Shmidt Spirits — Local services in Beltsville

A rye finished in chardonnay casks? A rye with a sweet aftertaste? Shmidt spirits are amazing! I got a tour from the master distiller who shared some of his craft and the effort that this pandemic beaten business used to identify what flavors to infuse into their gin. Lavender? Really? Well, better than garlic...

We got a great tour of this tiny distillery set in the back of a parking lot I frequently breeze through in order to take a short cut home. There was literally a small still on display in the middle of the parking lot! It felt great to come out and support a local business, but it was even better to bring some Shmidt home. The whole group ended up with at least one bottle and the post-tasting chatter was all about how these guys really seemed to understand flavor.

Rye can be a bold, grassy flavor, but as I write this I savor a smooth Cobalt neat. The folks at Shmidt Spirits have even been trying to figure out how to customize cocktails--I can't wait to try some of these recipes and enjoy the spirit instead of figuring out how to try and make gin taste good. The herbal gin, Viridian, seems like it will shine in a cocktail instead of simply carrying the other flavors.

I cannot wait to see what comes next. Go, have a tasting of your own and then find yourself walking out with a...

I'm a little late posting this review but we had such a great time with Arthur and Brian on Saturday! My family came from Michigan to celebrate my dad and cousin's bday and we had a tour with Arthur. The knowledge and enthusiasm he exhibited when giving the tour was refreshing. To answer all the questions we asked and explain to some of us who did not know much about distilling was beyond an experience. I can see he really enjoys his work and is very proud of his progress. Our group also got to enjoy the samples of Cobalt, Silver, and Viridian, even the mixed drinks, I had quite a few of those lmao. The whole Shmidt Spirits experience was amazing and will gladly return, to purchase another bottle and just talk with Arthur. I'll see you again when the...

If you're a whiskey nerd or love distillery specialty cocktails this is definitely a place to check out. Their whiskey is young but they are putting out some amazing distillate and taking it to great places with finishes and grains local to Maryland. I especially loved their port finished rye, rum finished rye, and Maryland style rye made with Maryland grains. For cocktails I loved their "margarita" which was made with their rye that was aged two days in Chardonnay barrels. Owners man the bar and love to talk about what they're doing, which with great spirits makes for a...