Montgomery County’s Alcohol Beverage Services to Celebrate Grand Opening of New Gaithersburg Square ‘Oak Barrel & Vine’ Store on Thursday, June 15

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Montgomery County’s Department of Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) will open its new Gaithersburg Square store under its upgraded retail concept, “Oak Barrel & Vine,” at 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 15. Elected officials and alcohol industry representatives plan to attend the opening. Walt “The Wizard” Williams, a former basketball star at the University of Maryland who went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA, will be present to sign bottles of his Clutch vodka.

The celebration and ribbon cutting will occur in front of the store, located in the Gaithersburg Square shopping center at 512 N. Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg. Throughout the weekend of Thursday-Sunday, June 15-18, the store will offer special tastings including those of Maryland-made products, high-end spirits and Juneteenth specials.

For the grand opening, some rare and highly allocated (HAL) items will be available for purchase. Each specific highly allocated item will be limited to one bottle per customer. No more than two HAL bottles can be purchased per customer, per day. The items will be available for purchase starting when the doors open at 10 a.m. on the day of the grand opening. Available HAL products will be posted on the ABS website at montgomerycountymd.gov/ABS/HAL/ 48 hours prior to the opening.

“My appreciation to our county’s ABS, which has contributed more than $35 million of revenue last year alone to the taxpayers of Montgomery County and more than $306 million over the last 10 years and which is continuing to improve its services and offerings,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “The new Gaithersburg Square store is another example of their working to provide a first-rate experience for our customers.”

The Oak Barrel & Vine branded stores feature handpicked items with a focus on spirits and locally manufactured products. The new Gaithersburg Square location will be the largest of the ABS stores and is the third to carry the Oak Barrel & Vine brand. It will feature a large tasting room and event space, an improved selection of small format items, a dedicated non-alcoholic products section, queue lines for faster checkout, wayfinding signs, and enhanced customer accessibility.

“The Gaithersburg Square Oak Barrel & Vine store will provide customers with the tasting and educational space they have been requesting,” said ABS Director Kathie Durbin. “The Oak Barrel & Vine brand is designed to reflect our community by showcasing local products and providing dynamic service in a safe and inviting environment. The large tasting room will allow customers to engage more fully, turning shopping into an experience.”

Opening weekend tastings schedule:

Thursday, June 15

• 1-4 p.m. – Boordy Vineyards (Maryland)
• 1-4 p.m. – Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon and Rye
• 1-4 p.m. – Silver Branch Brewing (Maryland)
• 4-7 p.m. – Intercept Wines (Juneteenth promo)
• 4-7 p.m. – Tito’s Handmade Vodka
• 4-7 p.m. – Noble Oak Bourbon and Rye

Friday, June 16

• 1-4 p.m. – Old Line Whiskey (Maryland)
• 1-4 p.m. – Tenth Ward (Maryland)
• 1-4 p.m. – Brookeville Beer Farm (Maryland)
• 4-7 p.m. – Ten to One Rum (Juneteenth promo)
• 4-7 p.m. – Intercept Wines (Juneteenth promo)
• 4-7 p.m. – High Noon RTD and Don Fulano Tequilas

Saturday, June 17

• 1-4 p.m. – Ten to One Rum (Juneteenth promo)
• 1-4 p.m. – Intercept Wines (Juneteenth promo)
• 1-4 p.m. – Clutch Vodka (Juneteenth promo)
• 4-7 p.m. – Dalmore Scotch
• 4-7 p.m. – Casamigos Tequila
• 4-7 p.m. – Orin Swift Wine

Sunday, June 18

• 1-4 p.m. – High Noon Tall Cans
• 1-4 p.m. – Hennessy VS and VSOP
• 1-4 p.m. – Coconut Cartel

The first Oak Barrel & Vine store, located in the Cabin John Village Shopping Center, opened in 2021 and has become a customer favorite. The Montrose store was converted to the Oak Barrel & Vine brand and re-opened in January 2023. ABS intends to upgrade its remaining retail stores to the Oak Barrel & Vine brand over the next several years.

The Gaithersburg Square store will be open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. on Sundays.

For a full list of ABS store locations and hours, visit the ABS website at montgomerycountymd.gov/ABS/stores/.

ABS is the alcohol wholesaler of beer, wine, and spirits for Montgomery County and operates 27 retail stores throughout the County. In addition, ABS manages alcohol licensing, enforcement and education for more than 1,000 businesses. Generating more than $35 million in net income annually, its profits are used to pay down County debt with a large portion deposited in the general fund to pay for resident services that would otherwise be funded by County tax dollars.

Follow ABS on Facebook and Twitter. 

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Release ID: 23-239
Media Contact: Jocelyn Rawat 202-604-7289
Categories: ABS