Dragon Distillery sits in a business park off Hughes Ford Road in Frederick, Maryland, bringing craft spirits to the heart of this historic town. Founded by husband-and-wife team Mark and Linda Tarpinian in 2019, the distillery emerged from Mark’s decade-long home distilling hobby that started in his garage. After years of perfecting recipes and navigating Maryland’s licensing requirements, they opened their doors in a 3,000-square-foot facility that houses their custom-built 500-gallon copper still from Vendome Copper & Brass Works. The space feels more like a working lab than a polished tasting room, with exposed pipes, fermentation tanks, and the constant hum of production. They focus on small-batch bourbon, rye whiskey, and seasonal spirits, producing around 1,000 bottles per month. Mark handles the distilling while Linda manages the business side, and you’ll often find both of them on-site, eager to talk about their process. The operation stays intentionally small—they’re not trying to be the next big thing, just making spirits they’d want to drink themselves. What started as a retirement project has become a full-time passion, and their enthusiasm shows in every conversation about mash bills and barrel aging.