The New Wave of Weird, Wild American Brandy

December 28, 2022
Kara Newman
Wine Enthusiast

Once a year, Baltimore Spirits takes an attention-grabbing approach to dispatching an abundance of Maryland apples into apple brandy. Inspired by the harvest celebration of Mexico’s pechuga mezcal, raw apples are swept with smoke, then distilled with foraged pawpaw, persimmon and black walnut. For the final distillation, a 30-pound Maryland country ham is suspended in the still above the pot, for a distinct “prosciutto-y” salinity, explains cofounder Max Lents.

“It’s a completely insane thing to do— hanging hams in your still,” Lents acknowledges, “but the spirit wouldn’t be the same without it.”

Insane? Maybe. But it’s memorable—and that’s important.

Read the rest of this article at Wine Enthusiast.