Maryland Rye :Its History and Future

Tales of the Cocktail

July 18, 2015

Presented by: Doug Atwell

Panelists: Allen Katz, Bernie Lubbers, Ned Wight, Ben Lyon

Sponsored by: Heaven Hill, NY Distilling Co., New England Distilling, Lyon Distilling Co.

#totc #marylandrye

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Presented by:

Doug Atwell, Rye Fells Point - Managing Partner and Head Bartender Twitter & IG: riverofrye

Allen Katz, New York Distilling Co. - Owner and Distiller Twitter & IG: nydistilling

Bernie Lubbers, Heaven Hill - National Brand Ambassador Twitter & IG : bernielubbers

Ned Wight, New England Distilling - Owner and Distiller Twitter & IG : nedistilling

Ben Lyon, Lyon Distilling - Owner and Distiller Twitter & IG : lyondistilling

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Punch TastingFrom ‘Eat, Drink and Be Merry in Maryland’, originally published in 1932.

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Why Rye?

German Immigrants with Distilling Knowledge / Traditions

Cover crop for Tobacco farmers Increased value for grains with decreased volume

Why Maryland Rye?

Limestone-rich Water Supply Port City for Shipping Temperature Controlled Rackhouses for Aging Flavor Profile – “smoother” or “rounder” taste than

Pennsylvania style Unique Distillation Method

Three Chambered Still

Essentially 2 – 3 pot stills stacked in a single column

24 to 30 ft. high Steam injected into mash within

lower chamber Slight majority constructed with

poplar wood

Pre Prohibition Landscape

13 Registered Distilleries in the State of Maryland

The Walters

Pikesville Rye

Prohibition: 1919-1933

Baltimore Evening Sun

December 17th, 1933

“Making Some LegalLiquor in a Baltimore

Distillery.”

Annual Production in MD

1935 – 8,894,101 gallons

1936 – 14,125,831 gallons

Before – Gwynnbrook (1908)

After - Gwynnbrook

Before – Calvert City

After – Calvert City

World War IIPlans for re-distilling “high wines”, 120-140

proof beverage alcohol, into 190 proof industrial alcohol will be discussed at two conferences, the first at Baltimore, Md., tomorrow and the second at Louisville, Key., Friday, it was announced today by

Andrew J. McNamara, Special Consultant, Materials Division.

Twelve distillers in Maryland and eastern Pennsylvania are to ship a portion of their

output to an industrial alcohol plants in Yonkers, New York for re-distilling. Fourteen

at Louisville will ship to Terre Haute, Ind.

- From U.S. War production board. Division of materials. For immediate

release April 8, 1942.

Slow Decline 1958 – gallons produced in Maryland

4,727,060 whiskey

5,761,279 grain neutral spirits

48,559,882 warehoused

6.5% of whiskey nationally compared to Kentucky’s 53%

One by One.Brands are bought out by larger companies.

Last functioning distiller shuts its doors in 1972.

Extinction Theories

Almost every distillery or brand changed hands post-prohibition Overconfident speculation/explosive growth overextended

business Reliance on importing of Midwestern rye meant price increases.

Maryland rye grain not producing a pleasant taste. Changing tastes, trends towards cocktails, imported spirits,

lighter spirits, resulting “blends” not a hit During the post-prohibition surge, supply problems, markup,

taxes.

Baltimore Evening Sun, April 1962

Rye Renewal

Within Maryland: Lyon Distilling ( St. Michael’s, Talbot County )

Blackwater Distilling ( Stevensville, Kent Island )

Sagamore Spirits ( Port Covington, Baltimore )

with more to come…

Outside Maryland: New England Distilling ( Portland, Maine )

New York Distilling ( Brooklyn, New York )

Leopold Brothers ( Denver, Colorado )

Tast ing – Pikesville Rye

Tasting – Gunpowder Rye

Ta s tin g – F re e S ta te R y e

Tasting – Ragtime Rye

James H. Bready - Baltimore Evening Sun Dram & Grain / Jack Rose – Washington, DC Maryland Department, Enoch Pratt Library Baltimore Maryland Historical Society Maryland State Archives Tales of the Cocktail Staff and CAPs David Wondrich Henry Wright

Acknowledgements