Shuck It, Shake It, and Smoke It All Summer Long at Wit & Wisdom

by Jennifer Waldera in Bars & Restaurants

Since it’s housed in the first floor of the Four Seasons, you may think Wit & Wisdom is all fancy happy hours and white-tablecloth dinners, but its newest summer-long outdoor BBQ style event may shake up your view of the stylish bar and restaurant.

Intended to be casual and fun, Wit’s newest concept Shuck It, Shake It, Smoke It is an all-summer event on the restaurant’s lounge-like waterfront patio featuring a new outdoor kitchen. Chef Zack Mills will be utilizing a smoker to prepare barbecue dishes in his signature innovative style alongside a raw bar serving a variety of fresh shellfish. While we know Baltimore loves its barbecue and raw bars, we have a suspicion that another hit promises to be the Friday, Saturday and Sunday night whole-pig roasting.

Not one to let the cuisine at Wit & Wisdom go without proper liquid pairings, Lead Bartender Aaron Joseph collaborated with Mills to create some elevated yet fun drink options for the ongoing event.

Punches will be served in a large format meant for 4-6 people, intended to be ladled into cocktail glasses at the table. Options will include the Orchid Punch (Clyde Mayes Alabama Style Whiskey, white orchid tea, apple/kumquat/coriander syrup garnished with a gorgeous large orchid), Hon Punch (reposado tequila, lavender mint tea, lime juice, kumquat sorghum with a mint and orange peel garnish) and Rhum Punch (Clement Rhum Agricole, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and a garnish of sage and lemon peel).

We here at Drink Baltimore made the supreme sacrifice for you readers and tasted all three. We can report back that each is a pleasantly boozy, yet balanced, sip of summer in a glass.

Meanwhile, individually crafted coolers will be on the menu as well. A slightly citrusy base of lime juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, soda water and the aperitif wine Cocchi Americano will be served alongside portions of raspberry, pamplemousse and peach liqueurs. Each liqueur, or a combination, can be added to the base to create an individualized sparkly and fruity concoction.

Joseph has also shaken up a few summer concoctions for sipping outside. The Charm Peace is a combination of Dolin Blanc vermouth infused with basil and Stoli Elite mixed with clarified roasted tomato with pink peppercorn, Old Bay and saffron. Slow Country Ride, an Old-Bay rimmed cocktail, is inspired by the flavors of the Eastern Shore and Chesapeake and incorporates a beautifully balanced roasted sweet corn infused tequila with lemon juice, agave, cilantro.

Finally, Joseph has adultified a childhood summer favorite with his creation of boozy popsicles. Frozen with liquid nitrogen, these seasonal pops will have a base of spirits like cucumber vodka or rum and summery flavors that range from cantaloupe to watermelon to honeydew.

For those looking for something a little lighter, for $24.99 bottomless glasses of rose will be available on Thursdays, and, for the same price, bottomless mimosas will be poured on Sundays.

The first day to sample the event, June 10, is already full, but get there early in the evenings for the rest of the summer to enjoy any of the 85 seats, cocktails and barbecue on the patio from 5:30–9:30 PM.

Photo via Wit and Wisdom