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Quarantikis, Margarita Buckets, and Crushes To Go: 20 Creative Solutions for Boozing Through Quarantine

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I miss sitting at a bar, sharing a laugh with a bartender. I yearn for a cocktail at an outdoor table in the sun. I feel so much sadness, thinking about being together with friends in person and wondering when we will be able to visit our favorite watering holes again in the future. Although there seems to be few reasons not to drink, zoom happy hours are not cutting it for me. I have found that one way to make them more interesting is to patronize the local businesses creatively offering take-away drink options.

In recent years, Baltimore has grown to offer a growing list of excellent cocktail bars, breweries, and restaurants with an ambitious mixology agenda and it’s tragic to think that many of these businesses might not exist after the pandemic is over. With true Baltimore grit, a number of creative chefs and mixologists at our favorite bars and restaurants are producing much-needed libations and these can be ordered safely online with curbside pickup. Not only do these professionally made, effective, and beautiful drinks liven up the at-home happy hour, they are designed to help us to cope with the monotony of quarantine.

There are a number of restaurants in Baltimore offering carry-out booze with style and creativity, and this is not a comprehensive list, but it does present twenty excellent options in a number of different geographic regions of the city.

Until we are able to walk inside these establishments again, we can all support our favorite local businesses by buying beverages and food to go, especially for those who want to stay drunk enough to get through the agony of staying in place, especially solo. Drink responsibly at home my friends, and I hope to see you at a bar sometime soon!!!

 

 

Alma Cocina Latina
Web: almacocinalatina.com
IG: @almacocinalatina
Location: Canton

This Venezuelan restaurant is offering a full takeout menu including arepas, passionfruit pies, and drink selections including red sangria and cocktails (each bottle contains two batch cocktails). Alma Cocina also offers Guava Punch Mix, Mint Lemon Mix, Tropical Green Mix from C.A.n.E collective, with a percentage of each bottle sale going toward the Baltimore Bartenders Guild Relief Fund.

 

 

Angels Ate Lemons
Web: angelsatelemons.square.site
IG: @angelsatelemons
Location: Old Goucher / Station North

Angels Ate Lemons is owned/operated by Lane Harlan, the creator of nearby Fadensonnen, WC Harlan, and Clavel. This natural wine and sake shop and agricultural products shop offers pickup on Tuesday and Saturdays. Delivery of their wines is only available on Thursdays, but you can email them if you’re having a “wine emergency” and they just might make an exception. Wine is available for purchase in increments of two, four, six, and twelve bottles, and the staff is able to curate the selection of wines for you based on your tastes. You can also support them by joining their wine club.

 

 

Blue Agave
Web: blueagaverestaurant.com
IG: @blueagavebalto

Location: Federal Hill

My heart goes out to all the Aries and Taurus individuals who are celebrating their birthday under quarantine. If you have one of these in your life, Blue Agave has a unique and alcohol fueled solution. They are selling chocolate birthday cake shots for those celebrating their special days. Every Monday at Blue Agave is Margarita Monday, they offer a bottle of tequila & sour or a pitcher of spicy guavarita mix.

 

 

Blue Pit BBQ + Whiskey Bar
Web: bluepitbbq.com
IG: @bluepitbbq
Location: Hampden/ Woodberry

The Hampden barbecue spot is offering various premixed cocktails (plenty of whiskey-based drinks; their specialty) and mimosa kits which include fresh-squeezed OJ (each kit makes six 6oz drinks), as well as bloody mary kits, made in-house featuring Wheatley Vodka, organic tomato juice, and worcestershire—they’re even available spicy or extra spicy with Blue Pit’s own ghost pepper hot sauce.

As a frozen drink fanatic, I’m so excited to try the frozen Pain Chillers, they come in flavors like pineapple, coconut, orange juice and are made with rum. Blue Pit also offers frose, made with rose, tequila, strawberries and lime juice.

 

 

The Civil
Web: thecivil.online
IG: @the.civil

Location: Mount Vernon

The bar menu varies every week, but the sangria with fresh fruit seems to be a consistent staple. Recently The Civil has offered the “Co-Vid19” blue cocktail to go and a frozen drink named “The Holy Spirit.”

 

 

Clavel
Web: barclavel.com
IG: @bar_clavel
Location: Remington / Station North

The Hamden favorite Clavel offers quarts of various types of margaritas, pre-bottled cocktails, and quarts of mezcalitas. If you want to do something really special and treat yourself, Clavel is also selling bottles of premium Oaxacan rum and mezcal.

 

 

Duck Duck Goose
Web: ddgbaltimore.com
IG: @ddgbaltimore

Location: Fells Point

Duck Duck Goose has an extensive menu of drinks to go, and delivery is available for orders over $50. The DDG cocktail menu includes mixed drink classics like whiskey and cokes, dirty martinis, margaritas, and old fashions. Recently they did a $15 weekend bucket special of margaritas and mules.

They also have orange, lemon and grapefruit crushes available to go as well, each batch yields five drinks. They also offer signature cocktails, like the “la vie en rose” and the “le petit mort” in 32oz. (five-serving quantities), and “zero proof” cocktails for those who would like to maintain sobriety but still treat themselves to something indulgent.

 

 

Dutch Courage
Web: facebook.com/dutchcourageginbar
IG: @dutchcourage

Location: Old Goucher

Dutch Courage is a relatively new gin bar, adorably located in Peabody Heights across from Galerie Myrtis. Their menu offers unique pre-made drinks like the “A is for Apricots.” The batch made cocktail is $30 and yields three cocktails. They are also offering gin drinks like the Soul Speaker and the Gin-icillin, which come inside of a medicine bottle.

 

 

Holy Frijoles
Web: holyfrijoles.net
IG: @holyfrijolesmd

Location: Hampden

This is not a drill. Holy Frijoles has margaritas to go. A 12oz Mini-Rita, a 32oz Liter’Rita AND a SIXTY-FOUR OUNCE HOUSE MARGARITA ON THE ROCKS. The Bucket-O-Rita comes in a bucket and is available in both mango and strawberry. As a tequila connoisseur, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate nominal “weekends” in quarantine than by drinking a margarita out of a bucket, but that’s just me.

 

 

Ida B’s Table
Web: idabstable.com
IG: @idabstable
Location: Downtown Baltimore (near the Farmer’s Market)

Executive chef/co-owner David Thomas is a two-time Chopped champion. He and his wife opened Ida B’s Table in 2017, and have been serving delicious soul food since the day they opened, and though they’re known for their food, their bar has also been a gem. Bonus: the restaurant’s namesake, Ida B. Wells, just posthumously won a Pulitzer Prize! They are currently offering various spirits, beers from union craft brewing, and bottles of wine to go for curbside pickup.

 

 

La Cuchara
Web: lacucharabaltimore.com
IG: @lacucharabaltimore
Location: Woodberry

Adapting to the current times, Basque restaurant La Cuchara has transitioned into what they describe as “a virtual grocery store” where patrons shop from their homes and then pick up their items from the restaurant. The marketplace offers plenty of grocery options such as vegetables, fresh herbs, cheeses, meat, pantry items, prepared foods and more, but relevant to this article is that La Cuchara has a wide selection of alcohol available for carryout, everything from bottles of sangria and gin and tonics served in individually sealed pouches to bottles of wine and premade vodka citrus crushes.

 

 

Noona’s & El Tigre
Web: noonas.com / broadwaymarketbaltimore.com
IG: @noonaspizza@eltigrebmore
Two Locations: Mount Royal and Mount Vernon Market

Noona’s pizza has teamed up with El Tigre Baltimore to offer “Quarantiki” Cocktail kits, which include everything you need to transform your quarantine space into a tropical oasis beside a beach. Each kit features 4-6 servings of a signature cocktail. You can even purchase festive mugs in the shape of tigers, sharks, and glass tikis. Available for pickup.

 

 

Old Line Spirits
Web: oldlinespirits.com
IG: @oldlinespirits
Location: Highlandtown

Baltimore-based distillery Old Line Spirits is selling bottles of (100-proof) Old Line American Single Malt Whiskey available for curbside pickup. All profits go to the Baltimore Restaurant Relief Fund (which is dedicated to helping bar and restaurant service workers hurt by business closures due to the COVID crisis). They’ve recently also sold mixers from C.A.n.E collective. Old Line is even doing weekly virtual editions of their show “Brewing Up Science” where they welcome patrons to “sit back, relax, and sip on fresh baltimore spirits while you consume some knowledge.”

 

 

Orto
Web: ortobaltimore.com
IG: @orto
Location: Station North / Penn Station

In addition to weekly meal options Orto has more traditional carry out items like beer and bottles of wine. For batch cocktails, Orto offers pints (4 servings) and quarts (8 servings) of their premium cocktails, including their black manhattans, and white negronis. ORTO ALSO OFFERS JELLO SHOTS in case you want to luxuriously releve your undergraduate years.

 

 

Peabody Heights Brewery
Web: peabodyheightsbrewery.com
IG: @peabodyheightsbrewery

Location: Charles Village

This local Baltimore brewery is offering both delivery and curbside pickup of their beautifully labeled beers. Their menu offers year round favorites, as well as both limited and seasonally brewed options. I can’t wait to try the “No Ceilings” and “Flatten The Curve” brews.

 

 

Shipyard Pub
Web: shipyardpubmd.com
IG: @shipyardpubmd

Location: Canton

The Crushes!!! Shipyard Pub is offering blood orange crushes, lavender lemonade crushes, strawberry lemonade crushes just to name a few, and they are garnished with fruit, mint, and fresh flowers. Shipyard also offers more “traditional” carry out options like beer, wine, hard seltzers, and craft cocktails.

Side note: I hadn’t heard of an “orange crush” until I moved here, and now I am wise and understand exactly why they’re a Baltimore bar staple. Orange crushes are the most popular, the classic recipe consists of orange juice, orange vodka, triple sec, and club soda or sprite. However, orange can be substituted for other fruit flavors like grape or strawberry. Regardless of the selected flavor, serving the mixture over fresh crushed ice seems to be a delicious consensus.

 

 

Sugarvale
Web: doobys.com
IG: @sugarvalebmore
Location: Mount Vernon

Sugarvale offers batch craft cocktails that are available through their sister restaurant Dooby’s website. Offerings include negronis, old fashions, and Mezcal Last Words. Each cocktail order comes with garnishes to remake their beautiful drinks at home.

 

 

Topside (Hotel Revival)
Web: facebook.com/topsidebmore
IG: @topsidebmore

Location: Mount Vernon

Topside has wine, beer, and batch craft cocktails available for pickup daily from 7 a.m.–8 p.m. You can take home some of the bottled ambiance from Topsides beautiful bar at the top of Hotel Revival, which has been cranking out meals for first responders and hungry people in Baltimore during this crisis.

 

 

Union Craft Brewing
Web: unioncraftbrewing.com/delivery
IG: @unioncraftbrewing

Location: Woodberry

Union Craft Brewing has a full menu of their specialty brewed beers. The brewery has also partnered with Well Crafted Kitchen to offer a make-at-home pizza kit that can be added to their menu of beer delivery options.

 

 

Wet City Brewing
Web: wetcitybrewing.com
IG: @wet_city

Location: Mount Vernon

Wet City is offering frozen slushies, most recently a strawberry mezcalita blend, a selection of twelve bottled cocktails, and still offers their extensive menu of original brewed beers. The “Making Out With Strawberry Cheesecake” brew is a collaboration with The Baltimore Foodie.

 

 

All Images from Instagram

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