Local distilleries are the subject of my second article in my series about where to find breweries, wineries, and distilleries in Southern Maryland. There are four distilleries in the tri-county (Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s) area.
We are lucky to have several great local distilleries. They each have unique offerings are all definitely worth visiting! These are all local family (and/or friend)-owned and operated businesses. Of note, when Covid-19 took over last year, all of these distilleries changed their production to hand sanitizer. I want to thank them for stepping up and helping our community!
Distilleries
Calvert County
There are no distilleries in Calvert County.
Charles County
BlueDyer Distilling Co.
52 Industrial Park Drive, #15
Waldorf, MD
301-674-8832
One of my favorite places to hang out is BlueDyer Distilling Co. in Waldorf! I have been a fan since they opened six years ago. Ryan Vierheller and Walker Dunbar have come a long way since they first opened. They started with just distilling rum. They now distill gold rum, dark rum, gin, vodka, bourbon mash whiskey, port barrel-finished whiskey, and rye whiskey.
At BlueDyer, they pay tribute to more than five generations and 100 years of family distilling traditions.
Not only are they a distillery, but they are also a scratch bar. They serve craft spirits and craft cocktails. They make their own bitters and vermouth. Their cocktails are amazing! The bar has a fun and comfortable vibe. It’s a fun place to go with family and friends.
And they didn’t stop with spirits and cocktails, they also have the Chuck Wagon food truck on the premises. The Chuck Wagon serves Tex-Mex food, to include tacos, nachos, burritos, wings, and crabby fries. Coming soon will be their second food truck, Grace and Soul. Chef Michael Thompson will be cooking up fabulous soul food!
Another component of what they do is their collaboration with other local businesses. They have used Wee Bean Coffee Roasters (LaPlata) cold brew and Mully’s Brewery (Prince Frederick) has used their barrels. It is great to see businesses working together and supporting each other.
BlueDyer Distilling Co. hours:
Tuesday through Friday – 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Saturday and Sunday – 2:00pm to 10:00pm
Monday – closed
BlueDyer Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BlueDyer
BlueDyer website: https://www.bluedyerdistilling.com/
East Road Beverages
4461 Southern Business Park Drive
White Plains, MD
240-270-2411
This is a small distillery that specializes in small-batch craft beverages that are inspired by the Caribbean. The primary spirit is their Jamaica’s Finest Cocktails Rum Punch.
I am not familiar with this distillery and will be visiting them in the near future! On Saturdays and Sundays, they offer tastings and tours by appointment only.
East Road Beverages Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EastRoadBeverages
East Road Beverages website: https://www.jamaicasfinestcocktails.com/
St. Mary’s County
Southern Trail Distillery
27227 Morganza Turner Road
Mechanicsville, MD
240-249-6009
According to their website, “Simple local ingredients combined with our classic family recipe and quality modern distilling process, Southern Trail Distillery creates moonshine, whiskey, vodka and rum that is true to our family roots on the Three Notch Trail and a taste of the best Southern Maryland has to offer.”
Stop by the distillery for cocktails, tastings, food, live music, and events. A couple upcoming events include their Fall Market on October 9th and the Holiday Kick-off Market on December 4th. Both these events will include local vendors.
I have not been to the distillery yet, but I have sampled (maybe more than sampled) their offerings. I’m a fan of their Peach, Blueberry, Summer and Apple Shines! The distillery is on my list of places to go. Maybe I will make it a distillery weekend! And they open at 10:00am…perfect!
Southern Trail Distillery hours:
Thursday – 10:00am to 5:00pm
Friday and Saturday – 10:00am to 8:00pm
Sunday – 12:00pm to 7:00pm
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – closed
Southern Trail Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernTrailDistillery
Southern Trail website: https://www.southerntraildistillery.com
Tobacco Barn Distillery
24460 Hollywood Road
Hollywood, MD
240-243-9151
Their website states, “With a bonded love for bourbon, whiskey, and rum, the team at Tobacco Barn Distillery came together to celebrate the efforts of early Marylanders by creating an environmentally conscious distillery. Since 2014, we’ve been proudly running a ground-to-glass operation. The corn used in our bourbon is grown on our farm, and our grains are sourced from other local farmers. Plus, we use a combination of solar, geothermal, and heat recovery systems to produce all of our products. With a dedication to great quality, sustainability, and customer satisfaction, we’re proud to continue the St. Mary’s County tradition as the birthplace of bourbon.”
This is another distillery I need to visit. I have had their Moll Dyer Cinnamon Whiskey, and it is delicious! Go to their website to make an appointment for a tasting. Maybe I will see you there! They also have special events at the farm. A recent event was Yoga and Whiskey Tasting. Sounds like fun to me!
Tobacco Barn Distillery hours:
Saturday – 11:00am to 5:00pm
Sunday – 11:00am to 4:00pm
Monday through Friday – By appointment only
Tobacco Barn Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Tobacco-Barn-Distillery-1437182199924065
Tobacco Barn website: https://www.tobaccobarndistillery.com
For all these distilleries…check out the Facebook pages and/or websites for activities, events, food trucks, and additional information.