Twin Valley Distillers: A Crazy Costa Rican Making Whiskey in Maryland

I don't know what kind of conversation I've walked in on when I stop by Twin Valley Distillers in Rockville, MD on a Sunday afternoon, but it sure is lively. The culprit, I will later learn, is owner/distiller Edgardo Zuniga. Edgardo fashions himself an expert on a number of topics: distilling, Maryland history, snazzy tropical shirts. But if you really want to see him get riled up, ask him the difference between two random Caribbean cultures. That's what he and a group of black folks are heatedly discussing at the bar, when I walk in.
I don't even think anyone notices me at first. I grab a chair on the far end and listen. One of the ladies -apparently of Haitian heritage- is arguing how Haitians are the most mistreated group among the Caribbean. In fairness, she admits partial blame. They are also the most proud. Edgardo goes on about how most Costa Ricans don't even think of themselves as Latino, until they get to the US, of course, and are lumped in with all th…
I don't even think anyone notices me at first. I grab a chair on the far end and listen. One of the ladies -apparently of Haitian heritage- is arguing how Haitians are the most mistreated group among the Caribbean. In fairness, she admits partial blame. They are also the most proud. Edgardo goes on about how most Costa Ricans don't even think of themselves as Latino, until they get to the US, of course, and are lumped in with all th…