Celebrate Maryland’s Distilling Industry During Maryland Spirits Month

November 1, 2021 by Jim Bauckman

Celebrate Maryland’s Distilling Industry During Maryland Spirits Month

Celebrate Maryland’s Distilling Industry During Maryland Spirits Month

This November marks the fourth annual celebration of the craft spirits industry in Maryland.

(ANNAPOLIS, MD) – Whether you’re a fan of mixing a cocktail or enjoying your favorite spirits neat, Maryland distilleries offer something delicious for everyone. Maryland Spirits Month is the annual celebration of the state’s growing distilling industry. Nearly 40 distilleries are licensed to operate in the state, including several businesses that are currently in planning. Throughout November, distilleries will celebrate the month with spirits releases and special events.

“The industry’s incredible recent growth has reclaimed Maryland’s place as a leader in the distilling industry,” says Kevin Atticks, Executive Director of the Maryland Distillers Guild.

Operating in a state historically known for producing rye whiskey, Maryland’s modern distilleries craft dozens of varieties of spirits and liqueurs. While rye whiskey is still a popular offering, local producers are known for a growing number of award-winning bourbons, gins, rums, and vodkas. Some lesser-known spirits, like locally distilled absinthe and genever, and prepared, canned cocktails are gaining in popularity and contributing to the reputation of the state’s distilling industry.

“The creativity of our local distilleries makes exploring these great businesses and brands so much fun for Maryland residents and visitors,” says Brian Treacy, President of the Maryland Distillers Guild and Sagamore Spirit.

On Saturday, November 13, the Maryland Distillers Guild is hosting Spirits of Southern Maryland at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum. This event showcases spirits and cocktails produced by distilleries from throughout the state and admission includes tastings for attendees who are 21 years of age or older. Tickets to this year’s showcase are available for purchase via Eventbrite and the Maryland Distillers Guild’s website.

In the coming weeks, the Maryland Distillers Guild will release the first “Spirits of Collaboration” spirit. Produced in collaboration between Gray Wolf Spirits and McClintock Distilling Company, this unique gin is the first entry in this series of limited releases. Gin, Volume 1 unites Eastern and Western Maryland distillers and is inspired by Maryland’s native flavors. Borrowing from Gray Wolf’s Timber gin, renowned for its inviting, spiced floral aromatics, Gin, Volume 1 features sassafras and white peppercorn. This delicious release also includes fennel and chicory root, both notable additions in the botanical bill of McClintock Distilling Company’s Forager gin. Bottles of Gin, Volume 1 and future collaborative spirits will be available exclusively from the Maryland Distillers Guild. All proceeds from these spirits directly support the mission of the guild and its members.

“The Spirits of Collaboration project has been exciting for us,” says Braeden Bumpers, co-founder of McClintock Distilling Company. “We got to combine great ideas in an effort to create a wonderful gin and support our guild.”

A full list of distilleries, a calendar of Maryland Spirits Month activities, and details about the Spirits of Collaboration project can be found by visiting marylandspirits.org. The Maryland Craft Beverages app is available for Android and iOS devices and includes a directory of the state’s distilleries.

About the Maryland Distillers Guild

Members of the Maryland Distillers Guild are a community of craft producers, dedicated to developing quality spirits and delivering a dynamic experience for visitors. We invite you to tour our distilleries, learn about our distilling processes, and sample locally-crafted spirits. Cheers to a rich heritage and spirited future!

The Maryland Distillers Guild can be followed on Facebook (@marylanddistillers), Instagram (@marylandspirits), and Twitter (@marylandspirits). Information about the Maryland Distillers Guild is updated at marylandspirits.org.

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LYON RUM Named Best US Craft Rum Distillery For Second Year In A Row

September 29, 2021 by Jim Bauckman

LYON RUM Named Best US Craft Rum Distillery For Second Year In A Row

Saint Michaels, Maryland – LYON RUM, the flagship spirit of Windon Distilling Company, is the 2021 Best Craft Rum Distillery in the annual USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, making the small-batch distillery the recipient of the coveted title for the second year in a row.

Selected by a panel of industry experts and rum aficionados, LYON RUM is the only Maryland distillery ranked among the 20 finalists, for the past five years.

“We love rum and are thrilled to be honored as the best, and perhaps most beloved, rum distillery again this year,” says Jaime Windon, founder & CEO of Windon Distilling Company.

The distillery is currently in the process of renovating and expanding to offer an enhanced visitor experience, including a new tasting room and cocktail space, so that they can continue educating and delighting visitors on the versatility and nuances of rum, or as Windon refers to it, “America’s original spirit.”

“As a small brand embarking on our ninth year, it’s quite an honor to be nominated among these other great American rums. Even more rewarding is knowing that we have the support and love from the actual people who enjoy what we make. My job is to get the rum to those people – across Maryland, in both stores and restaurants, and also now, direct to their doorstep!” noted Jessi Windon, VP of sales, and the official rum runner of LYON RUM.

In addition to supplying the state of Maryland through its own wholesale division, LYON RUM is distributed across the Mid-Atlantic and areas of the South, in a total of nine states. Through special extended legislation, the distillery will continue its popular home delivery service – free to all Maryland zip codes – through the end of 2022, as well as offer direct shipping through a third-party retailer to over 40 states.

Head distiller Brett Steigerwaldt, who has been with the company since 2016, reflects that “Winning this title two years in a row is huge! It is confirmation that people are taking notice of the exceptional rums being made by our passionate and dedicated team – and this honor helps us continue to show the world the potential for American rum.”

In 2013 LYON RUM became the first rum in decades to be distilled in Maryland, and for the last 8 years the distillery has been a leader in the industry, working to further redefine the category of new American rum and advance the legislative goals of small distillers across the country. LYON RUM // Windon Distilling Company is a proud member of the Maryland Distillers Guild, the American Craft Spirits Association, the American Distilling Institute, and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Jaime Windon serves on the DISCUS Craft Advisory Council, and also leads the Maryland Distillers Guild’s Legislative Committee.

“Sagamore Spirit Launches Canned Cocktails Made With Fully Aged Rye Whiskey” – Press Release, via BevNet

August 18, 2021 by Jim Bauckman

Sagamore Spirit Launches Canned Cocktails Made With Fully Aged Rye Whiskey

Baltimore, Md. –Sagamore Spirit introduced its first-ever line of ready-to-drink canned craft cocktails in three vibrant flavors: Black-Eyed Rye, Honey Paloma, and Lemon Tea Fizz. Featuring Sagamore Spirit’s 4-year-old, award-winning straight rye whiskey, each was developed to showcase the best of Maryland-style rye – approachable, versatile, yet full bodied – and let natural ingredients in classic cocktail combinations shine through.

The three refreshingly carbonated cocktail recipes were inspired by Baltimore’s most creative mixology minds and created in partnership withCAnE Collective – the renowned, Baltimore-based maker of handcrafted mixers.

To continue reading the Sagamore Spirit release, please click here.

“Spirit with your spirits? Sykesville distillery owner reports paranormal activity at his business, leading to 4-hour séance.” – The Baltimore Sun

August 9, 2021 by Jim Bauckman

“Spirit with your spirits? Sykesville distillery owner reports paranormal activity at his business, leading to 4-hour séance.” – The Baltimore Sun

Madison Bateman (The Carroll County Times)
August 09, 2021

Image courtesy of Patapsco Distilling Company, Facebook.

Strange and unexplained activity at a downtown Sykesville business recently caught the attention of two psychic mediums who conducted a paranormal investigation and claim they discovered an unsettled spirit there.

The Patapsco Distilling Company building, located at 7609 Main Street in Sykesville, has been the subject of multiple paranormal investigations over the years, and was featured prominently the past three years of Sykesville Ghost Tours, over which time increasing paranormal disturbances were reported.

Jack White, curator of the Gate House Museum in Sykesville, said the building was erected in the 1860s and acted as a general store for a long time. In 1939, the store was sold to the Sykesville Fire Department and continued as a firehouse for 10 years before the fire company moved into its new headquarters.

“I haven’t heard anything about ghosts,” White said. “I’ve heard of lots of buildings in Sykesville being haunted but I’ve never checked into any of them.”

To continue reading this article, visit the Baltimore Sun HERE.

Grow & Fortify Launches Maryland Craft Beverages App

July 13, 2021 by Jim Bauckman

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 13, 2021

Grow & Fortify Launches Maryland Craft Beverages App

Fans of locally produced beer, wine, and spirits can explore and track their Maryland craft beverage journeys with this new app for Android and iOS users.

(ANNAPOLIS, MD) – The Maryland Craft Beverages app is now available in the Apple and Google Play stores. This free app allows craft alcohol drinkers in Maryland to plan future stops, track visited locations, and participate in the integrated industry passports. The directory in the app includes all active members of the Brewers Association of Maryland, the Maryland Distillers Guild, and the Maryland Wineries Association that currently offer guest experiences. This app puts a curated craft beverage experience in the palm of your hand.

“The Maryland Craft Beverages app is a great resource for locals and visitors,” says Kevin Atticks, CEO of Grow & Fortify. “Everyone using the app can view our state’s numerous craft beverage trails, and track the tasting rooms they visit and support via the passport.”

Connecting consumers with local tasting rooms and increasing revenues for Maryland beverage producers are the primary goals of this new app. To facilitate this, Grow & Fortify is replacing the annual print release of the Maryland Craft Beverage map they distributed via tourist destinations throughout the state. As the number of businesses in the craft beverage industries continues to grow, printed materials are quickly outdated while a digital tool is able to be updated and maintained.

“This app offers us a great opportunity to provide Maryland residents and visitors with up-to-date information about tasting room locations and the industry,” says Jim Bauckman, Director of Communications at Grow & Fortify. “The app also serves us useful data about consumer trends regarding location traffic and preferences.”

In addition to traditional beer, wine, and spirits trails, the Maryland Craft Beverage app includes trails dedicated to highlighting the state’s growing number of cider and mead producers. Grow & Fortify has worked with the Maryland Office of Tourism Development, Maryland Department of Agriculture and numerous county tourism offices to include additional, locally promoted trail experiences. Events promoted by the three industries will be highlighted in the app and attendees can use the app to browse participating vendors and products.

Beginning in 2020, Grow & Fortify and Daruma Tech worked together to develop this unique app. The development of this app provided an opportunity for the team at Daruma Tech to create a single product that includes locations in the three craft beverage industries. Other applications in their portfolio focus specifically on the craft beer industry.

“We enjoyed working with Grow & Fortify to develop an app that created a unique experience for each of the Maryland craft beverage industries that they represent,” said Susan Erickson of Daruma Tech. “The app is powered by Daruma Tech’s Local Explorers platform and allows users to plan trail experiences and collect loyalty points along the way in the three digital passports tailored for each industry.”

The Maryland Craft Beverage App was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant #AM200100XXXXG050. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA. To download the app, users can visit the app stores directly or find more information on the Grow & Fortify website.

About Grow & Fortify

Grow & Fortify is built to support value-added agricultural organizations and the businesses they represent. We’ve gathered a team of professionals to support agricultural startups and ensure the financial viability of our land, and ultimately, our community.

Grow & Fortify is currently retained to represent the Brewers Association of Maryland, the Maryland Distillers Guild, and the Maryland Wineries Association.

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The New King of the World of Rum!

June 21, 2021 by Jim Bauckman

The New King of the World of Rum!

Lost Ark Distilling Company’s magnificent Terra Mariae Spiced Rum takes top rum honor at the 2021 Bartender Spirits Awards.

“Everyone has the ability to create something special but only if you own your craft.” A statement that reiterated Lost Ark Distilling Company’s dream during their sensational win at the recently concluded Bartender Spirits Awards. The distillery’s Terra Mariae Spiced Rum was given the Rum of the Year accolade and scored 95 points making it the highest-scoring rum at the competition. This also meant that Lost Ark Distilling Company took home the honor of the Rum Producer of the Year.

You know just the rum you need to have when you’re at a bar or even when buying a bottle of rum for your home. A taste of the winning Terra Mariae Spiced Rum as selected by the top bartenders in the country is one you have to go with!

To continue reading this story, visit this link.

Maryland General Assembly OKs extension of direct-to-consumer alcohol delivery – Baltimore Business Journal

April 7, 2021 by Jim Bauckman

April 5, 2021
Amanda Yeager
Baltimore Business Journal

Maryland’s alcoholic beverage producers notched a victory in the General Assembly last week, winning permission to continue direct-to-consumer shipping and delivery sales of craft beers, wine and liquor for at least the next two years.

State lawmakers approved a measure that extends some of the emergency privileges granted to alcohol manufacturers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, at the start of the outbreak, Gov. Larry Hogan offered new leeway to breweries, wineries and distilleries, opening the door to delivery sales as a means of staying financially afloat during taproom and tasting room shutdowns. Comptroller Peter Franchot followed suit with a decision to temporarily suspend limits on beer and spirit sales.

To continue reading this Baltimore Business Journal article, click here.

“Md. alcohol manufacturers lobby for right to deliver their brews through the mail” – Baltimore Business Journal

February 19, 2021 by Jim Bauckman

February 19, 2021

Amanda Yeager

Baltimore Business Journal

This Maryland General Assembly session has already produced an effort to keep the carryout cocktails flowing. Now the state’s alcohol manufacturers are seeking permission to further ease the convenience for stay-at-home imbibers by, among other things, shipping craft brews straight to a customer’s house.

New legislation backed by the Brewers Association of Maryland, Maryland Wineries Association and Maryland Distillers Guild would allow local alcoholic beverage manufacturers to ship booze directly to consumers upon request. The bill would also make the temporary to-go and delivery sales that breweries and distilleries have enjoyed during the pandemic into a permanent feature.

The proposal, House Bill 1232, seeks to create some stability for an industry that has been buffeted by the Covid-19 pandemic over the course of the past year, said Brad Rifkin, a lobbyist for the manufacturers. An emergency executive order issued by Gov. Larry Hogan in the pandemic’s early days allowing take-out and delivery alcohol sales has been a saving grace for breweries, wineries and distilleries throughout taproom and tasting room closures, shifting capacity limits and other pandemic-related hurdles.

To continue reading this article, please visit the Baltimore Business Journal.

“Is Westminster ready for a distillery? Jennifer Yang thinks so.” – The Daily Record

January 28, 2021 by Jim Bauckman

January 27, 2021
Johanna Alonso
The Daily Record

Covalent Spirits owners assessing spirits by sight

Consultant and entrepreneur Jennifer Yang likes to say she came to Westminster for love and stayed for whiskey. McDaniel College’s newly named entrepreneur-in-residence, Yang originally moved to the area because it was where her now-husband worked, but, having lived in the D.C. area for most of her adult life, she never imagined she would want to stay in the small city permanently.

To continue reading this article, please click HERE.

“Maryland bills look to permanently legalize alcohol delivery, carryout” – Baltimore Business Journal

January 20, 2021 by Jim Bauckman

January 20, 2021

Amanda Yeager

Baltimore Business Journal

Bottled cocktails to-go and six-packs of beer delivered to your doorstep — small conveniences gained on a temporary basis during the Covid-19 lockdowns — could become a permanent fixture for Marylanders this year.

As the General Assembly kicks off a new session in Annapolis, legislative efforts are underway to preserve new permissions allowing alcohol take-out and delivery sales by restaurants, taverns, breweries and more. At least two measures have found support from state legislators and industry advocates who say they want to do what they can to bolster drinking and dining businesses reeling from the pandemic.

“I have a lot of restaurants in my district that are struggling to hang on during the pandemic,” said Del. Courtney Watson, a Howard County Democrat who’s sponsoring a bill to allow restaurants, bars and taverns to sell sealed alcoholic beverages for takeout and delivery. “By giving this privilege permanently, it will provide more paths to viability in the future for restaurants.”

To continue reading this article, please visit the Baltimore Business Journal.