Discover Delmarva: Seacrets Distilling Company

OCEAN CITY, Md. – Seacrets Distilling Company produces award-winning spirits and provides an immersive experience through the prohibition era. The owner Leighton Moore took WMDT on the one-of-a-kind tour – that has you “clock in” for a shift at the distillery. “So it starts here blow the steam whistle, then it goes up to storage through hammering the grain and going into the still, and the fermentation tanks and then the tasting.”

The process starts with organic GMO-free grain grown right in Snow Hill. The grain is hammered and transported through tubes into the mash tun to be turned a water and grain mix. Moore says “It goes in here for about two to three hours at 85 degrees, it’s then turned by a paddle to soften it up. We add the enzymes to it; the enzymes eat the starches from the grains.” The mash is transported to the fermentation tanks where it excretes alcohol. This process takes four to five days before it is ready to move to the still.

The still separates the grain particles and the waters out of the mash through evaporation at 173.1 degrees to get the alcohol to come out. “We go ahead and take the hearts, which are then put into the tanks over here.” The ‘hearts’ of the alcohol are measured to determine the quality as they head up to the lab portion of the process. Moore goes on to say, “Here we come in and proof the alcohol. Take a sample of the alcohol and put it in the side of this and within a minute it will tell you the exact proof. ”

Any alcohol with flavoring or coloring cannot be proofed – it will have to go into the smaller stills to get the proof – a process taking two hours. All their products take on their flavors through an intensive maceration process. This is a labor-intensive process involving hand peeling each fruit and de-seeding it. “So in this case it was in from the 25th until the 4th, this is not easy, it’s not quick, and it’s a lot of work,” explains Moore.

After the maceration process, it is piped upstairs where it will be diluted down and cooled. It will go through plate filters where it helps remove particulates. It’s checked one final time for its proof and is bottled manually and labeled – ready to be sold.

Now that we know the science behind it – it’s time to head to the pharmacy to find Dr. Moore. During the prohibition era, you could legally only get alcohol through a Doctor, Veterinarian, or a Dentist. You have to use a rotary phone to get the password to gain access to the speakeasy.

Walking in you’re greeted with an assortment of era-appropriate antiques – even the bar you’re sitting at is from an actual speakeasy in St. Louis. Dr. Moore also greets you with your “prescriptions” ready for you “We would then have the chilled glasses and if they had asked for the spiced rum we would pour that for them.” The tour is a one-of-a-kind experience and even the building is built with bricks from that era.

Moore says the goal here is to entertain people while also maintaining a high-quality product; All the antiques have a story within the speakeasy. He says this is something different people can do during their next visit to Ocean City.

For more information on their fall hours and newest product offerings check out their website