Hi Everyone!
I am a very big fan of Hugh Sisson. Back in thee mid-’80s, he and his Dad ran a fine restaurant and pub in Fells Point called, Sisson’s. They got legislation presented, and passed, that allowed brewpubs to get licensed. Hugh Sisson was on the VERY FIRST wave of micro breweries in America. In the mid-’90s, Hugh started a brewery, Clipper City. It later got rebranded and named Heavy Seas, and the rest is beautiful history.
They sell about a half a million cases of beer a year, and are becoming a brewery as large as the legendary National or Gunther brewery’s from Baltimore yesteryear. I was getting ready to type the word “fearless,” but just then I looked up at a page from the Heavy Seas website, and there was that word and this paragraph: “Be fearless: because our risks are what brought us here today. Be bold: because staying in line with the norms never moved us forward. Be independent: we’ve done it our way since 1995.”
And we as a city and area are better off for it. Hit the site, click “Our Beer” and be amazed. Then click “Crafted Cocktails” and go, “WHAT?!?!?” That’s right, “Crafted Cocktails.”
A business needs to move forward, as does an industry. Awhile back all the big players in the adult beverage industry realized that tastes were changing. Almost all of them added seltzers. Some new operations opened making nothing but seltzers. Now, the beverage industry is seeing an upsurge in companies making crafted cocktails by the bottle or can.
Reread the manifesto from Heavy Seas I just quoted, “BE BOLD.” Sisson and his brew master Chris Leonard went for it. And now, after a lot of groundwork, the product is out. And this is a big move from a big business, though Hugh still refers to it as a local business. A wrong move here or there can hurt a business and cost jobs. Hugh and Chris are keenly aware. They have moved with confidence, backed by a track record of doing the homework and doing new projects right. And now here this is.
So, in fact, this is not a plug of a new product, but rather catching up with old friends who still call Baltimore home! And cheering them on, because in Baltimore, that is what we do! And if you are inclined to give one a try, here is a tip from Chris: get it REAL cold. He told me after working around his house all day Saturday, when it came time to stop and relax, he had a Strawberry Lemonade on ice ready to go. It hit the spot, and he meant it.
Cheers, Hugh Sisson! Thanks for hosting K2, myself, and all of our viewers today. Given how much you give back if, you ever need our help, or a taste tester or two, give us a call. You have the number!
Marty B!