To say that Seacrets Distilling Company is nothing short of incredible would be a complete understatement. The brand new 12,000 square foot facility is the first of its kind in the town of Ocean City, Maryland.
The ribbon cutting ceremony took place June 29, 2016; the same day Seacrets was established some twenty-eight years ago. Governor Larry Hogan was present for the ceremony along with Ocean City’s mayor, Rick Meehan. Hogan made a strong statement regarding the Distillery and said, “This is an achievement for the whole state of Maryland,” and, “this shows that Maryland is truly open for business.”
Hogan played a major role in making this vision come to fruition for Seacrets’ owner, Leighton Moore. In the spring of 2014, he was able to successfully sign and pass the legislature needed to make this long time dream come to life.
Following the ribbon cutting, the first official tour of the facility was hosted by no other than Leighton Moore himself and included all major Maryland political icons. The gentlemen perused through the 12,000 square foot facility and were educated on the distilling process itself during their tour.
Beyond the fact that the science behind the distilling process is quite mesmerizing, the building itself is museum-worthy. Every single lighting fixture in the building is period-specific and from the prohibition era, 1933 and prior. The stills used to ferment the alcohol are made of stainless steel and copper and are extremely eye-catching. The beauty in the stills alone is quite picture-worthy as is the rest of this fascinating facility.
Each brick that compose the walls of the facility were hand picked by Leighton himself. It was said for every three bricks, he had to throw one away – making the attention to detail alone extremely impressive. The walls are truly authentic. The feeling that overcomes you when you walk inside makes you feel as if you have entered a time of the past. The sounds of Riverwalk Jazz and Bootlegger Blues play as you roam the halls. You are greeted by the most handsome of men and beautiful of women, dressed in extremely dapper attire which includes a soft, blue-grey button-up vest and navy blue tie. The smell of the alcohol being produced and the overall industrial feel really transforms your overall being and provides an experience unlike any other this town has seen.
Every single door in the facility was custom chosen from different cities in the United States. The doors themselves have an impressive historic presence, including an actual wooden door from a Speakeasy in Chicago – equipped with an iron latch and grill to keep the party intimate, and the environment controlled.
There is one thing for certain; ventures like this make the local community extremely proud to be present for its existence. The “seacret” is out – it is by no surprise that the Distillery will prove to be a destination landmark for the town of Ocean City and the state of Maryland. Leighton Moore, you are a true visionary.
