Stay at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Inner Harbor and visit these top Baltimore makers. Image Credit: David Phelps
From handcrafted leather goods to healing tea blends, Baltimore’s maker community has something for everyone. Here are six Baltimore-based brands to know.
The Treason Toting Company
Kimpton Hotel Monaco Baltimore Inner Harbor lends Treason Toting’s handcrafted bags to hotel guests. Photo Credit: Sebastian Marin + Isaiah Winters.
Founder Aaron Jones believe that everyone has the power to change their lives for the better, just grab your bag and go. With this ethos in mind, they created the perfect, timeless bag for just such a mission. The Treason Toting Company is a travel goods brand named after the streets of Baltimore, and each leather or canvas bag is hand-constructed with the highest quality materials ideal for exploring Baltimore and beyond. Now, visitors to Kimpton Hotel Monaco Baltimore Inner Harbor can experience this Baltimore-born brand for themselves.
Four custom-designed Treason Toting bags are on display in the hotel’s living room and available to borrow free of charge. Each design features high-quality navy waterproof canvas with honeycomb trim, antique brass hardware, and brown leather straps. Options include The Biddle, a compact backpack; The Chase, a slightly larger backpack designed for a full day of meetings or exploration; The Eutaw, an everyday medium-sized carry all tote; and lastly, the 13-inch laptop sleeve, perfect for on-the-go business meetings. Guests also have the option to purchase special edition Treason and Hotel Monaco yellow screen-printed shopping totes that are available in each guest room closet.
Drama MaMa Bookshop
Baltimore has been the home to literary greats including James Baldwin, Edgar Allan Poe and Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Drama MaMa Bookshop owner Alisa Brock wants the trend to continue. Everyone has a story to tell, but she believes the real magic begins when we write these stories down. Her custom laser cut journals and notebooks are meant for everything from jotting down to-do lists, to the start of the next great American novel. If you’d rather put a personal touch on your journal, join one of her Wine & Bind classes where you’ll learn about the necessary tools and skills for traditional book binding, personalize your own journal cover all while sipping local wines.
Natasha’s Just Brittle
Purchases from Natasha’s Just Brittle support a community organization, making these treats even sweeter.
Is there any better souvenir from a trip than a sweet treat? We don’t think so! Ask anyone in Baltimore where you should go for something sweet, delicious and easily portable, and they’re sure to send you to Just Brittle. Baltimore native, Natasha Wainwright perfected her craft in her grandmother’s kitchen with dreams of opening her own business. Today, she sells handmade and hand cut peanut brittle, toffee, caramel and chocolate apples, brittle popcorn and chocolates. Even better, she gives back to her community with the B’More Made with Pride Commercial Kitchen within her storefront, an incubator for culinary artisans to cook, produce and sell their creations.
Cedar & Cotton
Co-founders Raina Smallwood and Nasira Latif bonded over a love of all things décor and architecture before launching Cedar & Cotton, an affordable vintage home furnishings company based in Southwest Baltimore City. They curate, handcraft and refurbish everything from furniture to accessories and lighting, with an emphasis on themes from nature, African prints and metallics. Visitors can check out their chic warehouse loft space on Saturdays from 10 am until 2 pm, by appointment, or during one of their regular events including art shows, hosted brunches, panels and their seasonal Wine & Design furniture events.
Juniper Culinary Apothecary
Find healing tea blends at Juniper Culinary Apothecary. Image Credit: @michaeljberlin via Twenty20
After nearly running her own physical and mental health into the ground as a professional chef, Sarah Acconcia founded Juniper Culinary Apothecary to not only heal her own body through food, but to also share what she’s learned along the way. Tea blends like Clean Routine help fight symptoms of respiratory illnesses and support the immune system, while superfood spice blends include powerhouse spices like golden turmeric and pink Himalayan salt. Fan of spice? Try the Baby Clydesdale carrot habanero ginger hot sauce.
Union Craft Brewing
Union Craft Brewing helped kick off Baltimore’s craft beer renaissance. Image Credit: @kayp via Twenty20
Baltimore’s craft beer scene has flourished over the years and some say that Union Craft Brewing started it all. When it opened in 2012, it became the first craft brewery to open within city limits in 30 years, with signature beers that pay homage to Baltimore, like Duckpin, Anthem and Skipjack. Founders Kevin Blodger, Adam Benesch and Jon Zerivitz were all born and raised in Baltimore and recently, they launched a marketplace within their space for local startups called Union Collective. Pop by on Saturdays for a free brewery tour, or Wednesday through Sunday for a pint at the Tap Room.
While you’re exploring all that Baltimore has to offer, the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Baltimore Inner Harbor is the perfect home base.
