Mark McLaughlin and Arch Watkins are former Naval pilots making an award-winning American single malt at Old Line Spirits in Maryland. “A lot of people will ask why American single malt why Baltimore, all reasonable questions,” says Mark. “But the bigger question is why do this at all? What’s the point? For me, what we’re doing here in whiskey and American single alt is a tiny sliver of what Americans do in general: We take things and innovate and improve and hope to make them better.” As American Single Malts push to the forefront of the U.S. spirits stage, Old Line is emerging as one of the top contributors to the current ground swell of American Single Malt Whiskey as it pushes to the forefront of the U.S. spirits industry.
What whiskey first made you say fuck yeah?
Mark “Fonda” McLaughlin: I grew up as an Irish kid in Boston so my first exposure was Jameson’s. About 10 years ago I tried Eagle Rare and it started turning the gears about what whiskey can be and what Arch and I are doing now.
Arch “Gorch” Watkins: The most memorable for me was either Four Roses Small Batch or Russel Reserve 10. It made me think Oh, this is how real whiskey is supposed to taste.
If you weren’t making whiskey, you’d probably be . . .
M: I wouldn’t be in finance. I’d be manufacturing something. Probably in the consumable food and beverage industry.
A: Fighting Russians in Ukraine.
What’s a fucked up way you drink whiskey you probably wouldn’t tell anyone if you weren’t filling out this questionnaire?
M: I put ice in a lot of whiskeys. I know people turn their noses up at that. I drink typically high-proof whiskey and I let the ice break it down. I love the way the flavor transforms. I’ll throw ginger ale in any whiskey—Jameson’s and ginger is my mother’s milk.
A: I’ll do a sloppy cocktail: in a high ball, a bunch of whiskey, a little sweet vermouth, and a little ginger syrup.
What’s a fucked up way someone you know drinks whiskey that makes you want to throw them off a cliff and seriously, Jesus Hashtag Christ, why, Darryll? Why?
M: The way arch does cocktails? My cousin James has never met a whiskey that he won’t shoot or a whiskey that he would sip. He gets the Cutty Sark in our house.
A: the guy’s name is Dan Morony; he will drink whiskey and milk. It is horrendous. He should be ashamed and I want this to be out there.
What song will get you onto the floor no matter what?
M: Arch will say it’s Dancing Queen, by ABBA.
A: It’s “Oh Danny Boy,” for Mark. You don’t see a lot of people dancing to that song.
Give a quote from a movie you obsess over:
M: It’s not from a movie. It’s from a navy buddy, John Bloss) “Ya better Hong Kong believe it.”
A: “So why male models?” — Zoolander
Besides making whiskey, what do you do right?
M: I like to cook. Whether I’m good or not is up to my wife but its’ something I enjoy doing and try not to fuck up too badly.
A: I make a pretty good tiki bar customer.
Sum up the essence of great whiskey with a single word.
M: Layers.
A: Stories.
Whiskey with an e or whiskey without an e?
With.
What moment during your process strikes you as perfect?
M: I think making that first cut is pretty special It’s one of the biggest steps in defining what quality goes into the barrel. It’s where you set the trend on that whiskey. We go through our inventory routinely and rate our barrels to see which one is coming along, and we find the ones that really stand out as outliers. When you have that barrel that everyone agrees on and everyone says hey this one is special.
A: My favorite thing to walk into is when the mashing is underway. I love the smells of a mash in fermentation. All barrels are different. They’re all our children in one way or another. Every once in a while you find that perfect one.
List three whiskies you love that aren’t yours.
M: Eagle Rare, Arbaggh, Old Overholt BIB because it always punches above its weight.
A: Old Grandad, Four Roses Small Batch, Sagamore Cask Strength Rye
Name the single most underrated or overlooked distillery in your state.
M: Can I name a whole category? One thing I’ll say is American Single Malt. It’s not at the forefront like bourbon and rye are.
A: So many good ones in Maryland and I don’t want to hurt feelings but our friends down at Tobacco Barn. They are some good guys doing some interesting things.
M: one of their owners is a retired Navy pilot as well, so we have that added connection.
Name a whiskey you think our readers never heard of.
M: We have a deep connection with a distillery in Ohio called Middle West Spirits.
A: Mannatawny Still Works in PA.
What was your most embarrassing mistake making whiskey?
M: When we were raising money from investors it was rare that I didn’t have two armpit stains that nearly met each other by the end of the meeting
A: Transferring and emptying a barrel at Golden Distillery in Washington. The line we were pumping into the barrel topped out and for two minutes we didn’t notice and we pumped 10 or 15 gallons of distillate onto the floor.
What’s a moment in your life that made you realize life is goddam beautiful?
M: Sappy answer? Having kids. Looking back on where we came from in Naval aviation. It was a lot\ of hard work and being away. But some of those moments when you’re flying in a beautiful sunset and thinking I’m pretty lucky to do this. And here at the distillery, being able to put out feet up and have a drink with Arch.
A: Kids and flying.
Who would you like to see answer these questions?
M: Ryan Lang from Middle West.
A: Brian Tracy at Sagamore Spirits.
