Southern Maryland’s own Tobacco Barn Distillery, a “ground-to-glass” operation in Hollywood that grows its own corn on former tobacco farmland, was one of eight distilleries statewide whose whiskey was judged in this year’s Farmer’s Choice Award — a competition run jointly by Maryland’s Best, the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s marketing program, and the Maryland Grain Producers Association.
The award itself went to Baltimore’s Sagamore Spirit, whose Pot Still Series: Rye Malt Whiskey was named the 2026 winner. But Tobacco Barn’s presence in the field, alongside its results in a companion cocktail competition, keeps the St. Mary’s County distillery in the conversation among the state’s small but growing group of grain-to-bottle spirits makers — several of them competing directly against distilleries backed by far larger production and distribution operations.
Now in its third year, the Farmer’s Choice Award is open only to whiskeys made with at least 50% Maryland-grown grain or corn, a threshold designed to push distilleries toward buying from Maryland farmers rather than importing grain from out of state. The winner gets a $1,000 cash prize from the Maryland Grain Producers Association, a plaque from Maryland’s Best, and the right to put the Farmer’s Choice logo on its bottles.
“We are proud to have a history of making amazing rye whiskeys in Maryland,” Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks said in a statement announcing the winner. “It is fitting that the winning bottle this year featured 100% rye ingredients grown in Maryland. I encourage you to seek out rye whiskeys across the state and taste the greatness for yourself!”
Sagamore’s winning bottle was 34% rye and 66% malted rye, aged seven years in charred white oak barrels. The rye came from Hickory Hollow Farm in Carroll County and was malted by Bear Branch Malt, also in Carroll County — meaning, notably, that neither the winning grain nor the malting happened in Southern Maryland. The release has already sold out, though Sagamore says it plans more 100%-Maryland-ingredient releases going forward.
“We’re fortunate to live and work in a place that offers every resource needed to craft world-class whiskey,” said Max Hames, Sagamore’s head distiller. “This Rye Malt Whiskey showcases Maryland grain, oak and ingenuity. While this is the first fully aged whiskey we’ve released featuring 100% local ingredients, we look forward to releasing many more.”
Besides Tobacco Barn and Sagamore, this year’s Farmer’s Choice field included McClintock Distilling and Tenth Ward Distilling (both Frederick), Meinelschmidt Distillery and Pathfinder Farm Distillery (both Washington County), and Song Dog Farm Distillery (Montgomery County) — meaning Tobacco Barn was the only entrant from south of the Washington, D.C., beltway corridor and the only one from the traditional three-county Southern Maryland region of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s.
Judging was handled by Deputy Chief of Staff for the Governor Chichi Nyagah-Nash, Atticks, Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz, grain farmer Jason Scott, and Golden West Beverage Director Dee Acosta.
A second contest, and another Southern Maryland showing
The state also runs a lower-stakes companion event at the Maryland Grain Producers Association’s annual Maryland Commodity Classic: a cocktail competition open to any spirit made from at least 50% local grain or corn, with attendees voting for their favorite among five entries. Tobacco Barn entered again here, submitting a Whiskey Lemonade, though it didn’t place in the top three. Prince George’s County-based Ego Vodka’s Expection took second place and $300; Pathfinder Farm Distillery’s Blackberry Bourbon Bramble won first and $500; Tenth Ward’s Diamondback Sazerac took third and $150; Meinelschmidt’s Bourbon Cherry Lemonade rounded out the field.
Jennifer Gannon, programs and public relations director for the Maryland Grain Producers Association, framed both competitions as part of a broader push to connect the state’s grain farmers with its distillers. “The Maryland Grain Producers Association is proud to partner with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and local distilleries to celebrate the Maryland’s Best Whiskey and Cocktail competitions,” Gannon said. “Both events showcase the many ways that Maryland grown grain is transformed into high-quality products, creating new markets for farmers and local businesses.”
Tobacco Barn, founded in 2014, has built its identity around growing all of its own corn on-site in Hollywood and sourcing other grain from nearby farms, running its stills on a mix of solar, geothermal and heat-recovery power. The distillery bills itself as continuing what St. Mary’s County tourism materials describe as the region’s early whiskey-making history, predating Kentucky’s bourbon industry.
A full list of the spirits used in this year’s winning and placing cocktails is available at Marylandsbest.net. More information on the Maryland Grain Producers Association is available at marylandgrain.org.
