Sneak peek: Oak Barrel & Vine at Westbard Square in Bethesda (Photos)

Oak Barrel & Vine appears close to opening at Westbard Square in Bethesda. Shelf stocking is proceeding at a rapid pace inside the store, which will replace the Montgomery County Liquor & Wine store that was demolished along with the Westwood Shopping Center on this site. Oak Barrel & Vine is the same business, and is still operated by the Montgomery County government, which holds a monopoly on liquor sales in the county. However, the rebranding and store aesthetic are designed to better resemble the types of more-upscale, privately-owned shops one finds elsewhere in the country. Whether this makes one feel better about local government controlling all liquor sales or not, the new stores rolling out countywide do have a more pleasing environment than its existing, generic retail locations do.

One of the key additions can already be seen here, where a tasting room is part of the new design. A row of taps is now visible inside. Local products are featured and labeled prominently, and imports are often stocked under the flag of the exporting country, such as Canada and Ireland.

This OB&V is also the first of the concept stores where the construction was led by an all-female team.  HBW Construction's interior fit-out here has been directed by Senior Project Manager Alexandra Dramby, Superintendent Jess Hipp, and Project Coordinator Cynthia Aparicio. HBW utilized unique finishes for the Westbard store, including brick, fabric, and barn doors. Each OB&V location is intended to differ from the others, rather than follow a cookie-cutter design. Stay tuned for an opening date!