Gregory Priebe - Forgotten Maryland Cocktails: A History of Drinking in the Free State

Published by American Palate

A Division of The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2015 by Gregory Priebe and Nicole Priebe

All rights reserved

First published 2015

e-book edition 2015

ISBN 978.1.62585.361.5

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015934345

print edition ISBN 978.1.62619.856.2

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the authors or The History Press. The authors and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

To our parents, for giving us our first drinks and our first reasons to drink. Love always, Greg and Nicole

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

There is a difference between cocktails and drinks.
Of the two, what do you prefer to make?

This question was posed to me when I first entered the craft of bartending. At the time I didnt have the slightest idea that there was a difference. To me, a cocktail could be anything from a rum and Coke to an Alabama Slammer, and as long as it had some type of spirit and maybe a mixer it was a cocktail. Fast-forward thirteen years: I look back on those days and cringe at the ignorance that I displayed, and I wonder if anyone else shared this same mentality. My mentor at the time simply replied, Cocktails have history, they have class. They are well thought out recipes to achieve a balance and have a direction. To understand the difference, you must understand the definition of a cocktail and the history behind them.

As a bartender in Baltimore, I have always been inquisitive about the history of drinking in this town. As I did some research, I realized that Charm City was more than just your average beer and vodka town. Places like the Lord of Baltimore Hotel, the Owl Bar and Elkridge Country Club were the prominent establishments where cocktails and spirits flowed abundantly. Also, spirits, like rye whisky and rum, were once associated with Maryland as often as crabs and Old Bay are mentioned today. This town had class and direction when it came to cocktails and has great history when it comes to a vibrant cocktail scene. But where did it all go? Why did it disappear? These were questions that I often asked members of our community, and often they were answered with inconclusive results. It wasnt until I went to a cocktail conference in New OrleansTales of the Cocktailthat I began to get traction on my pursuit for answers. It was there that I met up with a wonderful cocktail enthusiast, Greg Priebe, and he helped to enlighten me with the rich history of Baltimores cocktail scene. It was there sitting in an old bar in New Orleans that I learned that Baltimore had a huge part of an epic era in cocktails.

Charm City, a place that is known for its small-town feel, blue-collar workforce and rough exterior, is now moving back to that forgotten and polished era that once was lost over time. Cocktails like the Orange Crush or the Black-Eyed Susan are still recognized as popular libations in this town but are rivaled by classics like the Preakness Cocktail and the Baltimore Southside. With an emphasis on quality and creativity when it comes to cocktails, we as bartenders are now seeing an influx of demand for classic styles like egg white sours, shrubs and punches. There is a cocktail movement happening! Cocktails are not just made with pre-mixed sours and canned juice. They are being created like pieces of art. Every little aspect of creating cocktails now has a focus on quality, seasonality and balance. There are now culinary-influenced cocktails, spirit-driven classics and, of course, the dealers choice that now make up the cocktail scene here in Baltimore. As bartenders and cocktail ambassadors in this community, we have committed to providing our guests with the best and most innovative creations that not only incorporate local produce but also highlight quality spirits to give our consumers the best possible product available. Who would have thought that going to the farmers market under the JFX would be a part of a regular routine to create the cocktail of the week? Passion for the craft has now taken over the city, and from the direction I am seeing, its likely here to stay.

As we continue with this progression of cocktails in Baltimore, I cant help but reflect on the history that once made this state a prominent place to imbibe. As a bartender, a book like this is not only a blessing but also an invaluable resource. It takes a passionate and dedicated person to write a book like this, and I love that Greg and Nicole have taken the time to record the history and feature the trends that are now a relative part of our cocktail scene. It was a long conversation with a good friend that helped answer the questions that I had about drinking in Maryland. Hopefully this book will answer those same questions and maybe evoke more questions that will make drinking in Maryland as prideful as the community that embraces it.

Happy drinking!

AARON JOSEPH
Head Bartender
Wit & Wisdom

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book has been one crazy ride, and we would like to give out our deepest thanks to everyone who made it all possible:

First off, we would like to thank the great Maryland mixologists whom we have come to know over the past few years. Aaron Joseph, Brendan Dorr, Doug Atwell, Jeff Levy and Melissa Ray and Perez Klebahn, thank you all for elevating the Baltimore cocktail scene. Without your insight and willingness to resurrect some of the cocktails printed here, this whole project would have been much more difficult and a whole heck of a lot less fun. Thanks also for letting us print your fantastic original creations; they are certainly cocktails that should not be forgotten!

To Maryland craft distilleries and even to those out of state who have endeavored to resurrect the true spirit of Maryland ryeBen Lyon and Jaime Windon, of Lyon Distilling; Andy Keller, of Blackwater & Sloop Betty; Ned White, of New England Distilling; and Leopold Distillingour hats are off to all of you.

Of the many friends we see each year at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, wed like to single out Addie K. Martin for hooking us up with her contacts at The History Press and our amazingly talented friend Warren The Cocktail Whisperer Bobrow for inspiring us with his passion for all things spirit and cocktail related and proving to usonce and for allthat yes, you can reinvent yourself if you truly have the will and the courage to do so.

Thank you to our families, for all of the encouragement and support throughout this project and for agreeing to be our guinea pigs when we showed up on your doorstep with yet another arcane alcoholic creation.

Last, but most certainly not least, to the A History of Drinking Team, both official and un-: Keith and Jessica Hawks for being our early cheerleaders and handling our proof of concept photo shoots; Richard Smith, Doug Wood and Adam Fantomthank you for the road trips and endless pub and bar crawls; Melissa Harris, for finding all the super-cool vintage barware shown throughout the book; and Keith and Christina Hipsley, thanks, well, for everything.