MONICA: So, we're going to be making something called a Genever-style gin.

Our slogan is, "Ward off ordinary."

So, we like to make unconventional style of products.

SETH: And, so, what's different about a Genever-style gin?

MONICA: Technically, it's a Dutch-style gin.

It's the precursor to the traditional gin.

Would you like me to show you the process?

SETH: Oh, I sure would.

MONICA: Follow me.

Seth, this is where the process starts.

Maranda and Kenny right now are actually mashing our malted rye into what will eventually be a wort.

The hot water is going to separate the starches from the grain.

It'll convert it into a sugar.

The sugar is what we need the yeast to eat to turn it into alcohol.

What eventually will become the base of a whiskey, then becomes the base of our Genever.

SETH: So, there's whiskey in the gin?

MONICA: Yeah and that's why we like to call it our gin for whiskey drinkers, or it's almost like gin and whiskey had a baby.

SETH: Because gin itself, besides the aromatics that are added, doesn't have a lot of flavor to it.

MONICA: Typically, your standard gin is going to be a neutral base that's distilled such a high proof that it doesn't have any flavor in it.

What we like about this is that you're adding those really cool earthy flavors from the rye and then we add the botanical bill on top of that.

Seth, this is our still, mama bear.

She's a 2,000-liter hybrid pot and column still, and this is what we're distilling whiskey on it right now.

SETH: So, how does the distilling process actually work?

MONICA: Once we have a fermented wort, we'll pump it into the still.

Alcohol boils at a lower boiling temperature than water.

So, as we heat the still, it's going to start to evaporate and come up through these columns that are then going to cool it.

Then it comes back down in the form of more concentrated spirit.

SETH: And then once you have that, to become gin, you need to add some flavorings, right?

MONICA: Right.

So, right in front of us we have juniper, which is required to be in a Genever or any sort of gin.

It's going to smell almost like pine trees.

But from there we've got our elderflower, which will give the gin some floral notes, and I love a pop of citrus in anything.

So, this is our dried orange peel that goes in.

SETH: And how many botanicals go in in total?

MONICA: We have a total of 10 botanicals that are just going to add complexity, herbal qualities.

SETH: And finding that blend of botanicals and making your recipe, that's where the real art and magic of gin happens, right?

MONICA: And that's what makes it fun for the team, too, because they have their opportunity to be creative and dial in for a perfect product.

After the Genever is distilled down to 90 proof, it's time to bottle it up.

MONICA: So Seth, I've got Jerry and Kay here today bottling the final product.

SETH: Like any great spirit, it should obviously taste good, but the bottle too should look beautiful.

And, uh, this one definitely fits the bill.

MONICA: Thank you.

So, we have what we call the Tenth Ward weirdos, actually on every bottle, that's a juniper head right there.

Genevieve is her name.

Would you like to try an actual pour of the Genever?

SETH: Oh, I sure would.

MONICA: Yeah?

All right.

The final product.

SETH: Hey, cheers.

MONICA: So, on the nose, you should start to get citrus, a little bit of maltiness from the rye, and some of the juniper.

As you sip it, you'll notice especially the juniper being a bit more forward.

That's where you get some light Piney notes.

The rye whiskey and the malt throughout is a little bit sweeter.

Then a nice herbal botanical blend from there.

SETH: That is very sippable.

Just a nice complex, yet delicious spirit.

MONICA: We can also try it in a cocktail form.

You want to join us at the cocktail bar?

SETH: Oh, I sure do.

MONICA: All right, let's go.

So Seth, welcome to our cocktail bar and tasting room.

Here in downtown Frederick.

We have Phil, our bar manager, who is here to make us a delicious drink with the Genever.

SETH: We're in good hands with you today, Phil?

PHIL: Absolutely.

SETH: And it looks like we have some food to go along with our drinks?

MONICA: Yeah, so these burgers are from Maxwell's, our next-door neighbors.

We don't really have a restaurant as the distillery, and so our partners provide food for our guests.

SETH: Well, a burger at the bar sounds good to me.

So, what cocktail are you making today, Phil?

PHIL: Today we're going to be making our Queen Bee's Knees with our Genever gin.

SETH: Oh, well, perfect.

We brought some over from the distillery for you.

PHIL: Even better.

We're going to start with an ounce and a half of the Genever gin, and then we're going to add in a little bit of our house-made honey lavender syrup and some fresh lemon juice.

SETH: And this is a cocktail that traditionally would be made with Genever?

MONICA: So, a Bee's Knees would've been made with any style gin, but it is a prohibition-era drink, so we like to put our own twist on it.

SETH: Now, the shake.

PHIL: Oh, of course.

MONICA: A double shake.

SETH: A double shake.

PHIL: Sometimes it gets all over you.

SETH: You're a trained professional.

PHIL: I've watched "Cocktail" a couple of times.

SETH: It seems perfect that you would bring back a traditional cocktail to showcase the Genever, because the Genever itself is something that's been brought back from the past as well, right?

MONICA: It dates back to the 1500s, actually, believe it or not, it is that old of a spirit.

PHIL: And now, we're going to top it off with some fresh lemon dipped in a lavender sugar made in-house.

You're going to get your nose right into it.

SETH: That is a really beautiful cocktail.

Cheers, Monica?

PHIL: Cheers.

MONICA: Cheers.

SETH: Cheers.

You weren't kidding about getting your nose right in there.

That is very lavender-forward, but also really nice, kind of subtle citrus flavors that I think really accentuate the ones in the Genever.

PHIL: Well, every time we're making a cocktail, we want to make sure that it has sweet, spirit, bitter, and citrus.

And this cocktail, I think, really highlights all four in a really nice balance.