Old Bay Will Make Vodka, Marylanders Can Buy The Drink Soon

MARYLAND — Old Bay announced Thursday that it will make its own vodka. It will hit Maryland and Delaware shelves in mid-March for $18.99 to $20.99.

McCormick & Company, the spice maker that owns Old Bay, did not mention the exact date that the new drink will go on sale. This website will list stores that carry Old Bay Vodka when it is available.

“Old Bay has been a fan-favorite for over 75 years in the Chesapeake Bay region and beyond,” said Jill Pratt, McCormick's chief marketing excellence officer. “Our fans are loyal and passionate when it comes to all things Old Bay."

The beverage has been in the works since 2019. Old Bay partnered with George's Beverage Company to make the vodka. The alcohol will be made at McClintock Distilling in Frederick.

“The idea to collaborate to craft Old Bay Vodka made perfect sense from the start,” George's Beverage Company Co-Owner Greg David said in a press release. “We already had national distribution with top liquor distributors and a sustainable supply chain. The next step was identifying a local craft distillery that we could trust and that shared the same commitment to quality, craftmanship and sustainability, we found all this in McClintock Distilling.”

The vodka comes from corn. It is seventy proof or 35 percent alcohol by volume.

Distilled six times, the release said the vodka will be easy to drink on or off the rocks. Breakthru Beverage MD and Breakthru Beverage DE will distribute the product.

The bottle will be 750 ml. That offers about 16 servings of 1.5 ounces each.

McCormick suggested mixing the alcohol in vodka seltzers, screwdrivers or bay sours. Chefs can also use it to cook vodka sauce, drunken shrimp and martini salsa. A full list of recipes is posted here.

Old Bay Vodka is vegan, but it is not kosher.

More information is available at oldbayvodka.com.

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