NOTE: This page and these products are intended only for those of legal drinking age
Many Maryland whiskey, rum, and vodka distilleries are in fun historic towns or gorgeous locations. We have a map, descriptions, and pictures to help you plan
#1 – Sagamore Spirit Distillery
301 E Cromwell St, Baltimore, MD 21230
410-624-7488
Known for:
- Sagamore Spirit Rye
- Assorted limited & specialty whiskeys
Sagamore Spirit Distillery in Baltimore opened in 2017 and became a regional powerhouse. The distillery is at an old boatyard, called Port Covington.
You begin the tour at the Visitor Center. It also has a gift shop, whiskey/cocktail bars — both inside and outdoor — and, water-view seating. Tours are Wednesday through Sunday. Each 30-minute tour and guided tasting informs about Maryland-style ryes and Sagamore’s three core rye whiskeys.
What to See & Do Near Sagamore Distillery?
Whelp, the distillery is all there is right now. But it’s an impressive visit. There are several different types of tastings offered. Throughout the summer and into the fall, Sagamore is featuring live music on their waterfront lawn, with food truck(s) and other activity areas on the side.
A road trip to Sagamore can fill an afternoon or evening. And, more is being built in the former industrial area. It’ll be a happening area in a few years.
#2 – Tobacco Barn Distillery
244460 Hollywood Road, Hollywood, MD
240-243-9151
Known for:
- Straight Burbon Whiskey
- Straight Rye Whiskey
- USS Constellation Rum
- Flavored whiskeys
Tobacco Barn Distillery is a few miles from Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Hollywood, Maryland. They’re in the same county where distiller Basil Hayden got his start before moving to Kentucky. St. Mary’s County is very Colonial and St. Mary’s City was one of the first American colonies and Maryland’s first capital.
The distillery is on a former tobacco farm. It still has a real tobacco barn with a tiny tobacco crop planted nearby. The corn used in the distillery products is grown on the farm. The rye comes from Mennonite farmers in the area. They double-distill their mash, then age their bourbon and rye in new charred oak barrels.
What to See & Do Near Tobacco Barn Distillery?
You’re going to be on the same roads that the early American distillers traveled in the late 1700s. Tobacco Barn is about four miles from Historic Sotterley, a 1703 plantation overlooking the Patuxent River. It has more than 20 authentic buildings on its 94 acres. Guided tours begin in May and go through the fall.
About 18 miles away is Historic St. Mary’s City, Maryland’s first colonial capital. It’s an outdoor living history museum that commemorates the fourth permanent English settlement in North America. Several buildings have been reconstructed and they’re spread along a walkway through the National Historic Landmark. On weekends and holidays, volunteers dress in Colonial costumes to explain Colonial life.
The distillery is ten miles from Patuxent River Naval Air Museum with 25 Navy and Marine Corps aircraft on display inside the museum and outside over the museum’s 2.5 acres. On the weekends, visitors can use simulators to experience flight in an F-14 Tomcat, F/A Hornet, an A-10 Warthog, or even a C-130 Hercules.
#3 – Lyon & Gray Wolf Distilleries
605 S Talbot Street, St. Michaels, MD
443-333-9181
Known for:
- Lyon Rum
- Gray Wold Rye Whiskey
- Lobo Agave Spirit
- Lone Vodka
- Timber Gin
The distillery in the St. Michaels, Maryland, warehouse district is shared by two distillers: Windon Distilling and Gray Wolf Spirits. Windon makes rum, lots of different types of rum. Gray Wolf makes artisan, small-batch rye, agave, vodka, and gin.
You can buy small bottles for tastings on the outside patio, but no inside tastings at this time. The inside is under reconstruction.
What to See & Do Near Windon Distillery?
You can easily spend the weekend in St. Michaels. Just off Miles River, it’s a boating hub with festivals throughout the summer. The downtown features several blocks of unique boutique shopping. Restaurants range from $$$$ to marina burger bar. Just outside St. Michaels is the massive Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum featuring historic boats, boat building, and bay culture exhibits as well as an actual Chesapeake Bay lighthouse. And, the road cycling is easy, flat, and gorgeous.
#4 – McClintock Distilling
35 South Carrol Street, Frederick, MD
301-825-5921
Known for:
- Bootjack Rye Whiskey
- Matchstick Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Gardeners Gin
- Flavored vodkas and specialty spirits
Named 2020’s best distillery in Maryland by the New York International Spirits Competition, McClintock Distilling features organic spirits from Maryland and regional grains that are milled in-house using their antique stone burr mill. The distillery is named after McClintock Young, a Frederick resident and inventor in the 1800s who’s also the ancestor of one of the owners.
McClintock’s Bootjack Rye Whiskey and Matchstick Straight Bourbon Whiskey have both won awards in the various competitions.
What to See & Do Near McClintock Distilling
McClintock is located in historic Frederick’s arts district. There are galleries in nearby warehouses. Downtown is a few blocks away with boutiques and hip restaurants. The Canal offers a beautiful walkway. There are also several craft distilleries downtown
#5 – B.A.D Alfred’s Distilling
323 High Street, Chestertown, MD
443-282-0163
Know for:
- B.A.D. Al’s Rye Whiskey
- B.A.D Alfred’s Bourbon Whiskey
- Apple Girl Shine
- Grappa, Vodka & Gin
BAD Alfred’s Distilling, called ‘Bad Al’s by the locals, is a micro-distillery in historic downtown Chestertown just off the town square. Former wine-makers, Al & Jennifer Cassinelli, decided to focus on brewing and distilling making unique blends.
BAD Al’s has two side-by-side, connected storefronts. One side is the distillery while the other side contains the pizza oven and kitchen. Ironically, the locally popular free-form pizza was a side hustle required by the city to get the distillery downtown, but food and drinks go back and forth. Bad Al’s also brews their beer.
Tours are offered on Saturday afternoon. You’ll see the distilling process, but the barrels are stored at the farm (the former winery).
What to See & Do Near Bad Alfred’s Distillery
BAD Al’s is in Chestertown, one of our favorite historic Chesapeake Bay towns. It’s on the beautiful Chester River and is full of historic homes, including original Colonial mansions. Downtown is full of boutiques and high-end art studios (it’s a college town).
Chestertown is known for its festivals that start in the Spring with the colonial Chestertown Tea Party (‘Boston Tea Party’ style) and end in the Fall with Downrigging Weekend, the last hurrah before historic wooden ships from all over the Chesapeake sail home for the winter. And Chestertown’s big farmers market on the town square is nearly every Saturday, year-round.
