Raise a Glass

Pathfinder, Meinelschmidt’s distilleries win awards for local spirits

Washington County, Maryland, is making a name for itself in the distillery business. Both Pathfinder Farm Distillery in Boonsboro and Meinelschmidt Distillery in Hagerstown are emerging as top Maryland producers of whiskey, bourbon, and other spirits.

At this year’s prestigious 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition, Pathfinder won several medals, including Best Farmer-Distiller Bourbon and Best of State for its Bloody Butcher Bourbon. The biennial Heartland Whiskey Competition—sanctioned by the American Craft Spirits Association—celebrates the deep relationship between corn and craft whiskey across America’s heartland states and beyond. Pathfinder’s Bloody Butcher Bourbon was selected by a panel of distinguished industry professionals that evaluated entries through a blind tasting across nine whiskey categories and multiple age ranges. 

Pathfinder also earned a gold medal for its Bloody Butcher Bourbon, a silver medal for its Red Corn Moonshine, and a bronze medal for its Orange Cranberry Moonshine. 

“Since we began growing our heritage Bloody Butcher corn, mashing with Appalachian Mountain spring water, and bottling our family’s favorite recipes, people have been telling us that it’s really good stuff,” says owner Nate Kraft. “Earning Best Farmer-Distiller Bourbon and additional honors from the American Craft Spirits Association’s Heartland Whiskey Competition affirms what our fans have been saying all along—that we’re capturing true terroir and handcrafting the finest spirits from seed to glass.” 

The Heartland Whiskey Competition uniquely honors the role of farmer-distillers, alongside corn growers from 21 participating states. No other national spirits competition highlights agricultural heritage and “best of state” achievements in this way. 

At the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s 2025 Maryland Spirits Competition, Meinelschmidt’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey was selected as the Maryland’s Best Farmer’s Choice Award winner in a blind tasting. Meinelschmidt’s whiskey is made with malted white winter wheat, malted barley, field rye, yellow corn, and bloody butcher corn and is aged for three years in American oak. Ingredients came from Ernst Grain Farm in Clear Spring and Pathfinder Farms in Boonsboro. 

Local aficionados of whiskey can sample these award winners, along with other local spirits, at the distillery tasting rooms.