There's a story that Blackwater Distilling owners and brothers Chris and Jon Cook like to tell. In 1717, a Virginia merchant ship named the Sloop Betty returned from Portugal to the Chesapeake Bay, where it was met by notorious pirate and rumored hair-dyer Blackbeard. Blackbeard's crew drank so much of the wine on board that the pirate lost control of his subordinates, who promptly sunk the ship to the bottom of the ocean. The once mighty vessel now lives on only in spirit.

Yet it's not really a surprise that the Cook brothers chose Sloop Betty as the moniker for their flagship vodka. They wanted a product that "would engender such passion" as the men on Blackbeard's crew had for their booty. Well, maybe not that much passion. But more to the point, they wanted a name that screamed Maryland and spoke to what was inside each bottle. So came forth their idea for hand-crafted wheat vodka made with Maryland water and select organic ingredients. For their Sloop Betty Honey flavored vodka, that even includes a bit of raw and unpasteurized honey sourced in Maryland. The distillery also offers tours so fans can see for themselves how the spirits are made, or even catch a glimpse of distiller Andy Keller making pots of caramel to blend into the Picaroon Maryland Gold Rum.