Baltimore Spirits Company – Baltimore Magazine

Living Proof: Maryland’s Historic Rye Whiskey Strives for a Comeback in Baltimore

Aaron Hope — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 16:19:20 +0000

America’s first whiskey was born in Maryland. Centuries later, it strives for a historic comeback in Baltimore.

By Lydia Woolever

Photography by J.M. Giordano

Food & Drink

Living Proof

America’s first whiskey was born in Maryland. Centuries later, it strives for a historic comeback in Baltimore.

By Lydia Woolever

Photography by J.M. Giordano

December 2023

and tin awnings of the post-war houses along Sollers Point Road—a lone, brick smokestack, rising above the electric lines along the overgrown railroad tracks, towering over the last, long-vacant factories left standing in Dundalk, a stone’s throw from the Port of Baltimore and Francis Scott Key Bridge.

From a closer distance, perhaps along Distillery Avenue in the newly developed Foundry Station, where construction is underway on future townhomes, it emerges in full scale, its size signifying what must have once stood here, and from the tippy top of the rust-red chimney—still almost perfectly intact—three words come into focus: Baltimore Pure Rye.

It’s hard to envision now, as decay plumes across its neighboring water tower, but there was a time, not that long ago, when an entire state-of-the-art factory town once stretched out beneath its shadow, and back then, a series of large brick buildings bustled with dozens if not hundreds of workers, producing a form of whiskey that had put Baltimore, and Maryland, on the national map.

“Born with a future,” hailed one nearly full-page advertisement for the Baltimore Pure Rye Distilling Company in a 1938 Sun, heralding their first, four-year-old, straight rye whiskey, released almost half a decade after the end of Prohibition, when the city’s centuries-old spirits industry came to a sudden and shattering halt. Now, finally—as the short, square, one-quart bottle seemed to declare—whiskey makers would capture that lost momentum, with companies like this one sprouting up out of the embers to sate the thirsty throngs once again.

Even in the midst of the Great Depression, B.P.R., as would later appear on its labels, was no modest distillery. At the time, it was touted as the largest independent rye whiskey operation in the entire United States, with bushels and bushels of its namesake grain arriving by the truckload to this 12-acre property, prized for its proximity to “artesian water” along the Patapsco River.

Here, under master distiller William E. Kricker, some 9,000 gallons of rye whiskey were meticulously produced across two shifts each day, then aged in white-oak barrels inside a six-story, temperature-controlled warehouse, before being bottled and sold to high-end establishments—to be remembered fondly by tony tipplers for decades to come. “Some people around the country are making so-called whiskey with a quick process,” Kricker told The Sun in ’38. “Here in Baltimore, we follow the proven old-time way, and so far, we are having good luck with it.” Of course, that wouldn’t last forever either.

Workers and management at Monumental Distillery in 1942. COURTESY OF THE MARYLAND CENTER FOR HISTORY AND CULTURE, LARGE PRINT COLLECTION

Toward the end of World War II—another post-Prohibition blow—B.P.R. was gobbled up by the behemoth National Distillers Products Corporation, eventually being bought by Seagram’s, whose Canadian whiskey had become the new rage. By the time they closed the Dundalk doors in 1988—along with another sprawling location, known for producing Four Roses bourbon, which still sits abandoned on Willow Spring Road—the plant had been demoted to a storage facility, only manufacturing flavors for the likes of mere wine coolers. All 12 employees were let go and, after sitting empty for decades, the buildings were deemed a safety hazard and torn down to community applause in 2017.

But by the time of demolition, the county had already designated the old brick smokestack and its deteriorating water tower as landmarks for historic preservation, with both still standing to tell their story today:

That this town, this city, this state has an intoxicating past, dating back to a time not that long ago, before anyone had even heard of a little old place called Kentucky. And that we almost left it all on the barroom floor.

Though a growing community here in Baltimore—and beyond—has asked for one last call.

The Baltimore Pure Rye smokestack.

hen considering the national spirit of the United States in this day and age, one clear winner quickly emerges. By all accounts, whiskey—and not just any whiskey, but bourbon whiskey, from the rolling hills of the aforementioned Kentucky—is to America what tequila is to Mexico and vodka is to Russia. It is the stuff of blues music, of John F. Kennedy, of Casablanca, of the streets of New Orleans—as patriotic as baseball or Budweiser, its less potent little cousin.

But long before the Bluegrass State came to define our liquor cabinets, bar wells, and bottle-shop shelves, it was another whiskey—rye whiskey, distilled from a base of rye grain, compared to bourbon’s corn—that dominated the nation’s drinking scene, and for nearly two centuries at that. Even George Washington made the stuff (and quite a lot of it). And for a long time, the Mid-Atlantic was the epicenter.

“Rye was the first American whiskey,” says James Beard Award-winning cocktail historian and drinks-world icon David Wondrich, who grew up near Pittsburgh, one of the spirit’s primary hubs. “The bourbon industry has been in charge by default, but the true roots go through Pennsylvania and Maryland. That’s the heartland.”

In the Old Line State alone, dozens of distilleries once produced millions of gallons of rye whiskey annually, with factories lining the streets of Baltimore and revered brands—Hunter, Mount Vernon, Monticello, Melrose, Sherwood—helping to raise the spirit from its rustic countryside origins to the finest white-tablecloth clubs, five-star hotels, and caviar-studded dining cars from New York to California, earning a reputation the world over along the way. In fact, at some point, our signature “Maryland rye” was so well-known, it became the only whiskey of its kind cited as a geographical style in the federal code of the U.S. Treasury.

A view of the Mount Vernon Distillery in 1891, located just south of today’s M&T Bank Stadium. COURTESY OF THE MARYLAND CENTER FOR HISTORY AND CULTURE, LARGE PRINT COLLECTION

Not for the faint of heart, mind you, it was a spicy, strong, full-bodied drink compared to the soft, sweet sips of Kentucky bourbon—B.P.R. was even affectionately ordered as “Baltimore Paint Remover.” But think of white bread versus rye, for instance. Or better yet, envision it as The Sun once did, with “the ruggedness of the frontiersman and the self-reliant spirit that gave Maryland the name of the Free State.” After all, this was the spirit of proud, tough, Rust Belt cities like Baltimore (which got its “Wet City” nickname for defying Prohibition).

And luckily, it’s no longer ancient history. In the early 2000s, decades after brown liquor had fallen out of fashion in favor of gin, then vodka, then tequila and Bacardi rum, the craft cocktail emerged as the drink du jour. And as bartenders began to research the classics—Manhattans, Sazeracs, Old-Fashioneds—they revealed that rye whiskey was often enough their concoction’s base.

Suddenly, the spirit was cool again, and over the years that followed, a wave of distilleries would rise up to revive its storied birthright, including a handful right here in Maryland. Call it a comeback—one that might restore a great American legacy along the way.

“People want that tradition,” says Wondrich. “Showing them ‘this is what we drink here’ says ‘this is who we are.’”

Bottles are filled with rye whiskey at the Sagamore Spirit Distillery.

n all honesty, at first, we were rum drinkers in this country. Though Native Americans might have lightly dabbled for ceremonial purposes, the creation and consumption of hard alcohol largely immigrated to the New World with European settlers. Soon enough, their homeland traditions became well-established, and the fruits of newfound farms and orchards were being fermented into ciders and beers, then distilled into brandies, in part to fortify their diets and fend off the impurities of drinking water.

All that changed with the British rum trade in the mid-1600s, when colonists are said to have each consumed nearly four gallons of the spirit annually. Whatever the true figure, it had its loyal following, so much so that stiff taxes on the alcohol and its ingredients of molasses and sugar would at least partially inspire the American Revolution. Afterward, its popularity significantly declined as whiskey moved in.

In those early days, Maryland was an agrarian society. To the south and east, tobacco was king, while in the northwest, Piedmont soil was better primed for growing grain. Wheat would help transform Baltimore from a sleepy backwater into a booming, mill-powered metropolis, with the ever-hardy rye being a common cover crop in between. As a matter of economics, a simple pot-style still became standard farm equipment, with any surplus harvest distilled into whiskey, and the spent rye then fed to livestock. With no real roads, rails, or canals yet, the spirit was easier to haul to market on horseback than its original grain, and brought a higher profit, too.

By the late 1700s, rye whiskey would yield a thriving industry just north and west of Baltimore City, with many dozen micro-distilleries likely existing throughout the region. That’s largely thanks to an earlier influx of immigration. In the first half of the century, Germans, as well as Scots-Irish, settled around the Mid-Atlantic, and like others before them, they brought their agricultural know-how and distilling traditions. Some among them were the Frederick-based ancestors of the one and only Jim Beam, whose great-grandfather, Jacob, would eventually make his way to Kentucky, like many other Marylanders and Pennsylvanians of the day—some monetarily incentivized to relocate to its undeveloped land by the “Corn Patch and Cabin Rights Act” of 1776; others doing so out of spite, having been incensed by further alcohol taxes enforced in the north. Ultimately, these southwestward migrations would light the spark for bourbon’s impending takeover.

Checking the barrels at Baltimore Spirit Company.

For a little while longer, though, rye whiskey remained the favorite—and on the verge of a major evolution. Throughout the 1800s, small farm distilleries found steadily increasing competition in the big cities, where entrepreneurs like William and Edwin Walters (of the art museum) and Johns Hopkins (of the university) were getting in on the booze game. Baltimore’s port, then railroads, and general crossroads of commerce were obvious boons, and before long, countless brands flooded the market. The Civil War only helped the cause, when thousands of soldiers became acquainted with the spirit on their way through the region.

While Kentucky slowly but surely grew in the west, two main “eastern” styles of rye whiskey emerged: Pennsylvania’s popular “Monongahela,” named for the state river and known for its high, if not entirely rye mashbill—aka recipe—and the slightly secondary “Maryland” version, which at times also included a small percentage of barley or corn, perhaps making it a tiny bit sweeter. While no one knows exactly what made the two distinct, or so in demand, both of their successes are undoubtedly tied to not only a fair climate and fertile terrain, but also a vast underground limestone formation stemming from the Appalachian Mountains, which yields naturally enhanced water—an essential ingredient for good distilling. On top of that, many local distilleries, like B.P.R., used three-chamber pot stills to make their spirit, giving the rye “a rich, more flavorful, herbal, cedary, almost vegetal style,” says Wondrich, “different than anything we’re used to today.”

As Baltimore’s population surpassed half-a-million toward the end of the 19th century, downtown was a hub of hooch activity. One saloon existed for every 250 people and dozens of wholesalers hawked spirits at local groceries, pharmacies, and department stores, with big hand-painted letters advertising their wares on building facades across the city skyline. Bottle and barrel makers rose to occasion, with more than half of the state’s 40-plus distilleries were scattered in and around the city, including at least two billowing smokestacks within sight of City Hall.

One was the Monticello Distilling Company on Holliday Street, beloved by the father of H.L. Mencken, whose rye the Sun columnist called “the most healthful appetizer yet discovered by man,” being that it was also prescribed as medicine by the family doctor. There was alsothe Walters family’s Orient on the Canton waterfront, too, and the four-acre Mount Vernon near M&T Bank Stadium, and Lanahan & Stewart on Light Street, whose blended Hunter brand would grace London theaters and the pages of Life magazine. Not to mention the county’s famed Sherwood and Sherbrook distilleries, whose head distiller Frank L. Wight was something of a household name.

And out there, too, was Pikesville, born just outside of its namesake neighborhood in 1895, during the height of the rye whiskey industry.

Above: The old Pikesville distillery in 1942. COURTESY OF HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY; The pot still at Baltimore Spirit Company in Hampden; Throwback bottles of Pikesville.COURTESY OF HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY

alk into any Baltimore bar a decade ago, be it a neighborhood dive or a modern speakeasy, and chances are that you would find a bottle of white-labeled Pikesville Supreme. Order a shot, and you’d get Pikesville. Ask for a Manhattan, and fifty-fifty odds, it would be made with Pikesville, too. As much a fixture as cans of Natty Boh on the bartop, bags of Utz by the cash register, or Orioles on the TV, this inexpensive, surprisingly smooth, everyman’s whiskey was—and perhaps in some ways always will be—the city’s go-to rail drink.

Which was a bit of a paradox. On one hand, rye whiskey had clearly fallen from its 1800s heyday, relegated from top billing to the bottom shelf, with even Pikesville once deemed a fine pour. And on the other, despite a long slow death in the name of Smirnoff and Jose Cuervo everywhere else, here it still was. Somehow, even decades after the distilleries were gone, rye remained rooted, even subconsciously, in our sense of place.

“We took it for granted,” says Max Lents, who discovered those white-label bottles through Two-For-Tuesday drink specials at the Ottobar rock club in 2008. “So many people were drinking rye, when no one else in the country was drinking rye, that nobody thought about it, nobody talked about it, but it was there.”

Later, as a manager at the Joe Squared pizza bar, Lents couldn’t help but notice the craft-cocktail craze unfolding before him—all the fancy ice cubes, and fire-singed citrus, and mustached bartenders. He started to delve deeper, piecing together what little remained of rye whiskey’s local history. Also inspired by the rise of craft breweries, he and two friends, Ian Newtown and Eli Breitburg-Smith, all of whom were homebrewers, began moonshining in their kitchens, and before long, a wall of Sticky Notes and Sharpie turned into a business plan. What would become the Baltimore Spirits Company opened in Remington in 2015, releasing their first barrel of Epoch three years later—becoming the city’s first new rye whiskey distillery in decades.

Before that, Pikesville was the last to be made in Maryland. The distilling industry had been hammered by the first half of the 20th century. Two World Wars diverted alcohol production for the war effort and, in between, Prohibition outlawed it outright, from 1920 to 1933. Supplies ran low. Distilleries closed, sold, or transformed into other industries. And after Repeal Day, watered-down blends out of whatever was left found new favor, thanks to a generation now accustomed to the lighter Canadian whiskey that had been smuggled over the border during the ban—the beginning of a cultural shift toward lighter spirits, and the end for rye.

And all the while, Kentucky’s industry flourished, having already become the powerhouse of whiskey production by the mid-19th century, superseding even Pennsylvania, let alone Maryland, as populations and transportation expanded westward. Land was cheap, plentiful, and less desirable, allowing them to weather tough economic times. Corn grew copiously and, soon enough, the crop became federally subsidized to aid farmers through the Great Depression. To make matters worse, their corn-heavy “western” style of rye was sweeter and easier to drink, increasingly made using faster and more efficient column-style stills (though purists say this removes the nuance).

“After Prohibition, bourbon was in a better position,” says Wondrich, noting that several distilleries had been permitted to continue production for “medicinal purposes” during this time, most of them based in Kentucky. “These places kept going, and kept the knowledge alive.”

Meanwhile, into the mid-century, Maryland attempted a second act before ultimately drying up entirely. Pikesville’s local production ended in 1972, first moving to Pennsylvania, and then a decade later, the brand was bought by Kentucky’s Heaven Hill. Although it was now made outside of Louisville, in the heart of Bourbon Country, almost all of the spirit’s consumption continued to occur in Baltimore, pouring through the Mount Royal Tavern and the Maryland Club alike—even though the drink’s tweaked mashbill meant it was no longer “Maryland-style,” per se.

Then in 2016, just as rye whiskey was beginning to make a national comeback, that old white label was discontinued entirely, replaced by a small-batch, six-year-aged, 110-proof bottle of the same name that now sold for $50 a pop (compared to the bottom shelf’s 80 proof and 18 bucks). It’s “a smooth, balanced, sophisticated, small-batch rye whiskey . . . a real Goldilocks,” says Conor O’Driscoll, master distiller at Heaven Hill, whose company also purchased the former Pennsylvania brand, Rittenhouse. At the craft cocktail’s zenith, the public was demanding a more refined and robust product, giving their libations that extra punch.

And so a frenzy ensued. But not the kind one might expect from a town full of bona fide whiskey connoisseurs, known for gathering at monthly meetings, filling Facebook chats and Reddit threads, and staking out estate sales for “dusties,” aka sought-after vintage bottles, like those now carefully kept in the extensive James H. Bready Collection at the Maryland State Archives, named for the former Sun reporter who can be credited with most of what we know about the state’s rye whiskey.

Instead, drinkers of all ilks stormed their local bars and liquor stores in search of the very last of that good, cheap, old stuff, draining their stocks and snagging as many fifths as they could find, until there wasn’t a drop left. Although dozens of cases likely still live on, stashed away in the attics and basements of Baltimore City.

“I still have one and a half bottles left,” says Lents.

Above: Checking the barrels; bottles marching through the conveyor belt; sifting through the rye grain at Sagamore Spirit in Port Covington.

ut now he doesn’t necessarily need it. In the back warehouse of the Union Collective in Hampden, some 600 white-oak barrels are stacked to the ceiling in the new Baltimore Spirits Company headquarters. Each is filled with about 50 gallons of what will become “straight” rye whiskey, simply meaning that the alcohol is aged for at least two years, to impart the wood’s natural color and flavor. It’s a legal designation enlisted after the Wild West of the late 1800s, when unscrupulous blenders and bootleggers used artificial additives to cut corners and create a product more akin to liqueur.

In fact, it was practices like these that muddied the waters of what made a Maryland rye “Maryland rye” at all, and spirit snobs have spent decades squabbling over the definition. Lents may make the real stuff, but he’s no purist; “Maryland rye” is really a matter of geography and quality, he insists, more than one specific formula or recipe. Besides, most of those were lost to history—either never saved in the first place, misplaced in the shuffle of a dying industry, or perhaps destroyed in the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904, when dozens of distilling company headquarters along Gay, Lombard, and Pratt streets went up in flames. One thing that can be agreed on: The vast majority of the mashbill will be rye grain, compared to the industry minimum of 51 percent, as is now the case in Kentucky’s Pikesville. B.P.R. in Dundalk used 98. Which is why the Baltimore Spirits Company only uses 100.

To make their spirit, they receive 2,000 pounds of grain from a Frederick County farmer. It gets milled on-site, then transferred to a 1,000-gallon tank known as a “mash tun,” where it is mixed with water and heat, allowing enzymes from a small portion of malted rye to break down the grain’s complex starch into simple sugars. After about an hour, the mixture, known as the mash, is cooled, then piped into one of two Douglas fir vats, where it will ferment with yeast for several days. As the yeast eats the sweet stuff, it begins to create alcohol, which, at this point, is essentially how beer is made.

But instead of stopping there, the mash is pumped into one of two old-school copper pot stills, where, like a hot pan deglazed with wine, the alcohol will be heated and vaporized, passing as steam into a condenser to be captured and cooled, ultimately turning back into a liquid, before repeating the distilling process a second time, taking about two days in total. In the end, this process will yield about two barrels—or, once water is added to dilute the spirit to its desired proof, 100 gallons of rye whiskey—equating to about 240 bottles each.

“When we released our first barrels in March 2018, we had lines out of the distillery, up the driveway, and onto the exit for I-83,” says Lents, who also released the brand’s four-year-old Reserve earlier this year. “We saved a few bottles for ourselves, to make sure that we could taste it—the first rye distilled in Baltimore in at least 50 years.”

Baltimore Spirits Company wasn’t the first to make this whiskey again in Maryland, though—that distinction goes to Lyon Rum on the Eastern Shore, back in 2014. Now, there are more than a dozen distilleries making some iteration of the spirit throughout the state. And while Lents and company took the cake in city limits, down along the edge of the Patapsco, in the shadow of the old Sun printing plant, on a quiet underpass beside the swinging cranes transforming Port Covington into the Baltimore Peninsula, Sagamore Spirit was right on their heels.

The two distilleries couldn’t be more different. For starters, Sagamore is big—really big. While the Hampden outfit leans toward “artisan,” this stately campus of stone and steel along the south waterfront harkens back to rye whiskey’s factory towns of yore, as well as the well-heeled countryside of Reisterstown, where Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank first devised the idea for this distillery after finding a natural limestone spring on his Sagamore Farm. That water is now being used to finish their own whiskeys, and grain grown on that same property, plus several other nearby farms, is added to their two mashbills—one “Maryland-style,” with 95-percent rye and malted barley, and one more a la Kentucky, made with 43-percent corn.

The goal? “To make rye famous again,” Plank told Baltimore in 2015, embracing an ambitious scale for his distillery—to serve as a neighborhood beacon, and to usher in the next notable chapter of the spirit’s long history in Maryland, which both now seem increasingly likely. This fall, Sagamore, whose products were already sold in 41 states and 15 countries, was acquired by Illva Saronno Corporation, the Italian liquor giant behind Disaronno, which will soon move its North American headquarters to Baltimore.

To help get the distillery off the ground in 2016, Sagamore’s first few runs were made with whiskey mass-produced from Indiana, but by 2021, their own house rye hit the market—an occasion that was followed by shots for the staff at Ryleigh’s Oyster in Federal Hill. Still blending the last of their Midwest inventory into a portion of the bottles, they aim to have an entirely local lineup by 2025.

Today, a 25-person team runs 10 shifts a week, each using about 10,000 pounds of grain, fermented across one of nine 6,500-gallon tanks and triple-distilled with a 40-foot-tall copper column still, named Penny, to produce about 15 barrels of rye whiskey, aka about 40,000 gallons annually—roughly 10 times that of Baltimore Spirits Company.

But even in an exceedingly competitive market, there’s still enough to go around. According to the Distilled Spirits Council, rye sales have grown from $15 million in 2009 to $356 million last year. And no longer a novelty, craft cocktails are now commonplace, with few signs of slowing down anytime soon.

“Everything comes to a saturation point, where it’s tougher to find shelf space, but as the consumer becomes more educated, they’re noticing quality,” says Ryan Norwood, COO at Sagamore. “Our hope is that high tides raise all ships.”

But before all that rye finds its way into your glass, it’s aged for at least four years in Sagamore’s two warehouses on North Point Boulevard near Dundalk, less than five miles as the crow flies from the old smokestack of B.P.R.

Above: Baltimore County's famed Sherwood Distillery, whose head distiller Frank L. Wight was something of a household name; vintage Pikesville labels. Courtesy of the Maryland State Archives

nd so it goes for our iconic booze—ebbing and flowing, with perhaps a good run now going into the future. In May, Governor Wes Moore declared rye to be Maryland’s official state spirit, which could pave the way for national recognition and cultural tourism like Kentucky’s “Bourbon Trail,” which would lead right into the heart of Baltimore.

And there, in Fells Point, on the corner of Bond and Fleet Street, you might find a seat at the turquoise bar at Southpaw, where three small frames hang on the memorabilia-strewn wall, each featuring a different vintage label of the city’s old standby, Pikesville.

A pour at Sagamore Spirit; a vintage bottle from Sherwood.

It was this same whiskey that, over a decade ago, owner Doug Atwell poured freely and helped remind the city of its celebrated past. In 2011, he co-opened Rye, a beloved watering hole just down the street on Broadway, and in fitting fashion, many a night, that white-labeled bottle, alongside Pennsylvania’s Rittenhouse, held a prominent placement throughout the menu, be it as a last-call shot, neat pour, or ingredient mixed into some of the city’s first old school-inspired cocktails. One riff on the Diamondback—once the house drink at the glitzy Lord Baltimore Hotel lounge—was made with, you guessed it, Pikesville.

As would only be right, during his new bar’s opening night last summer, Atwell was gifted a few of those long-gone, bottom-shelf bottles. But now, Baltimore Spirits Company’s Epoch sits at the ready on the bar—a torchbearer of a new era—nestled between Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace and Elijah Craig.

“Rye whiskey is woven into our identity,” says Atwell, a lifelong Marylander, who has one of those old park-bench planks, hailing Baltimore as the “Greatest City in America,” hanging above his bar. “All the folks who are making it today have such a reverence for what used to exist here,” he says. “And the fact that we can order it again feels like a secret history has come back to life.”

Courtesy of the Maryland State Archives.

LYDIA WOOLEVER is a senior editor at Baltimore.

Source

Gin o’ Clock

Christine Jackson — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 17:25:25 +0000

Above, from left: Gin cocktails from Dutch Courage: Black Magic, Fever Dream, Che Vuoi?, A Japanese Breakfast, The Eleanor, 4 Little Birds. —Photography by Scott Suchman

For better or for worse, when we think of gin, we often conjure images from across the pond, from the moralists who condemned a lawless, drunken London to the precision of James Bond’s Vesper martini. The spirit was so tied to the British identity that, in 1808, as tensions rose leading up to the War of 1812, Baltimoreans even staged their own version of the Boston Tea Party, burning 720 gallons of that other beloved British beverage at Hampstead Hill.

“The proscribed [sic] liquor blazed to heaven amidst the discharge of cannon and the applause of fifteen thousand citizens met to show their love for independence, and to burn gin that had paid tribute to England,” wrote historian John Thomas Scharf. Luckily, in the 200-plus years since that terrible waste, locals have changed their tune a bit.

Gin has experienced a series of meteoric rises and a few steep falls from grace. It’s been demonized and celebrated, made secretly in dubious bathtubs and proudly in shining copper stills. And now, at the dawn of the second Roaring ’20s, it’s back again. Perhaps better than ever.

But first, a quick history lesson. Gin as we know it today is a far cry from its roots, which are firmly planted in Dutch, not British, soil. It all began with a distilled beverage flavored with juniper called genever, the first record of which comes from the Netherlands in 1552. Juniper is still the most prominent botanical in today’s gins, though some distillers have gotten more creative with the flavoring in recent years. And genever itself has been making a comeback. This malty precursor tasted more like a young whiskey than the clear spirit we know today, but it laid the groundwork for several hundred years of innovation.

Genever made its way to England during the 80 Years’ War, and it was dubbed “Dutch Courage” because it was given to soldiers to steady their nerves before battle. When a Dutchman, William of Orange, took the English throne in 1688, all things Dutch came into fashion. The king began encouraging his new countrymen to produce a version of his home spirit.

“So then we have what becomes the first sort of English gin,” says spirits historian Al Culliton, who also runs an online program for home bartenders called Al’s Cocktail Club. “They start calling it ‘gin,’ which obviously comes from genever. Usually it was sweetened, but still made on a pot still and based in grains. It’s always going to be based in grains, but how that grain is distilled is what changes. We’ve got the whole William Hogarth ‘Gin Lane’ period, where basically people that are used to drinking beer and ale across England start drinking genever in copious amounts. We have this sweetened form called Old Tom…and then finally we have London dry style. You don’t really see this super clean spirit take hold, especially in the U.S., until the very late 19th century.”

Today, many different styles of gin are flourishing, from classic Dutch-style genevers to New Western styles, which stray from the unwritten rules. The basic definition of gin is “a colorless alcoholic beverage made from distilled or redistilled neutral grain spirits flavored with juniper berries.” But tell that to the pink gins, the tea-colored gins, and the gins that veer way off course from the traditional juniper notes.

The aptly named Dutch Courage in Old Goucher alone stocks 140 styles, and includes tasting notes for each. Some exciting options include Corgi “Earl Grey” (black tea, brisk bergamot, and juicy citrus), KI NO BI Dry Gin (yuzu, orange oil, pine note, and eucalyptus), and Catoctin “Watershed” (caraway, faintly floral, woody, and white pepper).

“The cool thing is, we have so many options up there that people just want to try different stuff,” says Brendan Dorr, who co-owns Dutch Courage with Eric Fooy. “If you wanted to come in and just make your own sample, our spirit menu has those little descriptors under all the gins so you can get an idea of what flavors you might be getting or what you might get off the nose of it before you enjoy it.”

While some enthusiasts enjoy just sipping on the spirit, gin on its own isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. And that’s no problem. Gin has been essential to cocktails for as long as folks have been making them.

“Since the word cocktail was created and defined as a mixture of bitters, water, sugar, and spirit, gin has been in that mix. That’s kind of why we opened Dutch Courage. We wanted to pay homage to a spirit that has deep roots in cocktail history,” says Dorr. “Whiskey bars are out there, but in this city, there definitely weren’t any gin bars. So for us to open Dutch Courage was to be like, hey, here’s a whole other category of spirit that people probably didn’t realize is as vast as it is.”

There are currently around 6,000 gins produced worldwide, and Nielsen data shows a rise in U.S. gin consumption. Last summer it managed to outpace bourbon, rum, and even vodka in sales.

It’s a trend that’s been a long time coming. An August 2020 episode of The VinePair Podcast asked, “Is the Gin Boom Finally Here?” and, for once, the answer seemed to be yes. Gin’s rampant popularity across Europe appears to have finally made the leap across the pond, much to the delight of distillers.

GIN’S RAMPANT POPULARITY ACROSS EUROPE APPEARS TO HAVE FINALLY MADE THE LEAP ACROSS THE POND...

Max Lents, CEO of Baltimore Spirits Company, has been watching that particular needle move with a keen interest for years. In 2015, BSC began distilling the first legal gin in Baltimore since Prohibition, Shot Tower. These days their lineup includes two other varieties, Barreled Shot Tower Gin and Skeleton Spirit Gin. The distillery’s recently opened Cocktail Gallery features all three offerings alongside other house products in both new and classic drinks.

“Gin seems to be having a moment, which has been predicted for many years. Europe had this gin revival over the last decade and Spain I might say was ground zero,” says Lents. “People figured because it was having such a moment there that eventually it would come over to the U.S. Normally, liquor trends happen the other way [America to Europe], but this seems to have happened the other direction, and I couldn’t be more thankful for it.”

The boom has come on the heels of another couple of trends, the revival of cocktail culture and the consumers’ desire to be more educated about the products they choose, making it an ideal time for both spirits enthusiasts and the curious casual drinker.

“I don’t think we would be having an amaro revolution, or a vermouth revolution, or a gin revolution without the reemergence of cocktail culture in America,” says Lents. “I think it’s the finding of the old cocktail books, it’s the reemergence of the [pioneering bartender] Jerry Thomas recipes. I think it’s their application in cocktails that’s driving the resurgence of these spirits.”

Culliton, who studies cocktail history and recreates many once-popular drinks for their cocktail club, has seen the same. Europe may have birthed gin, but cocktails made their journey across the Atlantic from the United States in the 1800s. From the earliest bartending guides to more recent history, gin is at the center of that story.

“We see a lot of gin in those recipes, and gin is always at least a variation, so we know that it had a huge foothold,” says Culliton. “And then I think the dry martini is very emblematic of the second half of cocktail history and the staying power of the American cocktail across the world. It supplanted a lot of drinks as the emblem of our cocktail culture. [The cocktail] is one of our first and greatest exports.”

The martini in particular has taken on dozens of iterations. Its original recipe included London Dry, sweet vermouth, orange bitters, simple syrup, lemon peel, and an olive, a veritable kitchen sink compared to the current standard.

Then there’s perhaps the most famous drink order ever uttered, James Bond’s vodka martini, “shaken, not stirred.” The movie Bond may have snubbed his home spirit a bit—vodka was booming when he first hit the silver screen—but the novels have plenty of nods to gin. Bond author Ian Fleming had 007 invent the Vesper (“Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large slice of lemon-peel. Got it?”) and enjoy a variety of other gin classics, including the gin martini, pink gin, and negroni.

Culliton also counts the pandemic among the reasons people have renewed their interest in the classic spirit. When bars closed, the bar cart and liquor cabinet got more use than ever before, and simple options like the gin and tonic thrived. People also expanded their home bartending skills.

“The pandemic has given people time to invest in learning more about the cocktails they’ve been drinking for years,” says Culliton. “There’s an extra aspect of people wanting to know what’s behind the drink and how to make it at home. I taught 60 Zoom classes this year. People are really into it.”

Whether it’s in a simple gin and tonic mixed at home, a historic recipe followed to the letter (try an Aviation, originally made with El Bart Gin distilled right here in Baltimore, from 1916), or an entirely new creation, experts advise taking note of what you like. There are thousands of international options and plenty of regional producers to try.

“Gin deserves attention, and the more people that drink gin and really start to love it, the more people are gonna understand the differences and what they like,” says Lents. “It’s a whole culture of understanding. Understanding your own consumption and the provenance of it.”

Not into that strong, Christmassy hit of juniper? No problem. McClintock Distilling in Frederick’s Gardener’s Gin leads with cucumber, hibiscus, and lavender for a refreshing, floral option. More of a dark liquor person? Seek out a bottle of Genever Inspired Gin from Tenth Ward Distilling Company, also in Frederick, for a malty, earthy flavor that looks to gin’s roots while winking at Maryland’s love of rye. Feeling adventurous? BSC’s Skeleton Spirit features an herbaceous blend of eucalyptus, aloe, and avocado leaf that begs to be the star of something simple that will let its unique flavors shine.

And if you don’t know what you like, well, that’s what those experts are for.

“It’s a fun, exciting spirit that’s finally seeing the light of day in the most positive way. The sky’s the limit for flavor combinations, so there will always be new combinations coming out by different distilleries,” says Dorr, glancing over at the hundred-plus bottles behind his bar. “It’s an exciting time. I don’t have enough shelf.”

Give Gin a Spin

Whether you’re working with years of experience or trying out gin for the very first time, our experts have a cocktail for you.

Brendan Dorr, Dutch Courage

When it comes to introducing the unfamiliar to the joys of this juniper spirit, Dorr recommends this easy cocktail, a variation on a gin sour, that probably doesn’t even require a special trip to the store. Just whip up the syrup, combine your ingredients, and enjoy the fruits of your minimal labor.

Bee’s Knees
1 oz. honey syrup
1 oz. lemon juice
2 oz. gin

Make a quick honey syrup (50/50 water and honey); add it to a shaker with ice, one part lemon juice, and two parts gin; then shake, strain, and enjoy. It’s the bee’s knees.

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Max Lents, Baltimore Spirit Co.

Barreled Shot Tower Gin, which spends 9 months hanging out in Epoch Rye barrels, and Averna Amaro lend some citrusy, caramely notes to this gin option that may just convert the dedicated whiskey and rye drinkers out there.

The Black Tuesday
2 oz. Barreled Shot Tower Gin
1 oz. Averna Amaro
5 shakes Black Walnut Bitters

Stir over ice and strain onto a large ice cube. Express an orange peel over the top of the glass and garnish with the expressed orange peel.

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Al Culliton, Al’s Cocktail Club

Culliton’s study of cocktail history has led them to all kinds of historic drinks and their many variations. Follow a condensed timeline of gin history by making these gin, Old Tom, and genever drinks.

Fall Martini
¾ oz. gin (Neversink)
¾ oz. unaged apple brandy (Laird’s)
¾ oz. dry vermouth (Noilly Prat extra dry)
½ oz. Manzanilla sherry (La Guita)
¼ oz. Gentian liqueur (Salers)
¼ oz. “brine”*

Combine all in a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with a Castelvetrano olive on a pick.

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Improved Holland Gin Cocktail—Java edition
1½ oz. oude genever (Bols)
½ oz. Batavia arrack (van Oosten)
¼ oz. oloroso sherry (Hidalgo “Faraon”)
¼ oz. crème de banane (Tempus Fugit)
¾ teaspoon lime-ginger syrup*
4 drops chocolate bitters (Fee Brothers “Aztec Chocolate”)
Coffee bean, for garnish (BCRC)

Combine all in a mixing glass. Fill three-quarters with ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a small, stemmed cocktail glass. Grate coffee bean on top using a microplane.

Band of Horse Thieves (serves 4-5)
9 oz. Old Tom gin
3 oz. Sweet vermouth
3 ¾ oz. Water
Absinthe for spritzing/rinsing

Combine Old Tom gin, sweet vermouth, and water in a ~20 oz. jar. Freeze for 6+ hours. Freeze single rocks glasses 2+ hours ahead of time. Before serving, spritz or rinse frozen glasses with absinthe. Pour 3-4 oz. of mixture in each. Serve immediately.

Source

Open & Shut: Baltimore Spirits Company; Baba’s Market; Alma Cocina Latina

Lauren Cohen — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 18:55:27 +0000

COMING SOON

Baltimore Spirits Company to Debut Cocktail Bar: The team at this award-winning spirits supplier—which has long been at the forefront of the conversation to pass legislation allowing distilleries to serve cocktails—has plans to upgrade its tasting room next year. Come 2021, visitors will be able to sample much more than small pours at BSC’s new cocktail bar opening next to the distillery at Union Collective. “Everyone has been asking us ‘when?’ and I couldn’t be happier to finally be able to say, ‘now’,” co-founder and CEO Max Lents said in a statement. Featuring its own exterior entrance, the new bar will be sandwiched between Vent Coffee Roasters and The Wine Collective, serving cocktails that feature BSC favorites such as Shot Tower gin and Epoch rye whiskey. Plus, expect drink tutorials, whiskey-blending classes, product tastings, and bottle sales in the new digs. “I can’t wait to finally have a space to serve drinks, host parties, and teach people about our industry and company,” sums up Lents.

Crepe Crazy: As if Cross Street Market in Federal Hill didn’t already have plenty to love, a new stall selling crepes and bistro fare will join the lineup in September. Showcasing a mid-century modern vibe with white marble countertops and pops of orange and yellow, the cafe in between Steve’s Lunch and SoBeachy Haitain Cuisine will offer an array of traditional crepes, as well as paninis, salads, soups, French wines, and mimosas. But Crepe Crazy will do much more than just peddle its sweet and savory bites. The mission behind the deaf-owned business—started by owners Vladimir and Inna Giterman in Austin, Texas in 2007—is to support the local deaf and hard of hearing community by offering jobs and understanding the challenges deaf people face in the workforce. The Texas-based cafe is being brought to Baltimore by franchisees Ruslan and Betsie Kulikov, who have been vending at festivals in Maryland since 2015.

Wacky Waffles Cafe: Speaking of alliterative sweet shops, this new cafe is on track to open one block north of Patterson Park this fall. The focus? You guessed it: waffles. Charm City native Devon Jones established Wacky Waffles as a catering company five years ago, and got his start with pop-ups at festivals and farmers markets. Now, he’s renovating the space at 40 N. Streeper St. to become the brand’s first brick and mortar. Be on the lookout for classic waffles served with tons of toppings when the shop debuts in October.

CH-CH CHANGES

Baba’s Kitchen and Market: In the next few weeks, Baba’s Mediterranean Kitchen owner Farid Salloum plans to transform the dining room at his neighborhood fixture into a grab-and-go market that offers prepared soups and salads, deli meats, cheeses, olives, baked breads, produce, eggs, and a variety of refrigerated dips. But fans of Salloum’s famous pitas, kabobs, and mezze plates have no need to worry. The regular menu will still be available for carryout (as it is currently) once the market officially opens.

Dangerously Delicious Pies Hampden: In yet another creative pandemic pivot, Baltimore’s resident “pie guy” Rodney Henry has acquired a liquor license for his Hampden location on the Avenue. According to reporting by The Baltimore Sun, Henry is revamping the concept to include beer, wine, cocktails and an expanded menu of savory entrees that diners can enjoy al fresco. “I love pie, trust me,” he told The Sun, “but you gotta keep things interesting and be excited about what you’re doing.” He hopes to reopen the shop, which has been solely offering delivery since March, next month.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

8/29: Suckling Pig Roast at Clavel
Clavel chef/co-owner Carlos Raba recently took a trip to his hometown in Culiacán, Sinaloa, and, lucky for us, it inspired him to host a full-blown feast at the restaurant this weekend. Raba will be filling Clavel’s handmade tortillas with roasted suckling pig and “culichi” fish from noon to 8 p.m. (or sellout.) Tacos can be ordered on site to enjoy outside or you can opt to carry out a family kit and reheat them at home.

8/29: Hue Cafe & Apothecary Pop-Up
This yet-to-open vegan street food spot in Towson is hosting its very first pop-up this weekend. Gather at Walther Gardens from 12-6 p.m. to chow down on jackfruit carnitas tacos and loaded black bean nachos with jerk shrooms while sipping refreshing hibiscus tea. The event will act as a soft rollout for the forthcoming eatery and apothecary, set to open soon on Burke Avenue. Stay tuned for more details.

SHUT

Alma Cocina Latina: Husband-and-wife owners Mark Demshak and Irena Stein took to Instagram to announce that their beloved Venezuelan restaurant, which takes inspiration from Stein’s roots in Caracas, will soon shutter its doors after more than five years of serving authentic arepas, colorful cocktails, and artfully plated entrees at the Canton Can Company. But we’re sure this isn’t the last we’ll see of Alma. The owners hinted at a possible move in the post, while thanking diners for their support and confirming that the restaurant’s partnership with Mera Kitchen Collective will continue to feed those in need throughout the pandemic. “Our destination is not confirmed yet,” the post reads. “We will keep you posted.”

Source

Three Local Drinks to Bring to Your Holiday Celebration

Lauren Cohen — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 08:30:00 +0000

There are more locally crafted libations available to us than at any time since Prohibition, and we couldn’t be happier. We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to local craft beer, Maryland wine, and even spirits. Here are but three picks from the local cornucopia of drinks we think you’ll love.

Manor Hill Brewing Citra Splendor Imperial IPA ($16, Legends)
We once listened to a brewmaster complain about the explosion of interest in India Pale Ales, and hoppy beers generally. “Everyone wants the American stuff brewed with Cascade hops,” he said. “Man, it’s like suckin’ on nickels!” Citra Splendor is not that beer. Lavishly hopped it is, but the Citra variety brings lovely floral and citrus notes along with a hint of tropical fruits. No nickels to be found in this luxurious yet robust cool-weather brew, crafted in nearby Ellicott City.

Baltimore Spirits Company “1904” Ginger Apple Liqueur ($35, Republic National)
The hometown heroes at BSC have released several fascinating concoctions of late, but we are most smitten with the 1904. After distilling an apple brandy in the traditional sense, they add back to it juice from the same apples they used in the distillation. The result is a relatively high-proof liqueur with loads of apple character and a definite twist of sweetness on the finish. Enjoy it on the rocks or get creative with cold-weather cocktails.

Fun fact: Apple brandy is a regional tradition that goes back to the birth of our nation. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey boasted the largest number of orchards in the country, and most of it was for cider and brandy. The heirloom varieties weren’t suitable for eating, but the recent renaissance in locally crafted cider and spirits means that many of these apples are once again being harvested in our area.

Black Ankle Vineyards Rolling Hills Red 2018 ($38, Black Ankle)
It’s hard to believe that 11 years have passed since this Mount Airy producer released its first vintage. Since then, they’ve been constantly learning and raising the bar for Maryland wine. The 2018 Rolling Hills is a classic Bordeaux-style blend that relies most heavily on the two classics, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It offers loads of red berry, cassis, plum, and cherry notes supported by structured tannins and sports a lengthy finish that begs for a wintry roast.

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Open & Shut: Bottoms Up Bagels; Idle Hour; Baolloween at Ekiben

Lauren Cohen — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 14:04:31 +0000

Bottoms Up Bagels: New Jersey natives Michelle Bond and Joan Kanner, who have both lived in Charm City for more than a decade, certainly know a thing or two about a good bagel and schmear. Since 2016, they have been serving their hand-rolled, boiled beauties—in varieties like sesame, poppyseed, salt, pumpernickel and Old Bay—at local farmers’ markets and pop-up events. Now, the duo is getting ready to start a new chapter with a brick and mortar coming to the Greenmount corridor in 2020.

“We’ve always believed that there was interest in a simple, quality made bagel experience,” Bond tells us. “Over the last few years we’ve been able to test that, getting feedback along the way and constantly tweaking. We’ve tried to be strategic and bring folks along with us as we’ve grown, and this includes setting up on Greenmount Avenue and being at the forefront of the good things happening there.”

Though details about the space haven’t been announced yet, it will act as both a production kitchen and a retail shop for locals to get their fix of fresh bagels topped with house-cured gravlax, as well as spreads like veggie, sesame-Sriracha, sugar butter, and house-smoked jalapeño cream cheese.

BAR BULLETIN

Bluebird Cocktail Room Releases Fall/Winter Menu: It should come as no surprise that this literary-inspired Hampden hangout is taking inspiration from Grimms’ Fairy Tales for its new seasonal menu. The roster includes 18 clever drinks that are each derived from a different tale. Among them are the “Briar Rose” (housemade grapefruit kombucha infused with tequila and borage flowers), “Rapunzel” (Distillery Lane Ciderworks’ rum-finished Celebration Cider), and “Rumplestilskin,” which incorporates Ricard pastis and chocolate from Pure Chocolate by Jinji at Belvedere Square. To pair with the drinks, the bar is also releasing new noshes like fried Brussel sprouts with fermented garlic honey and a cheeseburger topped with caramelized onions.

Baltimore Spirits Company Unveils Skeleton Spirit Gin: This Union Collective-based distillery is celebrating the spooky holiday next week by debuting its new Shot Tower Skeleton Spirit Gin—the teams’ first expansion of the popular Shot Tower gin line since they began distilling in 2015. At a 45-percent ABV, Baltimore Spirits Company’s (BSC) second-ever botanical gin is made with ingredients like juniper, eucalyptus, and aloe vera. “We wouldn’t have considered releasing a new gin unless we were sure we had something really special on our hands,” BSC co-founder and CEO Max Lents said in a statement. “We wouldn’t want to compete with Shot Tower Gin, so it had to be something remarkable and different on the gin spectrum.” A dance party at Union on November 1 will celebrate the release, as well as BSC’s fourth anniversary. The celebration will feature a full cocktail bar by Sugarvale, eats by Dooby’s, a costume contest, and live music spun by DJ Cian Noteman.

Idle Hour Featured by Eater: One of the city’s most beloved corner bars—best known for its vinyl nights and walls lined with Chartreuse bottles—received national attention this week when Eater published an excerpt from author Brad Thomas Parsons’ book, Last Call, in which the author interviews bartenders across the country about what they would choose as their last drink. Of course, Idle Hour co-owner Brendan Finnerty chose Chartreuse. “Chartreuse slows you down and warms and loosens you up,” he told Parsons. “If you spend an entire evening sipping on the Green, you find yourself a little bit lighter and a little bit brighter. You tend to float.” Read our review of the South Baltimore staple, here.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

10/24: Chicken and Champagne at Chez Hugo
It might be tough to think about Champagne and fried chicken as one of the world’s greatest food combos, but Chez Hugo’s annual celebration of the two might just change your mind. Settle in at the French bistro to enjoy a special selection of bubbles by the glass or bottle alongside a feast of fried chicken drizzled with Espelette honey or house hot sauce. There will also be fitting sides such as buttermilk biscuits, twice baked potatoes, collard greens, cole slaw, and caviar if you’re feeling bougie.

10/31: Baolloween at Ekiben
Don’t be surprised to see a line of colorfully dressed patrons wrapped around the 1600 block of Eastern Avenue on Halloween next week. Ekiben’s cleverly named “Baolloween” tradition of serving discounted steamed buns and rice bowls to costumed customers will continue starting at 4:30 p.m. on October 31. Diners who show up in costume will receive $1 buns or $4 rice bowls throughout the afternoon, and the rest of the menu will be available at regular price. The tradition is one of many initiatives that Ekiben has launched to engage with the community, the most recent being a recurring pop-up series featuring visiting chefs like Carlos Raba of Clavel and Johnny Spero of Reverie in Washington, D.C.

Source

Weekend Lineup: December 7-9

Kaitlyn Pacheco — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 17:52:40 +0000

EAT

Dec. 7: R. House’s Birthday Blowout

R. House, 301 W. 29th St. 6 p.m.-12 a.m. Free

This Friday marks the second anniversary of Remington’s beloved food hall, and we have to admit—we’ve spent the better part of the past two years sipping cocktail creations from R. Bar and eating our way through stalls like Amano Taco, Be.bim, and BRD. Celebrate R. House’s big day with two-for-one food specials, a birthday-themed bar, and fun-filled activities like face painting and a scavenger hunt. The adults-only part of the celebration starts at 9 p.m., so be sure to tuck the kiddos into bed and sneak back over before then.

DRINK

Dec. 7: Baltimore Spirits Company Invades Old Line Spirits

The Ready Room Cocktail Bar, 200 S. Janney St. 7-10 p.m. Free.

Since Old Line Spirits added The Ready Room cocktail bar to their Highlandtown facility this summer, it has become a go-to spot for creative cocktails made with the distillery’s signature rums and whiskeys. But for one night only, Baltimore Spirits Company will take over bar with its crowd-favorite spirits like Shot Tower Gin and Fumus Pumila Smoked Apple Brandy. In between sampling sips of winter warmers, try a barrel-smoked meat sandwich from local newcomers Scalawags Pit Meat.

SEE

Dec. 9: A Charlie Brown Christmas

The Modell Lyric, 140 W. Mt. Royal Ave. 1 & 4 p.m. $25-55.

We all know and love the Peanuts, and this Sunday, see Snoopy and the whole gang come alive on the Lyric stage during this all-new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Follow along as Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and their merry band of Peanuts characters discover the true meaning of Christmas during this family-favorite musical, featuring classic tunes by original composer Vince Guaraldi.

HEAR

Dec. 8: Version with Trillnatured

The Crown, 1910 N. Charles St. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Free.

Although Trillnatured originally made her mark on Baltimore’s music scene with her R&B and jazz-influenced club mixes, Version—her monthly turnups at The Crown that celebrate this city’s LGBTQ community—have made her a local icon. During the final event of the year, dance until all hours of the morning to sounds by Trillnatured herself and rising local rapper Kotic Couture. Be on the lookout for details about Version’s two-year anniversary party in January.

DO

Dec. 7: Handmade in Hampden

SweetSide Cafe, 3543 Chestnut Ave. 4-8 p.m. Free.

With holiday shopping season well underway, stop into this one-day-only market to find locally made gifts for everyone on your list. From handmade scarves and dolls to Baltimore-inspired trinkets, this pop-up shop at SweetSide Café will feature tons of homemade goods by Hampden-based makers such as MerinoCreation and BeautyCounter. While you’re at it, grab a toasty panini and warm latte to fuel your gift-hunting habits.

Source

Weekend Lineup: Sept. 14-16

Kaitlyn Pacheco — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 17:06:00 +0000

EAT

Sept. 15: Baltimore Seafood Festival

Canton Waterfront Park, 3001 Boston Street. 12-7 p.m. Free-$105.

Even the impending Hurricane Florence can’t stop Marylanders from one last end-of-summer seafood feast. On Saturday, more than 35 area restaurants and food trucks will take over Canton Waterfront Park to serve up some of the best blue crabs, crab soup, crab cakes, and oysters the Old Line State has to offer. Spend the day checking off our list of must-have bites, jamming to live music by local favorites The Scotch Bonnets and Honey Extractor, and honoring the bounty of the bay from noon until sundown.

DRINK

Sept. 15: Opening of Baltimore Spirits Company

Baltimore Spirits Company, 1700 W. 41st St. 12-8 p.m. Free.

Since opening its doors in June, Union Collective has welcomed four local independent businesses into its booming makerspace, and this weekend, the Baltimore Spirits Company will add its award-winning spirits to the pack. Formerly the Baltimore Whiskey Company, this hometown distillery is celebrating its grand opening with an all-out party featuring drinks and eats from fellow tenants The Charmery, Vent Coffee Roasters, and Union Craft Brewing, as well as tunes by DJ Jack Denning of All Mighty Senators. Take a tour of the new production space, sip on cocktails made with the brand’s signature gin, brandy, amaro, or whiskey, and revel in the much-anticipated opening of this locally loved distillery.

SEE

Sept.14-Oct. 7: Putin on Ice

Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St. Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. $25-29.

In an era when headlines are dominated by claims of “fake news,” Baltimore arts organizations Single Carrot Theatre and The Acme Corporation have collaborated on a project where everything that happens on stage is said to be a lie. This experimental production incorporates made-up ancient texts, falsified scientific data, and manipulated video evidence to present a wacky satirical portrait of Vladimir Putin in a performance that is sure to be one of this season’s don’t-miss events.

HEAR

Sept. 15: Afro House Concert No. 6

Hamilton-Lauraville, address disclosed upon ticket purchase. 7-9 p.m. $25.

To the artists that make up Afro House, a company of performers from across all disciplines and corners of the city, music is the thread that connects us all. For the sixth edition of the collective’s concert series, guests are invited to grab a seat in the living room of a local home to hear the creative ensemble play a fusion of classical, soul, and rock music in an intimate setting. This is a new music experience in Baltimore, led by local composer and pianist Scott Patterson.

DO

Sept. 16: Abell Community Street Fair

3000-3200 Abell Ave. 12-5 p.m. Free.

Home to beloved local spots like The Book Thing and Normal’s Book and Records, this growing neighborhood is one to celebrate. Start your Sunday by watching the annual children’s costume parade stroll down Abell Avenue at 11:30 a.m., and then enjoy an afternoon of sampling eats from local food trucks and brews by Abell’s own Peabody Heights Brewery, exchanging your summer clothes at The Clothing Swap, and browsing works by area artists. Best of all, this year’s fair boasts two stages of live performances, featuring rising acts like James & the Giant Peach and Joseph & The Beasts.

Source

Open & Shut: 101 Baltimore; Roggenart; Mueller’s Delicatessen

Lauren Cohen — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 15:43:00 +0000

CH-CH CHANGES

101 Baltimore: Though this Federal Hill hangout initially debuted as a deli one year ago, it quickly became apparent that 101’s true strengths were its sophisticated snacks, next-level cocktails, and approachable wine offerings—which we recognized with a Best of Baltimore award this year. Now, as the spot begins to hit its stride as a modern neighborhood bistro owner Sean White and his team have changed the name from 101 Deli Bar to 101 Baltimore. The refocused concept features new eats from chef Brian Mahon (think ricotta gnocchi and a watermelon poke bowl), a refreshed local beer lineup from general manager Sam Wyatt, and an expanded wine list crafted by new sommelier Dan Worrell—formerly of Minnow in Riverside. 1118 S. Charles St. 443-682-9480

Vida Taco Bar: Local diners were hyped when this Annapolis-based tacos-and-tequila spot unveiled a new location at Harbor Point earlier this summer. Now, executive chef Josh Brown is gearing up for fall by adding some new flavors to the taco menu. Favorite fillings like Buffalo cauliflower and chilled ahi tuna will be sticking around for the season, and will also be joined by new options like a fried octopus taco with yukon gold potato salad and chipotle aioli, and a sweet potato taco with black beans and pickled red onion. Additionally, the drink menu has been updated with new cocktails like the “24 Carrot,” which highlights Suerte reposado tequila, fresh pressed carrot and apple juice, ginger margarita mix, and a salt-and-pepper rim. 1401 S. Point St. 443-835-8474

OPEN

Baltimore Spirits Company: This acclaimed distillery is officially opening the doors to its new production space and tasting room inside Union Collective this Saturday, September 15. The state-of-the-art facility boasts lots of character with a selection of fun bar tools from Cocktail Kingdom, reclaimed décor and furniture built by the co-owners themselves, and a brand new still that will allow for quadruple the output. Aside from the striking interior, the eco-friendly production space uses a custom geothermal system to sustainably distil its award-winning spirits like Epoch Rye and Shot Tower Gin. 1700 W. 41 St.

Well Crafted Kitchen: Speaking of Union Collective, this farm-to-table pizza purveyor also recently opened inside the space. The business—which started as mobile kitchen inside of a tricked-out 1949 Dodge pickup truck—specializes in wood-fired pizzas topped with everything from arugula and heirloom tomato to apples and caramel. The new headquarters is located just off of the Union taproom, making it easy for beer lovers to grab a snack while hanging out at the brewery. 1700 W. 41 St.

Roggenart: A new location of this heavenly Mt. Washington bakery is now open off of Dobbin Road in Columbia. The new spot continues the bakery’s European-inspired flair, featuring display cases filled with fresh-baked baguettes, flaky croissants, and traditional pain au chocolat. Wash down on all of the eats with coffee drinks including espresso, macchiatos, and frothy lattes. The new cafe marks the second local shop for Serbian-born owner Nem Popov, who also owns a string of bakeries throughout Europe. 6476 Dobbin Center Way, Columbia. 443 583-7854

EPICUREAN EVENTS

9/20 & 9/27: Origins Speaker Series
We can’t believe it’s been three years since this sustainable speaker series debuted at Artifact Coffee. This month, the event is celebrating its long run by offering a two-part conversation about local sourcing from both the retail and the farmers’ market point of view. The special program begins on September 20 with an intimate conversation between MOM’s Organic Market CEO Scott Nash and Tracy Ward, executive director of food preservation organization Chesapeake Harvest. The talk will continue one week later on September 27 with special guests David Liker of Gorman Farms in Howard County and Mark Toigo of Toigo Orchards in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. As always, both events will include drinks, appetizers, and a family-style meal with the speakers after the conversation. 1500 Union Ave. 6:30 p.m. $65 for one evening, $120 for both.

9/20: Dining Out For Life
More than 50 restaurants throughout the Baltimore-Metro area—including Hersh’s, Linwoods, Square Meal, Woodberry Kitchen, and Annabel Lee Tavern—are participating in the 25th annual Dining Out For Life fundraiser on Thursday, September 20. In honor of the initiative, the restaurants have vowed to donate 25-50 percent of the day’s dining proceeds to Moveable Feast, an organization that delivers meals to residents living with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses. Check out the full list of participating restaurants here, and make a reservation to dine out for a great cause next week.

SHUT

Mueller’s Delicatessen: Yet another iconic deli is shuttering its doors in Charm City. Last week, Mueller’s Delicatessen in Northeast Baltimore announced that it would be closing after 71 years on Harford Road. “We would like to thank all of our loyal customers,” the post reads, adding that the last day of service will be September 23. The news about the decades-old spot—best known for its spaetzle, bratwurst, and other German specialties—comes on the heels of other local deli closures including Lenny’s Delicatessen on Lombard Street, Goldman’s Bakery in Pikesville, and Suburban House on Reisterstown Road. 7207 Harford Rd.

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Open & Shut: Tersiguel’s; Indigma; Union Collective Updates

Lauren Cohen — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 15:32:00 +0000

OPEN

Tersiguel’s French Country Restaurant: We’re constantly inspired by the resilience of this French fine-dining den on Main Street in Ellicott City—which has endured a fire and three floods since opening in 1975. This week, the restaurant persevered yet again. After three months of rebuilding since the tragic flood on Memorial Day Weekend, husband-and-wife owners Michel and Angie Tersiguel officially reopened their restaurant earlier this week. “Nothing can stop us,” the owners posted to Facebook after the flood. “Our hearts are heavy, the road ahead is paved with blood, sweat, and tears, but it’s familiar territory, one we have traveled many times. And we will continue to do so.” Tersiguel’s reopening comes on the heels of Howard County executive Allan Kittleman’s announcement of a $50 million five-year flood mitigation plan—which will demolish 10 properties on the lower half of Main Street. See more recent reopening updates here. 8293 Main St., Ellicott City. 410-465-4004

COMING SOON

The Greener Kitchen: Pigtown will welcome this vegan worker-owned collective to its dining scene next month. Formerly known as PEP Foods Inc., The Greener Kitchen fulfills its wholesome mission by providing catering services and distributing its plant-based products to vegan restaurants in the area. In addition to boasting plenty of commercial kitchen space for other dairy-free purveyors, the new headquarters off of Washington Boulevard will also operate as a one-stop-shop for vegan groceries. Be on the lookout for dairy-free cheeses, marinated proteins, seitan and deli slices, sauces and dips, and an array of prepared foods to grab on the go. 803 Washington Blvd. 443-929-3706

Indigma: Mt. Vernon locals were saddened when this neighborhood mainstay—known for its classic Indian dishes and filling lunch buffet—shuttered its doors suddenly last year. But now, there is a possibility that Indigma could be making a comeback in the neighborhood. A sign posted to door of the old Tavern on the Hill space at 900 Cathedral Street indicates that Indigma owners Christina Martija and Tony Chemmanoor are requesting to obtain a liquor license for the space. Though nothing has been set in stone as of yet, diners are holding out hope that Indigma’s samosas, curries, chutneys, and gulab jamun (deep-fried honey balls) will return very soon. 900 Cathedral St.

Milk & Honey Market: Speaking of comebacks, this former Mt. Vernon staple is returning with two locations in Station North and Pigtown in the coming months. Owners Ernst and Dana Valery closed their beloved market on Cathedral Street in 2016, and have since been working on a new cafe on the bottom floor of the Nelson Kohr apartment building in Station North. The duo recently told The Baltimore Sun that the store is expected to be finished this fall, and a second Milk & Honey location in Pigtown will follow soon after. The Pigtown iteration will be housed in the new Bath House Square project that the owners are developing on Washington Boulevard. Both locations are expected to offer the market’s signature breakfast sandwiches, paninis, soups, charcuterie boards, and coffees. 20 E. Lanvale St. and 906 Washington Blvd.

UNION COLLECTIVE UPDATES

Vent Coffee Roasters: Locals have enjoyed getting acquainted with Union Collective in Medfield this summer. The massive makerspace which you can spot from I-83, opened in June—debuting Union Craft Brewing’s new taproom and production facility, a state-of-the-art Earth Treks bouldering gym, and an ice cream factory from The Charmery. The latest tenant to join the pack is Vent Coffee Roasters, which opened in the space last weekend. Featuring sleek wood picnic tables and a roll-up garage door, the bright shop offers a full coffee and espresso bar from longtime barista Sarah Walker. Other highlights include nitro cold brews, Chemex and Aeropress offerings, teas, chocolate chip cookies, and other locally sourced pastries. Vent will be open from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekends. 1700 W. 41 St.

Baltimore Spirits Company: On deck to open at Union Collective next month is this homegrown distillery, which was formerly headquartered in Remington. In conjunction with the grand opening of its production facility and tasting room at the Collective on September 15, Baltimore Whiskey Company has officially changed its name to Baltimore Spirits Company. The team hopes that the new name will better reflect the diversity of their products, which include gin, brandy, and amaro in addition to whiskey. Aside from providing more room to breathe, the new production space will use a custom geothermal system to sustainably distill award-winning spirits like Epoch Rye and Shot Tower Gin. “We can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve built over here,” co-founder Max Lents said in a statement. “We will certainly miss our old location on Sisson Street. It had a lot of character, but when people see our new space, they will understand how we’ve carried that character forward.” 1700 W. 41 St.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

8/31: Food Truck Rally at the Baltimore Museum of Industry
Kick off your long weekend with this foodie get-together to benefit There Goes My Hero, a nonprofit that works to improve the lives of blood cancer patients and their families. More than 15 local food trucks will be parked against the waterfront backdrop at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, serving everything from burgers and barbecue to tacos and ice cream. (Be on the lookout for favorites including Farm to Charm, Kommie Pig, The Smoking Swine, and Bistro Lunch Box.) Plus, enjoy family-friendly activities, sip beers from Heavy Seas, and dance to live tunes spun by DJ Neil Paul. Baltimore Museum of Industry, 5-9 p.m. Free admission.

9/4: Brewer’s Dinner with Dogfish Head at Rye Street Tavern
Rye Street Tavern in Port Covington is continuing its monthly Brewer’s Dinner series with a four-course meal that will pair each dish with a different Dogfish Head beer. Snag a seat on the restaurant’s lawn overlooking the Patapsco River to dig in to a bay scallop crudo with SeaQuench ale, smoked ricotta cappelletti paired with Punkin’ Ale (yes, it’s almost that time of year), a duo of beef with the Bitches Brew imperial stout, and a Hawaiian chocolate trifle with the Luau-luau IPA. 225 E. Cromwell St. 7-10 p.m. $85. 443-662-8000.

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