Blackwater Distilling: That's the Spirit!
Just over a half a mile as the crow flies from the edge of the Chesapeake Bay, a small-town road winds its way from the commotion of Route 50 to a quiet business park in Kent Island, Maryland, where a small sign reads “Blackwater Distilling.”
“People come here and say, ‘This is where Sloop Betty comes from?’” says Chris Cook, the distillery’s owner, with a smile.
Despite its small size, Blackwater Distilling is the founder of Maryland’s modern-day craft spirits scene and one of the leading distillers in the Land of Pleasant Living. Ten years ago this spring, they forged the path for this then-nascent, now-booming industry, connecting the state’s storied past to its promising future.
“In 2008, Blackwater started a new chapter,” says Jaime Windon, president of the Maryland Distillers Guild and owner of Lyon Distilling in St. Michaels. “In the 10 years since, we’ve seen the revival of a historically important industry. With so many innovative distilleries now across the state, we are collectively bringing back Maryland’s rich heritage of distilling and creating a diverse and dynamic craft culture.”
Maryland’s distilling history dates as far back as the 1500s, when early colonists began making rum and whiskey up and down the Chesapeake Bay. By the 20th century, the Old Line State was the third largest producer of rye whiskey in the country, touting more than 100 brands. Of course, all that changed with the Volstead Act, aka Prohibition, and while Maryland earned its reputation as the “Free State” for refusing to pass anti-liquor legislation, the industry still took a major blow. Following the 18th amendment’s repeal, booze made a small comeback, but it would never again see the sort of heyday it once had. That is, one could argue, until the early 2000s.
That renaissance started in Queen Anne’s County around 2005 with little more than some borrowed equipment and buckets of gumption. Brothers Chris and Jon Cook of Maryland’s Western Shore had been looking for a way to exit the rat race of their 9-to-5 jobs. As fans of craft beer and classic cocktails, they stumbled upon a small display at the Maryland State Archives that detailed the state’s legendary hooch history—and the rest was exactly that.
“We really liked the idea of creating something from scratch,” says Chris. “There was this romantic connection to the past, knowing that we were doing something that wasn’t being done anymore. In a lot of ways, we were pioneers. But today, being the first doesn’t really matter. You have to have outstanding products. If we knew then what we know now…we really had no idea what we were getting into.”
Today, there are more than 20 distilleries throughout the state, including Baltimore’s Sagamore Spirit, Ocean City’s Seacrets Spirits, and St. Michaels’ Lyon Distilling. But back then, there had not been a fully licensed distillery in Maryland since 1972, when Pikesville Rye moved its production to Kentucky, and for that, the Cooks faced an uphill battle. Eastern Shore was welcoming to the aspiring small business, but they still had to spend the next few years learning the ins and outs of alcohol. After attending countless conferences and building a foolproof business plan with their third partner Mark Troxler, they finally received their state and federal licenses to start distilling in 2008.
Within three years, Blackwater bottled their first batch of Sloop Betty Vodka, named in honor of a 1700s sailboat sunk by the drunken crew of the infamous pirate, Blackbeard.
“I remember the first time I saw Sloop Betty on a store shelf and in a bar,” says Chris. “People told us it was something we couldn’t do, so it was really cool to see that we actually could.”
It wasn’t until 2012, however, that they overcame their biggest hurdle. With the help of local politicians and endless hours of lobbying, the Cooks helped pass a new law enabling distilleries to offer tours and sell their spirits on-site, a game-changer for fledging makers. Increased foot traffic helped their vodka take off, and by 2015, they were trying their hand at another product, Picaroon Rum, named after the tipple-toting rebels throughout the history of the Chesapeake.
The raw cane sugar rum is all made and aged in American oak barrels in Kent Island, while the award-winning wheat-and-cane vodka is distilled elsewhere in the U.S., then filtered and bottled back at the local distillery. That might turn some purists off, but it’s a relatively common practice in the industry, and Blackwater operates with full transparency, using tours as a way to talk openly with their imbibers.
“Our philosophy is just using the best possible ingredients,” says Chris. “The key thing is honesty. People can come in, take a tour, and see how the operation is run for themselves.”
At the distillery’s business-park warehouse, a behind-the-scenes tour takes all of a few steps, with one of the company’s 10 current employees leading visitors through the small space, which includes a dark wood tasting bar, ceiling-high barrel stacks, and their own 500-gallon copper pot still. By summer, though, the operation will more than double in size, when Blackwater moves into a new 2,800-square-foot tavern and tasting room, which is slated for a soft opening this summer.
With new proximity to Route 50, located at the second to last exit before the Bay Bridge, thousands of cars will now pass by the 405 Cleat Street tavern each day. The new location will feature indoor and outdoor seating, live music, and a permanent food truck by beloved barbecue masters Smoke Rattle & Roll. With fresh labels created by Frederick-based design studio Tribe, Blackwater will continue rolling out new spirits, like the recently released Sloop Betty vodka aged in madeira wine barrels as an ode to the ship’s historic cargo, and eventually their own house-distilled whiskey.
“With this new space, we’re going to get to experiment a lot more and make some really fun new products,” says head distiller Andy Keller.
For Chris, the biggest change will be the bar, as for the first time ever, Blackwater will be making mixed drinks and small-batch bottled cocktails.
“Recipes are still in development but imagine, if you will, a nitro White Russian using Picaroon Rum,” says Chris. “2018 is a really pivotal year—probably as pivotal as the very, very beginning. It’s almost like starting over. I’m treating it like a new business. If you’re going to be a distillery today, you have to take the bull by the horns and do something different.”
> Blackwater Distilling, Stevensville, MD, 443.249.3123
