Ah Lost Ark, so sad to see you go. It may seem strange to write a review for a business ready to close its doors, but if not to pay it respects, I would recommend that anyone reading this consider purchasing any of their remaining stock from your local store; it's all pretty good! The inside is simple, with the occasional nod to ships at sea, which is easy to do if you have lots of barrels for aging spirits. There is a little bar where they make great cocktails rather quickly. They have spirit-forward as well as citrusy. Never had one I didn't like. The spirits (as of this writing, still available at some local liquor shops) are fantastic. My absolute favorite is the Lady Anne white rum. Some white rums are barely better than rbbing alcohol, but this has character and depth and makes a fantastic mojito. RIP Lost Ark! read more

Lost Ark Distilling Company - Colada-mosa and Lost and Stormy. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Such a terrific place with not just a distillery, but also a bar, sit down area, and entertainment space. It's in an industrial area, but the decor is spot on for rum drinking. There is a retail area as well. They sell different varieties of their delicious concoctions. The menu is on a TV and there are so many options to pick from. A flight of 4 tastings is $8 and gives you the opportunity to try out the different types of alcohol. The Carmel cream was very good. The South of Manhattan and Muddy Waters were fantastic cocktails. We were greeted upon entering and Erik was very friendly. We sat at the bar. He was filling lots of orders (people come to the bar and order, then sit in the rum lounge area) and was still very attentive and welcoming. They do tours and sampling. Check their socials for more information. They also have an extensive list of entertainment. read more

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I have been on a few distillery tours now (some in Pittsburgh, and OBX); I was so excited to see a local one pop-up in my social media feed last month. I'm dissapointed in myself for not knowing about Lost Ark sooner! This tour was certainly the best value: packed with information and, of course, alcohol ;) [$25 per person, $10 for non-drinkers and the underage over 12 haha] You learn the foundations of what makes whiskey, whiskey vs bourbon, or rum, etc; the step by step process they go through distilling their products; the story of how their distillery came to be; and other fun facts along the way. It's really neat getting to see the equipment up-close, really gives you an appreciation for the scale (size, amount of raw product, time...) it takes to produce things we consume so quickly! Then you move on to the tasting. You really get a whole line up of their products, I don't think I've been on another tour that gives you as many different items to taste. And it's not just lining up shots haha It really is educational, from what goes into each item and how to properly taste it. Some of my group, myself included, were feeling very 'relaxed' by the end of the tour ;) I absolutely loved that you get to keep your Lost Ark glass from the tasting! We've been using them at home to enjoy some of the items we purchased. Of course the fun isn't over just yet. Included in your tour ticket is a drink from the bar as well! They have lots to choose from; I went with the Hoco Sipper (bourbon, black tea, lemon, sugar, seltzer, usually comes with spiced cherry rum float, but I'm allergic to cherry so I asked for it without cherry). SOO tasty! I will be back for more of those :) We had dinner reservations up the road to get to, but they had live music getting set up as we were finishing up our drinks. And you can get food from HomeSlyce delivered to your table, using a qr code. So we will definitely be back to try that sometime too. Free surface parking, chill atmosphere, friendly people dedicated to their craft :) Love that we have something like this here now! Will have to take a bottle down next time we go to an alumni event at SMCM for a photo op with the Dove hahaha read more

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Far Beyond What I Expected! I'm lowbrow when it comes to wine tastings and beer brewhouses. As the sommelier explains, "in this red you can detect hints of okra and peanut butter", I just smile and nod and drink my burny grape juice. So when I went on Lost Ark's distillery tour, I figured it would be barely notable over my usual Captain Morgan, and was mainly there for the interesting distilling process insight. And the tour was excellent for sure; I learned a ton of neat facts and terms and laws that define the industry. The owner is great, it's a quaint and personable establishment, and the atmosphere is so low key and relaxing- a wonderful place to hang out. But what utterly blew me away is how good the rum is! It is absolutely unlike anything I've ever had before! And I'm assuming that stems from the fact (as they explained) that due to typical alcohol laws, rum has more freedom to branch out in flavor and process than a typical whisky or bourbon does. Even the basic white rum was so flavorful! So yes, definitely check this place out! Hang out with friends or family and get some cocktails, or take the tour and tasting for a fun afternoon. Or, just buy some bottles of their wide selection as gifts! (and buy yourself a gift while you're at it, you deserve it.) read more

We went back a few weeks ago because we found out they do karaoke every third Friday of the month. There was a live band that played music while waiting for brave souls to volunteer. We were honestly surprised there were not more people there. There was a limited amount of songs you could sing, but it was a lot of fun. They also have seasonal drinks and the fall ones were delicious! Very fun atmosphere and I wish more people would show this business love. read more

Have been here many times since 2018. The drinks are great and did tour of the distillery is nice. I like that you can bring your own food and eat in the establishment. The last time I was here, there was live music. I've seen the establishment transform into an Instagram worthy place. The bartenders are nice and are knowledgeable about the drinks. read more

Visited the distillery for their Awesome Drag Brunch Holiday event- ticket price included the show & one cocktail; was a bit dismayed to discover during the event they had special brunch drink options only available & we wouldn't be able to select some of the core drinks I saw when researching the location online- another woe was discovering they were out of bourbon & could only offer the rum based drinks though the staff were super friendly & personable, allowing me to sample the various rums to best determine which one would mix best with just basic ginger beer- I opted for the tropical spiced rum (tasted delicious but drink seemed a bit on the watered down side-insert Bob's Burger Brunch Ladies drink rule joke here haha) The event was fun; from what I saw there didn't seem to be any bad seats- the queens worked the room really well- everything was spaced out & clean, creating a welcoming vibe- would return to do a tasting flight- as the quality & taste profiles of the rum surprised me (not a rum drinker, they had some pop to them)-and the staff were so great I'd love to learn more about the distillery on their tour. read more

I love coming to Lost Ark. I've been for live music, trivia, or just a regular night to enjoy a drink or two. The bartenders are always welcoming and friendly, and the drinks are so creative and do not disappoint! It's such a gem and I love sharing an evening with friends here or coming on my own when I just need to decompress. I've yet to do a tour but it is definitely on my list. They have a few new special events they've been incorporating as well like cigar nights, drag brunches, etc... every time is a great time. Definitely one of my favorite bars in Columbia! read more

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I'm still in awe about this hidden gem in Columbia. 2 of my girlfriends and I came here on a Saturday evening. I made reservations to do a rum tasting tour ($15 p/p) and we had a wonderful experience. The location is somewhat in an industrial area and we walk into a room where there's a display of their rums and the bar. To the left is a large room where you can sit & relax and/or wait to be called for the tour. We met the owner who explained to us the history and the process of making their rum, label & packing and then onto the tasting. Total time was about 30-40 mins of the tour. Can't remember his name but really cool, down to earth guy. We tasted about 8 variations of their rum and boy oh boy, we loved them! (I couldn't try the hazelnut due to my allergy) You also get a drink ticket after the tour to get a choice of any cocktail or a shot. Because of the fun time @ tasting, us gals were hungry so thankfully right next door was a BBQ spot. We were able to order and walk back to Lost Ark to enjoy our food and complimentary cocktail. A 2 man-band was playing this particular Saturday and we ended up being there til close which was around 930-10. Enjoyed ourselves with 1 more drink and all arrived home safely. We plan on returning because it was such a great vibe, great staff and cool new rum cocktails to try & buy. read more

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Good if you love potent, alcohol focused drinks and a loud atmosphere where you can't hear yourself or others talk. My group and I were so excited to come and check out locally produced spirits- their Winter menu looked appealing and had an ample amount of adventurous and classic options to choose from. HOWEVER, after us getting 11 drinks out of this menu, I can confidently say this place adds more alcohol than other ingredients. It seems to sell their products, they put more of their alcohol rather than other juices, spices, or flavors. But, we as a whole felt this isn't representative to what others want- many individuals like myself prefer drinks that contain less alcohol, are sweeter, and focused on other ingredients. I recall asking the staff if there's any sweet options on the menu and they claimed none of theirs is! I feel a distillery or place selling mixed drinks needs to cater to all different palates and preferences. Others in my group were heavier drinkers and they even agreed this place doesn't skimp on alcohol. We all thought that the drinks weren't easy to sip but rather, finished for the sake of finishing since we paid for it. I usually order 2 drinks, but only got 1- the Locoquito drink. I sampled all other drinks from my group and nothing tasted good. Their Cuba Libre was by far the worst. My group couldn't even have a proper conversation because of the live music playing. I don't mind live music, but the speakers and all were so loud that we all couldn't hear each other. Plus, there were children everywhere in an alcoholic distillery. Potent and mediocre drinks with loud music, not enough seating, and uncomfortable seating overall. DRINKS TRIED: Charm City Daiquiri - probably the best? Planter's Punch- oddly okay but some sips tasted like medicine to me. To my friend, it was decent Cuba Libre- more alcohol, less coke in large glass. Awful don't get Mai Tai- decent but no wow factor; heavily spiked Lost Ark Spritz- my friend found this the best Virgin Mojito- only tasted like sprite Virgin Spiced Cider- just basic cider Roseberry Smash- looks good but heavily spiked Brûlée Banana Daiquiri- tastes lemony- misleading based on banana name Locoquito- too much alcohol to enjoy Coco Diablo- wouldn't be as bad if less potent read more

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This place was awesome! I recently visited this distilling company for trivia night this past Thursday what a great time. My friends and I were called Sherlock Homies. You can shop with the group on Thursday, I recommend getting there as early as you can because seating fills up fairly quickly inside. Pick a team name give it to them upfront and enjoy trivia night! Anyone who's second-guessing or thinking if they should give trivia night a chance, go! I had a charm city daiquiri it was great! The gentleman behind the bar was super nice and seemed happy to answer any questions I had! I will definitely be back! read more

Visited this place for my birthday weekend and enjoyed every bit of it. The distiller and owned was very knowledgeable about his product and rum in general. It was very informational to understand run and how lost ark came about. We enjoyed the tour and explanation of rum distillation from start to finish. The tour came with a ticket to enjoy a free drink as well and tasting that was amazing. The place has a nice set up with tvs and games to play after the tour. If you are into rum are just want a great fun time. I would highly recommend this place. read more

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Came back again this evening.. this time I brought my family! The owner recognized me from the last time I came by myself and thanked me for coming back! I enjoyed myself again. Plus they had a new rum (that I purchased by the way)... lol I will come back again with another crew! read more

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An awesome time at a local distillery! Loved the tour and the customer service. The owner, Brad, was very knowledgeable and very personable. He explained the process and the history of the business. The ambiance and setting is a nice combination of the distillery I'm the rear and seating in the front near the bar area. While they don't serve food on the premises, there are local food options that will deliver to the distillery. They have a pretty good selection of runs to choose from. Highly recommend going for the tour and tasting! read more

Holy crap. So we went to the brewery next door first, and then when it started to rain and there was no seating available inside for us to relocate to, we closed out our tab and started to make our way to the car...until we saw this distillery inside with seating available! I have no idea why there wasn't standing room only here -- this was far and away the most pleasant and enjoyable distillery experience I have ever had! We were greeted by a man whom we assume is the owner or one of the employees who has been with the company for a while, who gave us a great, brief overview of the distillery's history and what they are known for. We were offered a complimentary sampling of not one..two..but ALL of the different types of rum they produce! Amazing! We only took advantage of three of them, though, so we could enjoy a cocktail! The cocktails...y'all. they were INCREDIBLE. Not only that, but they were a mere 6-7 dollars each?? I don't exactly remember, but they were an INSANE value for the money and FLAVOR! they welcome outside food and have board games for you to come by and stay awhile. So I definitely suggest you do :) read more

Lost Ark Distilling Company - cocktails!! I don't remember what they were but they were AMAZING! Only six dollars each?? - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Amazing experience. It's been a long time since I've been in a distillery, but these folks know how to make anyone feel welcome. They had a line out the door with their signature cocktail offerings in honor of St. Patty's, so we had to give them a try. This distillery specializes in rum and bourbon spirits so it was a perfect spot for my wife and I. When we walked in and asked about the cocktails, they immediately offered a complimentary tasting with the lead distiller which we weren't going to pass down. Brad was incredibly knowledgeable and clearly cared deeply about his craft. He walked us from bourbon to the cream liquors and we were sold. Special shout out to the vanilla rum- this was a perfect covid coffee compliment for that meeting you don't want to be in. After the tasting, we had to try a cocktail. I went with the old fashioned with their bourbon and my wife went with the vanilla rum with a Diet Coke. I was lucky when I saw Ryan (one of the awesome team members) with a torch offering to smoke my old fashioned so I went for it. He was incredibly kind and talked through and process and methodology which yielded such a perfect cocktail. Could not rave enough about this find. Highly recommend for their amazing staff, fantastic spirts, or their cool garage door seating area. read more

Lost Ark Distilling Company - Complimentary tasting - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

No food but you can order from different places to deliver it is a great thing to have . They have a nice step aldim provide tours for their distilling must go. It is half open place so you can enjoy the ambiance even more depends on the day you may have live music read more

Lost Ark Distilling Company - Great place to hang out - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Great service, nice ppl, great liquors!! Love the drinks and they even give you recipe cards. We had several drinks and bought some to take home so we can make them at home!! Nice spacious area also. read more

Lost Ark Distilling Company - R&R, Old Fashioned, Mojito - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Not to be overly dramatic- but this place deserves 6 stars. We found this place on a random sunny Saturday and decided to check it out. Walking in, there was a bit of a line at the bar but we were quickly recommended to enjoy a tasting at an open slot. Owner Brad was there to walk us through each of the 7 options they had, starting with the whiskey, moving to the rums, and ending with a cream. His references and recommendations were spot on, and I kept finding a new favorite. Their bar features seasonal drinks, ranging from fruity cocktails, special mules, and creamy iced coffees, all featuring super fresh and local ingredients. In the end, the vanilla rum won my heart and I settled on a classic rum and Diet Coke. The bartender "apologized" for a heavy pour- that's when I knew she was my kind of people. My husband went with the old fashioned and Ryan stopped by to offer the signature smoke option. Not only was this insanely cool, but the drink was amazing and he explained to us the process and how to recreate at home. Aside from the amazing staff and drink options, this place features both indoor and outdoor seating, bar games, a dog friendly atmosphere, and awesome deals on bottles to take home. This has quickly become a new favorite. read more

Lost Ark Distilling Company - Tasting bar - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Friendly, attentive service at the bar. Variety of tasty spirits. 2 flights and a multi person mixer all delicious. read more

Lost Ark Distilling Company - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Cool place- from out of the immediate area but saw this as a cool place to visit. I love good unique drinks places and this one hit the mark. I preferred the chill atmosphere- loungy feel, great mixed drinks, live music nights or great music playing when not. Bartender was personable and welcoming. Loved the board game section. Really enjoyed my Cocoa Diablo and hubs had the Verrazano's brew. Had a taste of the banana rum and wow- had to grab a bottle. Really cool place with a chill vibe read more

Lost Ark Distilling Company - Half drunk Cocoa Diablo- yum - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

I feel really bad giving a one star review, because the one cocktail we were able to drink before we decided to leave was really good. But the spirits don't make up for the horrible experience we had. They promote their distillery as having a cocktail lounge with live music and fancy drinks, and instead I spent over an hour trying to hear my husband over screeching children and a bunch of older adults doing shots and cheering loudly while their kids ran rampant. The bartenders were snippy (honestly I don't blame them) and made us feel unwelcome. The atmosphere was pretty much that of a dive bar not that of a distillery charging $8-$12 for cocktails. There are plenty of other distilleries in Maryland with award winning spirits with much friendlier staff and much better atmospheres. Skip this one. read more

I am a rum lover so of course this place was on my bucket list to visit. We scheduled a tour for noon when they first opened and we were lucky, no one else signed up. We had a personal tour of the facilities and the place was immaculate. Its amazing how rum is produced and bottle. After the tour we sampled all of the different rums. When other customers walked in the owner did not rush us. The coffee rum was good and so was the corn whiskey. Yes we purchased a couple of bottles and as soon as we arrived home we opened the bottle to make drinks. Too bad they don't ship bottles but thats okay that gives us a reason to come back. read more

Brad is ABSOLUTELY the best! Very personable and thoroughly explained the entire distilling process. The cocktails are amazing. The tasting is great, all of the spirits are clean. If you are questioning if you should visit, DEFINITELY do it, you won't regret it, I feel like I just made a new friend. Will definitely be back for the Bourbon! read more

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I would 100% go to this distillery again!! The drinks are good, we went during happy hour, so they were six dollars I believe or half off. And I'm gonna be honest I did not wake up with a headache and most alcohol does give me a headache the day after. read more

My amazing GF brought me here as part of my birthday weekend celebration. We had a great time and learned a lot about Lost Ark's rums, liqueurs and their small batch bourbon. The team here was very friendly and informative! We did a tasting as well and really enjoyed learning while sampling their product line. Everything tasted amazing and they didn't try to pressure us into buying a bottle. All of the cocktails were inexpensive and delicious too! They were all under $10 from what I recall. I'll definitely be back on the next warm Saturday. Lost Ark is definitely a gem tucked away in Columbia, MD. I truly enjoyed my experience there! read more

Great experience. Tasty elixirs. Do a tasting and enjoy their natural flavored liquors, they really nailed the flavors using only natural real ingredients. We ended up using their volume special and drinking a few mixed drinks. Yum! read more

Loved our visit here, especially on a cold Saturday when we could bring the mutt with us and enjoy being out with her. Also appreciated that you could have food delivered directly to our table from the restaurant down the street! My only criticism was they were out of bottles of the cream liquor that I had hoped to take home. read more

Had a wonderful tour with the owner - just fascinating. A real treat. Totally recommend this distillery. read more

Lost Ark Distilling Company - Interior - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

I just stumbled upon this place and WHAT A FIND! New to Maryland and my friend from San Diego and I enjoyed some great cocktails! The owner/distiller/bartender was super nice and made us feel right at home. GREAT SPOT! GREAT PRODUCT! read more

Bourbon and rum distillery in an industrial park. Small bar and seating at tables for about 20-30 people. Rustic decor with vats exposed. Bourbon was average. Recommend you try the rum flights or mixed drinks if you are a rum drinker. Can bring in your own food and there is very good barbecue next door. read more

The owner provides an excellent, informative tour of this small distillery. Then! Then you get to try the amazing spirits they distill! My friends and I didn't find 1 spirit we did NOT like! All were yummy! I had to go home with a case! Plan to enjoy the bottles I bought for a while and then go back for more read more

Hidden gem in Columbia! The toasted hazelnut coffee and chocolate adonia berry rums are delicious. A must try for anyone looking for something unique to do in Howard county! read more

Lost Ark Distilling Company - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Excellent location amazing staff and the rum they make is excellent. Not a big rum drinker but enjoyed the whole process. Mixed drinks are great they make will be returning very soon read more

Lost Ark Distilling Company - Great selections very friendly staff - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Wonderful. The tour was super informative and because its in small groups, its very personalized. I learned a lot during the tasting and the spirits were delicious. I'm usually not a huge fan of rum, but there were some amazing ones in there. Visit! read more

Really friendly staff-- Have awesome items to sample that my group liked. The first distillery in HoCo, and they source local for their ingredients where possible. Good luck to them--they're right next to the Hysteria brewery. And if you don't drink alcohol, they have Coke/Zero, iced tea, ginger beer! read more

Amazing!!Fantadtic!!Delicious!!Delightful!!! Not sure which I liked more, the staff or the rum. We had so much fun drinking and laughing. My advice is DO NOT MISS THIS GEM!!!! read more

Seriously awesome! Great flavors and products. One of these days I'll get around to taking their tour. After your first purchase via Square, expect a 20% discount code. read more

Awesome interior and really great spirits. Especially loved the spice rum for the fall season. Will definitely be back!

Great ambiance and people Worth the trip and the hazelnut coffee is the best Jennifer is a great bartender read more