Shell Game To savor the state treasure of Chesapeake seafood, make your way around the Maryland Crab & Oyster Trail , with dozens of destinations located up and down the estuary. On the Eastern Shore and in Southern Maryland, old-school crab houses speckle the peninsulas where traditional watermen still troll the local waterways. Oyster farms provide fresh-caught fodder for upscale raw bars and seafood houses. In the mountains in Western Maryland, fresh bay flavors can be found at fish markets, grills and taverns. mounds hailing from Jimmy’s Famous Seafood on Holabird Avenue in Baltimore, Faidley Seafood inside the city’s century-old Lexington Market and Dutch’s Daughter in Frederick. Just be sure not to miss out on another mouthwatering delicacy of seasonal soft shell crabs, which are served as sandwiches and entrees, broiled or fried, and found at the likes of Cantler’s Riverside Inn in Annapolis. But the Chesapeake Bay has much more to dig your teeth into than just its iconic blue crustacean. Striped bass, aka rockfish, makes an appearance on many regional menus, and oysters, both wild and farmed, can be found in a number of new oyster houses across the state. choice, but small-batch brewers, such as RAR Brewing in Cambridge, Burley Oak in Berlin and Diamondback in Baltimore are upping the ante with stellar suds. Also home to Flying Dog, one of the largest craft breweries in the country and the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, the first in the U.S since 1954, Maryland offers those with a hankering for hops nearly 100 craft breweries and festivals throughout the state. Many options can be found in cans at local liquor stores or on draft at area bars and restaurants. Maryland wines are ripe for the tasting with new and old vineyards pushing the vino boundaries. With an eye on innovation and sustainability, both Black Ankle Vineyards in Mount Airy and Old Westminster Winery in New Windsor craft every bottle by hand. Both feature tastings and tours plus live music throughout the summer. Crow Vineyard in Kennedyville and Boordy Vineyards in Hydes also remain popular among wine lovers for their family-friendly, idyllic settings. A growing group of distilleries are making waves for their ambitious array of craft spirits that cater to the mixology movement. There’s something for everyone, with local offerings that include vodka (Gray Wolf Craft Distilling), gin (Baltimore Spirits Company), rum (Lyon Distilling Co.), the state’s once-famous rye whiskey (Sagamore Spirit) and much more, available in their own on-site tasting rooms. GOOD SPIRITS PHOTOS: @MANDYSPHOTOTILES; BURLEY OAK BREWERY; SOMERSET COUNTY When it comes to drinks, Maryland has a long and storied history, with the making of local beer, wine and spirits dating back to the Colonial period. In the last decade, craft brewers, distillers and vintners have been working to revive that hooch heritage by crafting an array of alcoholic beverages celebrating the past while carving out their own entrepreneurial legacy for the future. Fun fact: Maryland is known as “The Free State” because it openly defied anti-liquor laws during Prohibition! Breweries, in particular, are experiencing a boom, with nearly every county now touting its own taproom. Sure, Natty Boh is still the beloved cheap beer of Pictured Clockwise Left to Right: Diamondback Brewing Company, Baltimore; Dylan’s Oyster Cellar, Baltimore, Sagamore Spirit Distillery, Baltimore; Burley Oak Brewery, Berlin; Smith Island Cake, Smith Island DESTINATION MARYLAND ✥ 47
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2020 Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 47
