With football season now in full swing, Baltimore Ravens fans may be looking for new ways to celebrate their team, including raising a glass.
This year, the Ravens released a limited-edition 30th anniversary “Charm City Spirits” lineup in collaboration with BOTLD, a spirits retailer that sources from local distilleries.
The custom whiskey and vodka bottles have specialty labels with the Ravens logo, colors, and phrase “Play Like a Raven” stamped on the front. The label also pays homage to past Super Bowl wins, with numerals “XXXV” and “XLVII” on the sides of the emblem.
“There’s nothing better than celebrating with your favorite team and with your favorite product and enjoying it,” said Ravens Chief Sales Officer Kevin Rochlitz.
The bottles are perfect “as a gift or to commemorate in your bar at your house,” Rochlitz said.
Rochlitz said the team will continue the partnership each year, coming up with new ideas and ways to commemorate milestones. Rochlitz hopes the partnership will enhance the gameday experience for fans especially at home.
BOTLD founder, Andrew Auwerda, said their company focuses on partnerships mostly between professional sports teams and universities. The idea, he said, is to create the spirits for the fanbase and their lifestyle.
“We want to plug into the culture of the team, the tailgating, and create memorable collectible limited edition spirits,” Auwerda said.
In addition to the Ravens partnership, BOTLD has partnerships with the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, and the Washington Commanders.
Unlike larger liquor companies, Auwerda says BOTLD focuses on fan connections first.
“People just love it as kind of part of the lifestyle and the fandom…it’s kind of perfect for someone that likes to collect and fill up your man cave or your sports bar,” he said. “If we engage ourselves with the whole fan base and the team, it resonates a bit more.”
Auwerda explained that since they do most of thier business during football season, the short time frame brings the retail price down, and the consistency and quality of liquor up.
“We’ve created something specifically for the Ravens fan…. To me, it’s just much more interesting than another spirit.”
The whiskey retails for $39.99 and the vodka retails for $29.99 and is now available at select liquor stores across Maryland. To learn more about BOTLD, visit BOTLD.com.
