We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, something special is happening here in Baltimore. With prices in hospitality surging on almost all fronts in the Nation’s Capital, Baltimore has become ground zero for hospitality entrepreneurs and chefs looking to open up a restaurant without being priced out by an overly expensive local market. Not only are we seeing a resurgence in hospitality, but
we are specifically seeing a surge in well thought out, quality hospitality here in Charm City.
Case-in-point, Sagamore Spirit.
Coinciding with the open of
Under Armor founder, turned hospitality numen, Kevin Plank’s hotel the
Sagamore Pendry,
Sagamore Spirit Rye’s much anticipated distillery recently opened at the top of the month. A brainchild of
Plank Industries, Sagamore Spirit Rye goes down like a love letter to a rye whiskey once rampant in the Maryland region, prior to the days of prohibition.
Named after the famous horse breeding farm a stones throw north of Baltimore; Sagamore Spirit’s stamp of authenticity is their use of Sagamore Farm’s spring house water, which runs through a limestone shelf for a calcium-enriched water that puts it on par with Kentucky’s whiskey making processes. Presentation wise, you are left with a gorgeous golden brown whisky in a beautiful and uniquely-designed six-sided glass bottle.
Taste wise… well ,you’ve got yourself some damn good whiskey.
And here’s the thing… we’re not whiskey experts but we are hospitality evangelists, and Sagamore Spirit embodies what great hospitality is all about. It stands along side the Pendry Hotel as
a tent pole for hospitality not only in Baltimore, but the greater Maryland region as a whole.
The result? They’re now the official spirit of Maryland’s premiere horse race the
Preakness, where some horses from Sagamore Farm’s even compete in the world class racing competition. Not to mention the litany of awards in regard to quality that the spirit continues to receive.
The point is we haven’t even begun to mention all the great food like Local Fry or Ouzo Bay yet, or even how Guinness is planning on opening a brand new brewery just south of the city in an old rum bottling factory. Sagamore alone has been indicative of a major wave taking over the city of Baltimore and we’re certainly looking forward to seeing how they expand the brand and dive into the world of tabletop with their yet to be named campus restaurant by James Beard Winner Andrew Carmellini.
For more information on Sagamore Spirit click here.
-H.A.
