What happens when you combine Chesapeake Bay history, fine dining craft, and… pirates?
In this penultimate episode of the show, host Chris Sands travels to Magdalena at The Ivy Hotel in Baltimore to sit down with bar manager Max Burge. Max breaks down his creative process behind Magdalena’s rotating concept menus, specifically their Chesapeake, inspired cocktail lineup, "A Nest of Pirates."
Chris and Max taste their way through the menu—from the tea-like, Arnold Palmer notes of The King’s Pardon and the briny depths of Oyster Wars, to the Madeira-laced Gentleman Pirate and the dramatic, gunpowder-tinged Queen Anne's Revenge. Along the way, they dig into:
Why rum is prime for a major resurgence (and why cheap rail rum gave it a bad reputation)
Balancing high-end culinary flavors with accessible hospitality
The culinary magic of fat washing (and repurposing the leftover butter for baking)
Why neither of them likes the word "mixologist"—and why dry vodka martini drinkers really just want a cold shot of vodka
And, for the final time in the podcast’s 10-year history: The definitive, official answer to "Ninja vs. Pirate."
Grab a glass, settle in, and explore one of Baltimore’s most thoughtful cocktail programs.
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Supported by the Brewers Association of Maryland