OPEN
Mystique Barrel Brewing and Lager House: When Suspended Brewing announced it was leaving Pigtown and relocating to a smaller space in North Baltimore last year, residents mourned a solid spot for tipping back local brews. But happy days are ahead. Mystique Barrel Brewing and Lager House debuted in the old Suspended space this month, and will hold its official grand opening on Saturday.
The concept comes from Thomas Pagano, a longtime brewer who happens to be a Suspended alum. He’s also worked at Checkerspot Brewing and Mobtown Brewing.
“It’s been 10 months since we took over the lease,” says Pagano, whose renovation effort followed in Suspended’s sustainable footsteps, making use of clean energy and highlighting furniture made with reclaimed materials. “We’ve done a lot of upgrades to an already beautiful taproom. We built out a small kitchen, and we pretty much touched every surface besides the taproom floor and one other wall.”
Mystique’s offerings span from easy-drinking lagers and ciders to IPAs and seltzers. There are currently 10 brews on tap, including a pre-Prohibition corn lager. “It goes back to that old style where German brewers came here and only had American malt and hops,” Pagano explains. “So we embraced that by using some of the malt to go with corn, and by using New World hops up to this current day and age.”
If you’re looking for a unique pour, Mystique’s Quartet Saison uses four different yeasts/microbes. “There’s a lot of complexity going on,” Pagano says, “that one took a while to develop.”
To pair with all of the experimental brews, expect small bites like pulled pork sliders, potato pierogies, paninis, and pretzel bites. Right now, Mystique is open Thursdays through Sundays. Stop by the grand opening this Saturday for an official ribbon cutting, $5 beers from 12-3 p.m., and giveaways every hour from 4-8 p.m.
NEWS
Cajou Creamery Receives Outpouring of Support: After sharing on social media that it was in danger of closing, Cajou Creamery received overwhelming support from the community this past weekend. The Black-owned, plant-based creamery—which we’ve named among the best in the city—saw lines down its block on Howard Street for multiple days. “Thank you for standing with us, for waiting in those long lines, and for proving that this community is unstoppable,” owners Dwight Campbell and Nicole Foster wrote on Instagram. “Let’s keep showing up for each other and building a future we can all be proud of.”
The flurry of patronage was spurred by Cajou’s announcement that last weekend might have been its last. The owners cited low pedestrian traffic, other closed businesses nearby, power and water outages, and “BGE explosions that have impacted our freezer” as challenges that put the shop on the brink of closure. After this encouraging weekend, the owners revealed that they’re looking for a new location. “We need your help to keep going,” they said. “We hope you keep showing up for us and other local businesses like you did this weekend.”
Crust by Mack Ends Retail Operations at Harborplace: Amanda Mack’s beloved bakery Crust by Mack made a big announcement earlier this month. The pastry chef revealed on social media that her shop at Harborplace will end its retail operations. That means that although the business will remain in the space, it will not be open to customers. This is in an effort to expand Crust by Mack’s catering operations (Thanksgiving pie orders are open now) and provide more opportunity for special events and community collaborations. “This shift supports serving you in a wider capacity and brings us even closer together through specially curated events like supper clubs and brunch balls,” she wrote. “Harborplace is our home; we haven’t gone anywhere and don’t plan to.”
Baltimore Spirits Co. Celebrates Ninth Anniversary with Special Bottling: This award-winning local distillery has officially been on the scene for nine years. In keeping with tradition, Baltimore Spirits Co. is releasing a special birthday bottle—a five-year-old single barrel rye whiskey, bottled at cask strength after spending more than two years in the toasted barrel to finish its aging process. Available at the Union Collective distillery starting Nov. 28 (Black Friday) at noon, the special release marks BSC’s first cask-strength toasted finish and only its second five-year cask-strength bottle.
A toasted barrel is different from a traditional charred barrel. Many whiskey barrels are charred on their interior for 40-60 seconds. Toasted barrels, on the other hand, are subjected to less extreme temperatures for longer durations to bring out different flavors. As a result, expect a “deeply fruity flavor profile and an exquisitely creamy mouthfeel” when sampling the new release.
EPICUREAN EVENTS
11/24: Ekiben Pizza Party at Southpaw
Only a few spots remain for this special pop-up with Ekiben and nearby Fells Point watering hole Southpaw. The two businesses are teaming up to help diners “relive their childhood Pizza Hut buffet memories,” according to a social post. Expect checkered tablecloths and an all-you-can-eat/all-you-can-drink experience at Southpaw. Details on the pizza menu are mum, but Ekiben says to look out for nduja and birria in the mix. The pop-up is running two sessions; the early session at 5:30 p.m. is already sold out, and few tickets remain for the second seating at 7:30 p.m.
SHUT
Noona’s: Midtown-Belvedere pizza joint Noona’s shuttered this month, according to reporting by The Baltimore Business Journal. The Mt. Royal Avenue eatery from Phil Han of Dooby’s opened in 2018 (it later changed hands), offering a menu of signature sourdough-crust pies topped with ingredients like pancetta and shallots, potatoes and leeks, and classic pepperoni and mozzarella. The space won’t be without pizza for long, though. The paper also reports that Angeli’s Pizzeria will open its fifth location there in December. “In essence, we purchased the operations of Noona’s and view this as the chance to provide a new and well-established restaurant option to the local community, rather than terming this a restaurant closure,” Angeli’s co-owner Juniet Ozturk clarified in a statement to the BBJ.