Today we’d like to introduce you to Edgardo Zuniga.
Hi Edgardo, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I migrate from Costa Rica in October 1990. As soon as I got here, I study English; I knew without it I was not going to be able to make it. No long after that, I develop a passion for the Kitchen, so I studied Culinary Arts in Minnesota and Italy; when I came back to the USA, I was able to work as sous chef, chef, and everything that had to be with the kitchen in many hotels and restaurants in the area. With family and the craziness of live, I just decided that the restaurant business was taking much time of my life, and in that time, my wife was doing this holiday drink at home, and we did not like how the alcohol finish tasted. That’s when I thought about the distillery and create my own alcohol. Everything started in the kitchen of my house, which is at Twin Valley; that’s how we decided to call our distillery Twin Valley Distillers.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been smooth at all. First, regulations in Montgomery County, MD, are very strict and specific for this type of business, so the first stone we had to jump was the location of the distillery. When that was set, then the production and sales were fine, but not what I thought. Things have been good, can’t complain but whit lots of work and time. And how to forget 2019 when COVID started. We really have a difficult time. We decided to do hand sanitizer and alcohol, and that way we were able to survive somehow. But yes, definitely has been challenging.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
We are a Distillery located in Rockville, MD, we are the first distillery in Montgomery County and the first to do Bourbon in MD since probation. We have a little bit of everything for different tastes. Rum, Vodka, Whiskey, Bourbon, flavored Whiskeys, flavored Rums, Gin, Cordials, and our last addition, ready-to-drink can cocktails. Everything is well known in the community, but we are very proud of our Bourbons. One of them won a gold medal for best bourbon in 2022.
We are very proud of calling our products LOCAL, we try our best to gather everything we use here from local business, so if you support me, you are supporting many local business in MD.
You can find our products in some stores, farmers markets, and in our distillery as well, oh and online too.
What are your plans for the future?
We are moving forward with our drinks, and now I am offering labels, that means if someone wants to create their own alcohol, I can help with all the process. Another future plan is to create mocktails.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://twinvalleyd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twinvalleydistillers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwinValleyDistillers
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/twin-valley-distillers-rockville-5
