A Maryland craft distillery rooted in Puerto Rican rum tradition has found a permanent home in one of Brunswick's most storied buildings — and is marking the occasion with the most limited release in its history.
Puerto Rico Distillery, the family-owned operation founded by father-and-daughter team Angel and Crystal Rivera, has relocated to 402 5th Avenue in Brunswick, a century-old structure that previously housed a clothing factory, an umbrella factory, and a woodworking shop. The building also now hosts the Cultura Plenera Cultural Center, which opened earlier this year, giving the property a dual mission: craft spirits production and Puerto Rican cultural programming under one roof.
The Limited Release
To celebrate the opening, the Riveras released Clandestino Añejo, a pitorro — the traditional Puerto Rican moonshine rum — aged for the first time in a single bourbon whiskey barrel. Only 218 individually numbered bottles were produced, making it the distillery's most exclusive expression to date. Founder supporters received first access on July 24, 2026, with remaining bottles available to the general public on August 1, 2026, priced at $75 each through the distillery's website.
The decision to finish pitorro in a bourbon barrel is a deliberate bridge between two distinct American craft spirits traditions, and it signals a willingness to experiment within the category that could resonate across the broader craft beverage industry. Bourbon barrel finishing has become a well-established tool for craft distillers looking to add complexity and marketability to existing expressions, and applying it to pitorro creates a genuinely rare hybrid with both cultural specificity and collector appeal.
More Than a Tasting Room
The Rivera family is positioning the Brunswick location as a full cultural destination rather than a conventional distillery tasting room. Plans include educational tastings, history programming on Puerto Rican rum traditions, and celebrations of Puerto Rican music — an experiential model increasingly common among craft producers looking to build brand loyalty in an era when hospitality-driven retail concepts are outperforming standard retail.
"For our family, this has never been just about making rum," said Angel Rivera. "It's about preserving traditions, honoring where we come from, and creating a place where people can experience a piece of Puerto Rico right here in Maryland."
The distillery's pivot to experiential hospitality is well-timed. Consumer interest in heritage spirits and culturally grounded food-and-beverage experiences has grown steadily across the U.S. craft sector. By anchoring its production facility inside a landmark building shared with a cultural center, Puerto Rico Distillery is constructing the kind of narrative that supports both tourism traffic and premium pricing — two pillars any small producer needs to sustain long-term growth in a competitive craft spirits market.
The distillery is expected to open fully to visitors this fall. Food & Beverage Magazine has previously covered the rise of culturally specific craft spirits as a fast-growing niche within the broader beverage industry.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
