An unusual take on a local holiday favorite Season 5 of the sitcom “Happy Days” premiered in September 1977. In this episode, the character Fonzie, played by Harry Winkler, jumps his water skis over a shark. He wore his character’s iconic leather jacket during the feat. Since that time, when a brand has gone so off-brand that it has become silly, or a trend sunsets, people use the idiom “jumped the shark.” So it goes with the -tini. A martini is a classic drink made with vodk

While fall in St. Michaels is always a magical time of year, it’s really the locals and the local businesses that make it so special. One such restaurant is Bistro St. Michaels, owned by Doug Stewart, who also owns Stewart’s Catering. Stewart of St. Michaels said when he took ownership of the restaurant, his goal was to really hone in on the local flare, including using fresh, local ingredients in the dishes and local liquor crafted just down the street at Lyon Distilling. Bi

While scientists estimate that Mother Earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old, homo sapiens, my species, has only been here for a brief 200,000 years. And isn’t it remarkable to think, that of all the miraculous phenomena to witness or consider — molten meteors that blaze the summer sky, a unique snowflake among the billions that fall in a dusting, the ancient movement of tectonic plates, fire — so much of modern life depends on a humble invention that most of us take f

When I think of June cocktails, breezy sophistication comes to mind: stems of iced champagne offered from silver platters at an outdoor wedding reception; tall, cold vodka Collinses garnished with wheels of lime before an alfresco supper of soft-shells and silver queen succotash; savory, grapefruit salty dogs downed with a can of mixed nuts off the back of a friend’s boat. I’ve never actually had any of these experiences (yet — I’m only 47), but they sound mature, and I’ve se

Although Colonial author Washington Irving’s “A Knickerbocker’s History of New York” (1809) is a satirical farce, current residents of The Free State may take pride in his acknowledgement that the cocktail, a concoction of alcohol, bitters, water, sugar and botanicals, came to prominence right here in Maryland. Irving labeled us Merry-landers, as we “were prone to make merry and get fuddled with mint-julep and apple-toddy.” Our geographic ancestors “were, moreover, great hors

It’s a tough time to be beer, what with the carbs, the (gasp!) corn syrup and the silly advertising. From a medieval fiefdom controlled by a ruthless king that cheers “Dilly! Dilly!” to the most interesting man in the world (a middle-aged guy with no career, no family, no secure relationships and just one suit), it’s easy to see why some people are turning away from mass marketed beer. But still: what will we drink when we finish mowing the grass? Or when we sit down to eat c

The Pallares brothers’ journey from professional polo to winemaking Brothers Enrique and Felipe Pallares are combining the competitive drive that led them to become professional polo players with the entrepreneurial spirit passed down by their pioneering predecessors in an effort to create world-class wine on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The duo, both in their early 30s, are the driving force behind the Casa Carmen boutique winery based just outside of Chestertown. Joining in th

Look! Over there! Across 50 West! It’s a taproom! It’s a movie theater! It’s…it’s…The ACME? In most Maryland counties, we can’t buy beer in a grocery store. But in the same space where customers once picked up yeasty treats at the bakery counter, Kent Islanders can now enjoy fresh hops and barley. Cult Classic Brewery and Taproom is housed where the grocery once was, just off U.S. Route 50. The retail pad was the perfect location, according to owners (and brothers) Jesse, 42

Our look behind the scenes at the company THAT BREWS “off-centered ales for off-centered people” Dogfish Head’s slogan, “off-centered ales for off-centered people,” was inspired by a longer Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, although most of the 100,000 annual visitors to the brewery in Milton, Del., might be more familiar with Dogfish Head beer than the transcendental writer whose words grace the brewery’s walls. Proprietor Sam Calagione is an artist at heart, albeit one who traded

Don’t anger the bartender. Dolly McMahon’s “special” recipe, witches brew, is made from the body parts of unpleasant customers, according to Dolly’s cocktail wall at Harry’s on the Green in Denton. The witches brew is a mixed berry sangria with floating blueberries and sour gummy worms that infuse the sweet, fresh-tasting drink with a dose of sourness. It contains, allegedly, no actual body parts ­­— human or worm. McMahon loves Halloween, and her holiday drink menu gives a n

To gain entry to the speakeasy-like tasting room at Faulkner Branch Cidery and Distilling Company, one must first solve a riddle. The cidery, located between Preston and Federalsburg, is one of only six cideries in Maryland. First-generation farmers Stephen and Lynda Blades bought what is now Blades Orchard, a 65-acre fruit farm near Federalsburg, in 2008. Initially the farm had 20 acres of peach trees and 6 acres of apples. After several years of nurturing, the orchard now b

La bebida de lo del corazón salvaje In the spring of 1993, I took a trip with six college roommates to Daytona Beach. We stayed at the Howard Johnson’s, a sky rise that towered at least six stories over the broad, hard-packed, car-lined beach. Jimmy Buffet even played one day for the mob of half-dressed college kids that crammed the concrete pool deck. Daring co-eds on plastic-slatted lounge chairs slurped shots of Cuervo off strangers’ stomachs, preceded by a lick of table s

Tim Miller steps into an old building on the water at Easton Point and cautions care stepping over some old, soft floorboards at the entrance. It’s an old building, and it is full of memorabilia related to the beer and oil industries. His grandfather, Dewey H. McMahan, bought it from J. McKenney Willis Jr., who had previously given McMahan seed money for his business and offered to share the building with him. McMahan started an oil distribution business at Easton Point, wher

A trendy drink is brewing in Federalsburg. Gayle Galbraith and her partner, Stanley Nowak, a Marine Corps veteran, opened Federal Brewing Company in a 100-year old building at 102 Main Street in Federalsburg. Instead of brewing craft beer, the couple is brewing kombucha, a fermented tea popularized in the United States first on the West Coast as a health food trend before becoming popular on the East Coast. The drink, which Galbraith affectionately refers to as “booch,” is th

Perfect drinks for a day at the races … or the bar If you’re not one of the lucky people attending the 143rd Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Raceway on May 19 in Baltimore, then perhaps you’ll be just as lucky if you’re perched on one of Jennifer Steven’s barstools at Theo’s Steaks, Sides and Spirits in St. Michaels. It’s there you’ll be able to participate in the Stakes by watching it on one of the two televisions owner Chris Agharabi had installed for an occasion such as this.

When Ben Lyon and Jaime Windon launched Lyon Distilling in St. Michaels at the end of 2013, they planned on running a small, two-person business that focused solely on rum. They were making batches of 30 bottles at a time in two small stills and hoping to make a go of it in a town that was already supporting a brewery and a winery. And then, as Windon describes it, “things, very quickly, got out of control. In a good way.” We caught up with Windon for this month’s High Spirit

In a parking lot tucked away in Centreville, a lone “BEER” sign with an arrow points to Bull and Goat Brewery, 204 Banjo Lane, suite E. Inside, customers arrive for Friday happy hour. Jake Heimbuch is swapping out a keg, reconnecting lines, and taking orders from a few customers who have arrived in time for opening. As he works, more customers arrive. They sit in the plush leather seats around a coffee table, facing a bookshelf stocked with games, such as Battleship, Trivial

Wine is the spirit of love. Humans have been making wine for about ten thousand years, and like Truth, Love, and other great thoughts, they have been writing about it since at least the time of the great philosophers. A traditional drink of people worldwide, wine is part of sacred ceremonies across religions and cultures, is used in celebrations such as weddings and graduations, and serves just as well with a takeout mushroom-and-sausage pizza on a Wednesday night. The Wine B

Fall Fashion Recipe Crushed Ice, Rocks Glass 2 Ounces Myers Rum 2/3 Ounce Simple Syrup 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters Shaken, with apple juice floater poured on top #HighSpirits

Van Gogh Mocha Recipe 1 1/3 ounces Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka 2/3 ounce Godiva Dark Chocolate liquor Fill with coffee, top with whipped cream #HighSpirits