On Saturday, a few of us trekked to Baltimore in the pouring rain to explore an old brewery which had been closed since 1989 but had once called itself
"America's largest independent distillery". Much of the place had been stripped and most of the windows smashed but we managed to stay dry for most of the time.
I found a fermentation log book with the date 11/30/66 in the top right hand corner.
The water tower was still intact but a lot rustier from photos I found on the web.
The Distillery used to have an innovative marketing department that wouldn't seem a bit out of place in today's beverage marketing world. They called their 98% rye mashbill RYE-E-RYE, and their label sported a trade-marked proprietary logo offering assurance that BPR contains "Real RYE-E-RYE", not unlike the American Dairy Association's "REAL" cheese logo.
There used to be large copper tanks here for the whiskey but now you look from the top of the opening down to the three floors below.
This wonderful weight was still hanging near one of the vats and there was also one still standing on the floor.
These beautiful old vats are still in pristine condition and were bone dry inside when I climbed up and opened one of the hatches to look inside. We thought the wood was cedar and it smelt wonderful. I hope they will be saved and not left to slowly rot.
This wooden floor was in the room next to the vats above and was open to the elements, hence the moss growing abundantly. There were plenty of holes in the floor which we gave a wide berth.
These were the only grain feeders we saw in the whole building, some more relics which I hope will be saved.
Over 6 years ago, contractors slowly started gutting some of the buildings. It did not look as though this was being continued as we walked round unless progress is very slow. The site is destined to become a modern industrial park.
On Saturday, a few of us trekked to Baltimore in the pouring rain to explore an old brewery which had been closed since 1989 but had once called itself "America's largest independent distillery". Much of the place had been stripped and most of the windows smashed but we managed to stay dry for most of the time.
I found a fermentation log book with the date 11/30/66 in the top right hand corner.
The water tower was still intact but a lot rustier from photos I found on the web. The Distillery used to have an innovative marketing department that wouldn't seem a bit out of place in today's beverage marketing world. They called their 98% rye mashbill RYE-E-RYE, and their label sported a trade-marked proprietary logo offering assurance that BPR contains "Real RYE-E-RYE", not unlike the American Dairy Association's "REAL" cheese logo.
There used to be large copper tanks here for the whiskey but now you look from the top of the opening down to the three floors below.
This wonderful weight was still hanging near one of the vats and there was also one still standing on the floor.
These beautiful old vats are still in pristine condition and were bone dry inside when I climbed up and opened one of the hatches to look inside. We thought the wood was cedar and it smelt wonderful. I hope they will be saved and not left to slowly rot.
This wooden floor was in the room next to the vats above and was open to the elements, hence the moss growing abundantly. There were plenty of holes in the floor which we gave a wide berth.
These were the only grain feeders we saw in the whole building, some more relics which I hope will be saved.
Over 6 years ago, contractors slowly started gutting some of the buildings. It did not look as though this was being continued as we walked round unless progress is very slow. The site is destined to become a modern industrial park.
2 comments:
Wouldn't one of those vats fit in your home so you could fill it with wine? heheheheheheh
Sounds like heaven!
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