On Monday, Philadelphia Distilling launched a seasoned vodka that is flavored with Old Bay-like spices and notes, or what they call "Chesapeake seasonings." 

"We were certainly not trying to clone Old Bay exactly," says Philadelphia Distillers president Andrew Auwerda. "But we know a lot of crab houses make their own seafood seasoning, so that was sort of the model we were following."

The vodka, which is currently available in some bars in D.C. and will be available in Baltimore "in a matter of days," is described as a briny and spicy concoction, best suited in Bloody Marys, oyster shooters, or even Negronis. 

And, in case you were worried about a Philadelphia company making an Old Bay-like drink, Auwerda, who is a University of Maryland graduate and Cecil County resident, assures us it's the real deal.

"Members of the Baltimore Bartender's Guild were part of the taste-testing last summer," he says. "And all of the spices are made in Maryland."

Check out the vodka's Facebook page for updates about where to find the spirit in local bars and liquor stores.

Last night, Ravens players, staff, and fans gathered (fittingly) at the The Patricia and Arthur Model Performing Arts Center at The Lyric to watch a screening of the NFL Films DVD Baltimore Ravens: Super Bowl XLVII Champions, available today on the Ravens website.

Players arrived at the Lyric around 5 p.m., all pausing on the purple carpet for photos and interviews. Of course, the big elephant in the room was the news that wide receiver Anquan Boldin was traded to the San Francisco 49ers earlier in the day.

"Anquan was a great receiver for myself and for our football team for this whole organization," said Joe Flacco, who attended the event with his wife Dana. "It's sad to see a guy like that go, but at the same time you want what's best for him and you just wish him the best of luck . . . You lose a lot of things, you lose a leader, you lose that fire. Most importantly, you lose a really good player and a guy that's done it over and over again."

Defensive end Arthur Jones, who was all smiles for the camera, had more of a positive spin on the situation. "It's really unfortunate, but it's part of a business. Right now we're here to celebrate the time we did have with him. I wish him all the best in the future."

Ray Lewis and Torrey Smith arrived in a limo together and Lewis admitted he's felt a bit relieved in retirement. "Honestly, there's no pressure because every year is always a new year, every offseason is always a new offseason. You're always gearing up for something. But for me now, it's more gearing up for business, more gearing up for life, and more gearing up for the kids. The pressure meter is down a little bit and that's probably the biggest difference." As far as his future as an ESPN analyst, Lewis said that both sides are still working out the details. 

Fellow wide receiver Smith, predictably, had a disappointing reaction to Boldin's trade. "It's tough for everyone. Not just myself, obviously there might be a little more responsibility, but I had that last year and the year before that. It's definitely hard. The biggest thing is not so much about football, when you lose someone like that, a mentor, a big brother, someone you love like a brother and would do anything for him. It's tough."

Ray Rice attended the event with his adorable daughter Rayven, while Jacoby Jones arrived with his Dancing With The Stars partner Karina Smirnoff, who he's been doing a gaggle of promotions with this past week. On Boldin, Jones commented, "We learned a lot of routes from him, how he thinks, what he sees . . . He's always a Raven with me."

Once everyone filed into the theater, broadcasters Gerry Sandusky, Qadry Ismail, and Stan White brought out the Lombardi Trophy and introduced the two-hour Super Bowl film. Narrated by Baltimore native and actor Josh Charles, the film took viewers through the season game by game. The sideline snippets were definitely the highlights, something you'd expect if you kept up with NFL Sound FX all year. Bonus features include media day footage, post-game ceremonies, and Harbaugh family interviews.

Reliving the memorable season on a giant screen at The Lyric with players and coaches in attendance was a pretty neat experience. The biggest cheers came from Jones' punt returns, Smith's receptions, and Flacco's hail-mary throws. But, you couldn't help but notice hushes in the theater after the countless Boldin receptions on the highlight reel. Fans, like the players, are very sad to see Q go. 

[Photos by me]

Sometimes it seems that bars change hands in the blink of an eye. Such is the case for Moonshine Tavern, which replaced The Gin Mill on Boston Street in Canton. The owners of The Gin Mill closed down the bar in January after nearly 16 years of service in order to focus their attention on their full-time real estate work.

Less than a month later, Moonshine Tavern opened up and I got a chance to get to the bar last night. Thankfully, the layout remains pretty much the same with the dominating square-shaped bar in the center and exposed brick and chalkboards throughout. The booths by the window were replaced with high-top tables and the entrance to the back dining room is opened up.

Naturally, we wanted to check out the "moonshine" menu, which contains more than 20 concoctions of high-proof liquor infused with ingredients like brown sugar, cherries, and honey. For $18, you can get a moonshine sampler, pictured, with five shots to try.

We sampled the MBR Kentucky Black Dog and MBR Apple Pie (out of Pembroke, Kentucky). The Black Dog, at 90 proof, was a little too smoky for our taste, but scotch drinkers would like. The apple pie (a more modest 44 proof) was delicious with apple cider, brown sugar, and pie spice flavors. 

Additionally, we tried the Ole Smoky Peach and Ole Smoky Blackberry (both 40 proof) out of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The peach was a little on the sweet side, but the blackberry infusion was perfectly tart. If you're feeling adventurous, you could try High West Silver Oat, a 176-proof unaged oat whiskey out of Park City, Utah. We didn't push our luck.

Of course, there is also a full menu of cocktails and draft and bottled beers. On-tap selections included Racer 5 IPA, Allagash White, and Flying Dog's Raging Bitch. The food menu is distinctively New Orleans influenced and both the burger and catfish po'boy were excellent options.

All in all, we applaud the newest addition to Boston Street for thinking a bit outside the box. It's nice to see a creative new place instead of another cookie-cutter establishment. 

[Photo by me]

Rare beer lovers should head to Max’s Taphouse in Fells Point today through Monday, February 18 for the bar’s 9th annual Belgian Beer Festival. 

This year, the festival’s claim to fame is its selection of more than 200 Belgian beers on draft, and nearly 300 imported bottles. Anyone who goes to the festival has the opportunity to try authentic Belgian food from the special menu available all weekend.

“People are blown away,” said owner Ron Furman. “It’s a great selection. We have beers here that have never been to the U.S. before.”

Some of the imported beers include Malheur 12, Geuze Tilquin, De Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique, Alvinne Morpheus Wild Undressed, and Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva. Sample size and full draft beers range from $3.50 to $10, and bottles start at $6, with the highest price being $75 for a 750-milliliter bottle.

Furman said that the draft beers will be in constant rotation throughout the weekend.

Max’s is adding new domestic beers into the mix for the remaining three days of the festival. On Saturday, local brewer Stillwater Artisanal Ales will debut its third anniversary beer. On Sunday, Max’s will become the first bar in Maryland to serve beer from the Oxbow Brewing Company based in Newcastle, Maine. And on Monday—which Max’s is calling “Sour and Wild Day”—more than 20 American sour beers will be showcased.

So far, the imported brews are drawing a huge crowd. At 6 a.m. this morning, one man was already waiting to get inside, Furman said. And by the time the bar opened its doors at 11 a.m., Furman said that more than 400 people were standing in line—two of them had come from San Diego and Seattle.

Furman, who said he has been selling craft and imported beers for more than 25 years, said he has recently noticed a change in the patrons who come to the festival. “People are much more open to trying new things,” he said. “It’s going to be a wonderful weekend.”

[Image: courtesy of Facebook]