6-28-2024 11:36am

DAYTRIPS: FREDERICK

Puerto Rico Distillery focuses on conserving tradition (and rum)

By: ANNA MISHONOVA, Business Maryland

Nonprofits and crowdfunding often lead to great things, but in the case of Puerto Rico Distillery, they have led to a whole new business. Founded in 2017, this Puerto Rican-owned company is located in Frederick, and is run by a “power” father-daughter duo, Angel Rivera and Crystal Rivera. Together, they provide the community with high-quality pitorro - sugarcane moonshine rum that dates back to 1797 and is unique to the island.

The demand for this product became evident to the Riveras during a fundraising event held for their non-profit organization, Cultura Plenera . “People drove from as far north as Connecticut and as far south as North Carolina to buy pitorro,” says Crystal. Their non-profit already connected the Puerto Rican diaspora with arts, cuisine, music, and languages, all included in multiple yearly community events in Maryland, so the next step for the Riveras seemed obvious.

Seven years later, the distillery is flourishing, surrounded by the community's love and appreciation. A testament to its support is The Little (Virtual) Book of Clandestino Cocktails - a collection of recipes featuring pitorro sent and discovered by the Riveras over the years.

“In Puerto Rico, our style of rum is consumed only neat, so we did not know of any cocktail,” explains Angel. “But when we opened to the public in Maryland, we were asked for cocktail recipes that our rum would pair well with. When we found ourselves in this situation, we confessed not knowing about cocktail recipes and asked our customers to please share cocktails they prepared (and liked) that we could pass along to future clients.”

Today, the book holds over 20 recipes all created by Maryland pitorro fans, and is very popular with the distillery customers.The business has strong ties not only with its clients, but also organizations all over the state.

“We are part of the Maryland Distillers Guild , and have collaborated in special releases with Lyon Rum, located in Talbot County; Details Matter, a clothing brand in Puerto Rico; Wine District, a liquor store in Frederick; and Qui Qui D.C., a Puerto Rican restaurant in D.C.,” proudly says Crystal.

Aside from successful partnerships, Puerto Rico Distillery also has exciting future plans. In late 2024, the distillery will be moving to Brunswick to a historic building that dates back to 1920 with more than 16,000 square-feet of space. The expansion will allow the Riveras to triple the distillery's current production, open a cocktail lounge, and include an event space. Both Angel and Crystal are very excited about the change.

Despite what The Riveras’ success might show, a distillery business is not that easy to get into. “Distilleries fall under alcohol regulations, which tend to be more restrictive and highly scrutinized," explains Angel. “My advice for anyone interested in pursuing this career field is to seek mentorship from someone already in the industry, so they can guide you through the process.”