans.

BELOW: Basil spiked vodka and apricot lemonade

U N C A P P E D | FALL 2018

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Can Do

The Once Unimaginable is Now Sweet, Sweet Reality • BY NANCY LAVIN •

Y

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From left, Drew Baker, Lisa Hinton and Ashli Johnson, siblings and co-owners of Old Westminster Winery in Maryland, with cans of some of their wines in one of the vineyards.

The canned container only upped the appeal for the “wine lovers and adventurous souls” Johnson named as the target demographic.

So-called wine snobs might eschew a can of wine, admitted Damon Callis, co-owner of The Urban Winery in Silver Spring, Maryland. “If you’re a wine snob, you’re not exploring what’s out there. We’re trying to be innovative, to do things outside the norm, push some boundaries,” he said.

Hence Urban Winery has added to its canned wine lineup. VIDALPA, for example, blends Vidal blanc grapes with the winery’s proprietary hop blend for a product that combines the best of both worlds, according to Callis.

Charm City Meadworks in Baltimore began offering its carbonated meads – not wine, though fermented in a similar manner — in September

2015, according to Elliot Madre, production manager. Charm City’s motivation was more practical: cans are cheaper and more durable than bottles, and already appeal to the beer and cider-drinking crowd that comprises a majority of its consumers, Madre said.

The light-proof, sealed cans –

capped off with a drop of liquid nitrogen to protect against dents and bumps — preserves the wine better than a glass bottle, according to Callis. He maintained that canned wine can taste just as good as its bottled counterpart if stored correctly.

Johnson sees Westminster’s product as more of a circumstantial offering, convenient for travel, but not necessarily a replacement for a traditional bottle.

For that reason, Westminster doesn’t sell cans in its tasting room.

Instead, they’re available in liquor stores throughout the state.

Madre, meanwhile, found the traditional line of thinking that the drinking vessel makes a difference still held true. “I’ll drink a can of wine, but I’ll usually pour it into a cup first,” he said.

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DAN GROSS

ou’ve just summited a mountain. You crack a can, relish the sharp sound of tab separating from aluminum lid, the low hum of fizzing contents inviting that first sip of wine.

Yes, you read that right.

In the span of a few years, the once-unimaginable concept of wine in a can saw a meteoric rise. Market research company Nielsen named canned a wine trend to watch in 2018, and also reported a 54 percent increase in the dollar value of the industry in 2017.

The West Coast-rooted craze has now settled in Maryland, starting with Old Westminster Winery.

In November, the Carroll County vineyard became the first winery in the mid-Atlantic to offer canned wine, according to Ashli Johnson, one of three siblings who own the winery.

“It’s not that there was not wine in alternative packaging, but there was no one putting small boutique wines in a can,” Johnson said.

“We really saw the need for the lifestyle product….something local and delicious that you can take on the hiking trail or to the beach.”

Westminster’s winemaking process remains the same whether the beverage goes into cans or bottles: sustainably grown Maryland grapes fermented with a minimalistic approach. But there’s still room for experimentation and innovation.

Take Nitro Rose, as of July one of its 11 varieties of canned wine, which the winery bills as the first sparkling wine in the world carbonated with nitrogen rather than the usual carbon dioxide.

Johnson likened it to a nitro beer or coffee, with smaller bubbles creating a creamier mouthfeel.

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19

How Sweet It Isn’t

Will a Universal Dryness Scale Help You Understand Cider?

• BY JASON WILSON •

uses this scale, I’m rarely, if ever, surprised by the level of dryness or sweetness.

But resistance to the scale has emerged in other regions. “The New York folks fired the first salvo, but it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way,” said Eric West, publisher of the Cider Guide blog and director of the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition, the world’s largest cider judging.

The competition already uses a dryness/sweetness scale for its judging categories based solely on residual sugar, using guidelines similar to those applied in the European Union. Anything less than 9 grams of residual sugar per liter is classified as “dry.”

P

ONE POTENTIAL SCALE being debated

by cider makers around the country was developed by the New York Cider Association. Perhaps not surprisingly, it is based on a scale adopted in 2008 by the International Riesling Foundation.

“People are abusing the word ‘dry’ and will continue to. We can’t stop that,” said Jenn Smith, executive director of the New York group.

“But New York is going to adopt this scale whether or not the rest of the country does.”

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The label on the back of a cider bottle shows its ranking on a scale from dry to sweet.

The Orchard-Based Cider Dryness Scale proposed by the New York association takes into account three factors in assessing perceived sweetness: residual sugar, acidity and tannins. (Yes, cider apples, just like wine grapes, have tannins.) A cider might have 8 grams per liter of residual sugar, which sounds “sweet.” But if that cider also has 7 grams per liter of malic acid and 700 parts per million of tannins, well, that’s going to be perceived as very dry.

Meanwhile, a cider with less residual sugar, but very low acid and little tannin, is going to be perceived as semi-dry or even sweet. For those who (like me) got a C in chemistry, this sort of formula may feel a bit complicated. But logic and science are behind it: All these factors can be tested and corroborated in a sensory-analysis lab.

“People are abusing the word ‘dry’ and will continue to. We can’t stop that.”

CIDER MAKERS IN New York’s Finger

Lakes region have been using a version of this scale on labels. A number of other well-known producers throughout the Northeast support it. It appears as a line graph on the back label, with a simple dot or “X” along the spectrum from dry to sweet. When I open a cider that

A SIMPLE REASON some cider makers

don’t like New York’s scale: In many parts of the country they make modern ciders from dessert apples that do not have much in the way of tannins or acidity, so they fear being labeled as overly sweet.

Another reason for the pushback has been that the New York scale takes into account only ciders made from 100 percent apples, pears, quince or related fruits in the pome family. Many popular ciders across the country have all sorts of added ingredients and flavors: hops, berries, spices, tea, ginger and more.

Finally, a large contingent of cider makers that has grown out of the craft-beer industry remains deeply skeptical of a wine-based approach.

Mike Reis, host of the cider podcast Redfield Radio, wonders how well complex nomenclature will work for, say, German Riesling: “How many people walk into a wine shop and understand what ‘Trockenbeerenauslese’ means?”

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urveyors of certain fermented beverages experience a recurring nightmare: They serve an enthusiastic customer a drink for the first time. They tell the customer it is “dry.” Or at least mostly dry. Or at least that its acidity “balances” its sweetness.

The customer’s smile becomes a raised eyebrow of confusion. After a sip or two, she declares: “It’s too sweet. I don’t like it.”

And just like that, an entire drinks category is dead to that consumer.

“It’s No. 1 issue for cider,” said Michelle McGrath, executive director of the U.S. Association of Cider Makers. “People are assuming that ciders are much more sweet than they are.”

For that reason, the association is pushing forward with discussions on how to create a universal dryness scale that cider makers can put on labels, designating dry, semi-dry, semisweet or sweet. The problem is agreeing to a definition of “sweetness” or “dryness.” Can sweetness be measured simply by testing how much sugar remains after fermentation? Or do factors such as acidity affect how people perceive sweetness?

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LESSONS LEARNED

COLIN MCGUIRE

Wine in a Can? Wine in a Can! W alking into a liquor store and asking if they have wine in a can is kind of like walking into a Burger King and asking if they have Big Macs. The mere thought of broaching the question is almost as embarrassing for the recipient as it is for the person asking it.

“Um, what?” the lady at my regular liquor store responded when I inquired about this boozy phenomenon of which I had only recently heard.

I had to repeat the question, making the embarrassment twice as bad. After the second time, there weren’t any words that really had to come out of her mouth. Her look of sheer disgust spoke louder than anything the English language could achieve. It was a cross among, “Take your homeless, alcoholic ass out of here,” “Did you just stick your finger in an electrical socket?” and “We don’t have McFlurrys, either.”

It wasn’t until the second store that I finally struck gold.

As I stepped into the place, the first visual was a shelf of cans guarding the front of the cash register.

“Is this wine in a can?” I asked the man behind the counter.

“Yes, sir,” he said enthusiastically before breaking into a half-smirk. “What, are you going to the movies or something?”

I WAS NOT. I was actually on my way to film a Frederick One Take, a music performance video series that you

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ILLUSTRATION BY SERENA LODER

can find on frederickplaylist. com (shameless plug!). But I also knew something: I couldn’t drink all this wine in a can alone. So, I decided to share it with the crew and band waiting at the studio to get their takes (see what I did there?) on this latest alcoholic trend.

We began with something called Dark Horse Rosé, which immediately makes me high five thin air because, well, it’s rosé in a can, and what the hell kind of world do we live in? Despite things getting off to a strong start — “Well, this is above boxed wine,” someone said upon first taste — the impression ran off the rails when someone else said: “It tastes like hot Mountain Dew.” To which another taster smartly replied, “What kind of Mountain Dew do you drink?”

From there, it was on to

something called the Uppercut Red Blend wine, which came fully equipped with comic book art on the can and a blurb that read, “Not this red baby!”

Nope. I have no idea what that means, either.

This was my least favorite as it was stroooonng. Not necessarily in alcohol content, but in taste. Now, I’m typically a red wine guy, but red wine in a can, for some reason, is an entirely different animal.

As one cameraman noted, “It looks better than the first one, but it feels worse.” And it was then that someone else quipped, “Yeah, a metaphor for my life.”

Man, these guys were gold.

Next, we went with another Uppercut, but this time, the white blend featuring a very odd “Not this wine baby!” on the can in place of its red companion’s slogan. Some

said it tasted like apple juice, and they weren’t necessarily wrong. There was also a cuss word that immediately slipped from someone’s mouth, but this is a family publication.

And finally we had something called House Wine Rose Bubbles. Without question, this was the hit of the night as most everybody agreed it was reminiscent of champagne.

Perhaps more telling, though, was the graphic at the bottom of the can explaining that two cans of it equals one bottle of wine, and that kind of blew my mind. You mean to tell me two regular-sized cans of something can get you blasted?!

I may have to reconsider my microwaved Natty Boh habit.

SO, WHAT’S THE lesson learned?

For one, there are people living in Frederick who drink some awfully weird Mountain Dew. Two, I guess going to the movies with canned wine is a thing.

Three, the dudes I work with on these Frederick One Takes are pretty darn funny.

Four, I need to find a new regular liquor store, considering how my initial trip to find canned wine came up fruitless.

And five, drinking things from cans that you aren’t accustomed to drinking from cans will totally mess up your perception of said things you usually don’t drink from cans.

As one final commenter offered, “I mean, I’m no wine connoisseur, but it definitely tastes like it came from a can.”

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