Brian Treacy
Brian Treacy
(1972 – present)
Former President and CEO of Sagamore Spirit
From Backpacking in Arizona to Trailblazing Sagamore Spirit in Baltimore Maryland
Like all whiskey, Maryland Rye has its own story to be told. In 2012, long after Prohibition and the Bourbon Depression, Brian Treacy started the conversation of getting Maryland Rye Whiskey back on the map in its rightful place in history.
An Unusual Beginning. Brian Treacy was born in Alabama and moved to Maryland when he was two, growing up in a Washington, DC suburb. He graduated from Northern Arizona University College of Business Management. For twenty years Brian owned and operated the most successful backcountry outfitters company in the southwestern United States. He led multiday back packing camping trips through the Grand Canyon. He considered “his office” to be the Grand Canyon. A friend from high school called Brian and said he was looking for someone with an entrepreneurial background and a history of successfully starting businesses. This friend was planning to start a whiskey distillery and wanted to know if Brian was interested. Brian quickly recognized starting a whiskey distillery is a once in a lifetime opportunity and he couldn’t pass it up, so he sold his back country outfitters company and relocated his family back to Maryland. He considers himself “a Maryland Guy.”
A Passion for Reviving Maryland Style Rye Whiskey. Brian Treacy brought his entrepreneurial spirit, his knack for business operations, and his easy-going creative personality back to Maryland to stand up the most famous rye whiskey distillery in modern times. Brian took his love for drinking rye whiskey and immersed himself in learning everything he could about whiskey. He found a mentor, Larry Ebersold, a former Midwest Grain Products (MGP) master distiller to show him the way forward. Brian was tasked with launching Sagamore Spirit from the ground up. He saw this as way to continue the history lesson on Maryland rye whiskey and why it is different from other rye whiskeys. Maryland has a rich history of distilling rye whiskeys. In 1910, Maryland had 44 distilleries, half of them in Baltimore. Maryland made rye whiskey throughout Prohibition and switched over to ethanol to support the war effort. The Bourbon Depression hit in the early 1970’s and Maryland Rye Whiskey faded into history after the last rye distillery locked its doors in 1972. By mid-2000’s rye whiskey started a resurgence with pop up distilleries around the country. Rye whiskey began to regain its fans.
It’s in the Water. The Sagamore Spirit Distillery is in Baltimore, Maryland in Port Covington. It is located 22 miles from Sagamore Farm. The farm was a former thoroughbred horse racing farm. Sagamore Farm has a limestone shelf which produces the highest quality water in the mid-Atlantic region. Their water is used to make Sagamore Spirit whiskeys, being trucked down Maryland Route 83, which inspired the initial proof of the first Sagamore Spirit products.
Brian oversaw all aspects of Sagamore Spirit. From collaboration with the local grain farmers to spirits production, aging, bottling, and marketing. He played many roles from student in the industry, general contractor, marketeer, business strategist, branding executive, product developer, packager, and even bathroom attendant on the weekends. A modern-day “chief cook and bottle washer!” Brian and his team-initiated production by sourcing two rye whiskeys from MGP and blending them into Sagamore Spirit unique rye whiskey. Brian continued to guide the company towards the goal of moving from sourced whiskey to producing all authentic Maryland distilled rye whiskey staying true to Maryland’s rye heritage.
New Footprints Blazed for Maryland Rye Whiskey. Brian Treacy is the reason Maryland Rye Whiskey has been given its rightful place in history. He would never admit to that, but his Maryland distilling peers would. He started the conversation about Maryland Rye Whiskey. He and his team built a distillery in Baltimore giving people the opportunity to have a conversation about Maryland rye whiskey and a positive reason to visit Baltimore. He and his team created an excellent product. They provided something unique and different. Sagamore Spirit became the place to go for an experience, where hospitality and customer service were first rate and lasting relationships were built. Brian Treacy and his team created 90 jobs internally at Sagamore Spirit. Providing people with security, the opportunity for growth within the industry, and even benefits.
Brian and his team garnered 15 awards in their first year of operation for Sagamore Spirit, including winning Double Gold at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco.
Brian is a humble leader, which is a big reason why he is revered and respected by members of the Maryland Distillers Guild and others in the industry. He served as the President of the Maryland Distillers Guild while at Sagamore Spirit. His actions demonstrate that he is here to help and serve everyone in the industry. Brian Treacy is the reason Sagamore Spirit supports the Craft Distilling industry throughout the State of Maryland. Brian Treacy refocused national attention to the Maryland Spirits Industry.
Thought Provoking. When facing something new, Brian’s perspective is: “I’ve Never done it before …I’ll figure it out.” Brian believes every aspiring distillery should ask themselves the question, “Why, but…?” He says to “expect the unexpected on your journey, and everything takes a whole lot longer than you think it should”, but “figure it out!”
What’s Next. Brian’s Legacy for Maryland Rye continues… with a personal touch. Brian has moved on from Sagamore Spirit but has remained in the whiskey industry because of the people. He is extremely supportive to every craft distillery in Maryland, which is to say all of them, as they are all considered craft distilleries. The people he has met along the way, the relationships he has created, and the path he still wants to complete in forwarding Maryland Rye in history keep him in the massive whiskey industry.
Brian’s favorite whiskey is anything rye and believes each glass of whiskey is its own experience.
