Photo by Rick Martin.

You might not need to leave D.C. for craft beer, locally distilled spirits, or produce from nearby farms, but when the summer heat starts melting the pavement, it’s time to get out of town. These day or weekend trips will lead you to great food, award-winning booze, and fantastic views outside the beltway bubble.

Wino History Buff Weekend in Charlottesville, VA (2.5 hours from D.C.)
On your way down, stop for dinner at the BBQ Exchange in Gordonsville, a BBQ restaurant that will make even vegetarians happy; in addition to hickory-smoked pork shoulder, chicken, and brisket, they serve what has to be some of Virginia’s only smoked tofu. Compare sauces in regional styles, from Virginia, the Carolinas, Memphis, and Kansas City, then choose a house-made pickle off their sampler menu. You’ll need a good layer of gut lining, because you’re going to be doing a lot of drinking on this trip.

The next morning, get breakfast and pick up picnic provisions at Salt Artisan Market, located in a refurbished 1930s gas station. If you’ve never been before, it’s well worth a visit to Thomas Jefferson’s estate at Monticello, the only house in the U.S. on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Don’t miss the spectacular gardens and orchard, where Jefferson grew more than 250 varieties of vegetables and 150 varieties of fruit. Jefferson was also one of the major forces behind the Virginia wine movement; he aimed to turn the Virginia Piedmont into one of the world’s premiere wine regions.

The Monticello Wine Trail, which encompasses thirty wineries within 25 miles of Charlottesville, carries on this heritage. Consider a stop at Early Mountain Vineyards, which showcases local food, beverages, and artisanal products along with their own wines in their tasting room. You can bring your picnic here or or take in the view over the vineyard from the terrace, where they offer table service. They also host local bands and movie nights on summer weekends. Barboursville Vineyards, housed on an estate that was designed by Thomas Jefferson for his friend, produces some of the state’s most highly acclaimed wines.

If cider’s more your style, check out Castle Hill Cider in Keswick, where you can try five different ciders for $7. I’m especially curious about Levity, a cider fermented underground in a clay vessel called a kvevri, traditionally used for winemaking in the Republic of Georgia.

Back in Charlottesville, try one of the restaurants that are earning the city a reputation as a food town. Brookville Restaurant is a standout: Chef Harrison Keevil’s menu changes daily, with 95 percent of the ingredients sourced from within a 100-mile radius and the restaurant’s own kitchen garden.

Photo courtesy of the BBQ Exchange’s Facebook page.

Picturesque Weekend in Frederick, MD (1 hour from D.C.)
Kick off the weekend with a glass of wine and some live music on the patio of Black Ankle Vineyards in Mount Airy, which produces some of the state’s highest quality quaffs. The vineyard has local cheeses available for purchase and you can bring your own food to eat on the grounds outside. Leave the outside alcohol at home, though, as it’s prohibited by Maryland state law.

The next morning, start your day at Gravel and Grind, where you can get your caffeine fix at their pour-over bar, then rent a bike for the day and set off for the countryside. They’ve got ready itineraries with directions on hand at the shop, and they’ll rent you a tent and other gear if you want to camp out for the weekend. Visit Catoctin Mountain Orchard, where you can fill your basket with berries and flowers and pretend you’re in a Kinfolk photo shoot. Black raspberries and cherries are in season now, with blueberries not far off. If you’re into something more medieval, head out from Frederick in the other direction toward Orchid Cellar Meadery and Winery. They’ve started making spicy meads, fermented with chilis and honey from beehives on the property. Bring a picnic and hang out with the meadery’s resident lab.

Sleep in as late as you want on Sunday because breakfast is available all day at Bryan Voltaggio’s Family Meal back in Frederick. Here you can get chicken pot pie in fritter form, blueberry hotcakes with poached rhubarb, and strawberry shortcake donuts without emptying your bank account. (There’s always Volt for that.) Walk it off with a stroll along North Market Street, though you might be tempted to stop off at Lebherz Oil and Vinegar Emporium, where you can sip viscous liquids to your tongue’s content, and at Zoe’s Chocolate Co., owned by three siblings whose Greek heritage shows through in truffle flavors like Aegean pistachio and baklava.

Photo courtesy of Orchard Meadery and Winery’s Facebook page.

Booze, Beer, and Berries in Purcellville, VA (70 minutes from D.C.)
Purcellville must have one of the nation’s higher craft breweries per capita ratio, with three in a town of just over 7,000 people. The largest, Corcoran Brewing Company, taps 12 different styles each day. You’re free to bring your dog, your kids, and your own food to nosh on while sipping a pint. Adroit Theory Brewing focuses on barrel-aged beers and comes up with the quirkiest names for them. Belly Love Brewing Company serves small plates along with their “liquid soul food,” including pork belly tacos and tater tots with bacon and sriracha sour cream.

In addition, there’s Catoctin Creek Distillery, which just won a RAMMY (the annual award from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington) for best regional food and beverage producer. It was the first legal distillery in the county since before Prohibition and now produces organic and kosher whisky, gin, and fruit brandies using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Sign up for a tour and tasting: $5 gets you the basic sampler; up it to $10 for the premium booze; and $15 if you want chocolate truffle pairings.

Balance out your binge with some antioxidants and outdoor activity. The area is brimming with pick-your-own farms. Check out Crooked Run Orchard for some relatively rare offerings, including tart cherries and gooseberries.

Photo courtesy of Rise Up Coffee Roasters’ Facebook page.

Liquid Lunch in St. Michaels, MD (1 hour, 45 minutes from D.C.)
With a brewery, a distillery, and winery within a block from each other, St. Michaels, MD practically begs for a crawl. Eastern Shore Brewing Company set up shop in an old mill on Talbot Street, where they brew amber ale, pale ale, and hefeweizen all summer, along with a few other rotating options. Lyon Distilling Co. is in the same building and offers tours and tastings of its light and dark rum, plus barrel aged rum and corn and rye whisky when available. St. Michaels Winery hosts tastings of their 19 wines every day of the week in what was once a sewing factory. The town is right on the water, so you can hire a sailboat (and someone who knows how to steer it) at Skipjack Tours for a two-hour float on the Chesapeake. You’ll likely need some caffeine for your drive back, so stop off at Rise Up Coffee Roasters in—what else?—a former gas station in Easton, MD to learn how your beans go from tree to cup. If you’re pressed for time, you can swing by their drive-through trailer in St. Michaels instead.