It’s been a long year — one we’d be foolish to recap without a beverage containing some hefty ABVs. That’s my opinion.

Americans claim to be drinking less. Declines in alcohol sales and a spurt of new investment in alternative markets prompted surveys, reports and treatises throughout 2025 on a generation turning away from the age-old social lubricant, even as new data suggests that drinking habits aren’t rapidly changing. Two Baltimore bar owners planning to open up shop in 2026 are also not convinced, saying the allure of the city’s speakeasies and neighborhood bars remains strong and eager to welcome new innovators.

“I think the corner bar tradition is a reflection of Baltimore’s longstanding history as an active port city,” said Katie Schlaffer, a founding partner of Bar Alice Anne, which is plotting an opening in Fells Point in the spring.

The beverage spots fuel a sense of local connection. The mixing of cultures, languages “over space and time shaped the blueprint of the neighborhood,” she said.

Dezmon Parker, whose Nora Blu restaurant and Hush speakeasy are coming to Mount Vernon in February, shares Schlaffer’s nostalgia and optimism for the local drinking scene. He’d only recently heard of the industry skeptics anticipating a bearish market for alcohol vendors.

“I’m not concerned,” he said. “People need a place to go to get away.” Parker added that he and his partners spent three years devising plans for their concept: a Mediterranean-inspired cocktail and food menu with live entertainment, across the street from the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

So as you’re ruminating over 2025, keep an eye out for these Baltimore-born businesses promising a new venue to drink away the inevitable triumphs and sorrows that await you in 2026.

Bar Alice Anne

In a little over the last decade, 1900 Aliceanna Street’s taken on many names. There was Pearl’s, a 55-year-old dive laden with pool tables and neon lights. Then in 2014 a sleeker, more refined Lobo “after-dinner” spot, which offered wine and charcuterie over a nearly 30-foot-long wooden bar, before that too closed, morphing into a place for tacos and take-away following the pandemic.

Now Developer Chris Richards and his team are reverting it back to its roots.

“We all had good memories there,” he said, explaining that Schlaffer and his other business partners, Kevin and Liz Irish, behind The Local Fry and Toki Tako, are bringing their homey, corner bar concept to the space. The 1200-square-foot ground floor will attempt to be a “living room for the neighborhood” he said, where people can come as they are and choose to indulge in a local beer or explore some Korean spirits such as a Soju or Makkoli, rice wine. Small bites inspired by Toki Tako including Korean chicken rice and corn cheese will make appearances on the menu.

Richards said they’re not attempting to overly engineer the place. The bones will remain the same even as the food and drink selections evolve. Come the spring, Bar Alice Anne promises to build off the long-established local tradition of connecting with neighbors over a pint, not change it.

Nora Blu and Hush Lounge

Dezmon Parker and his partners Tariq Ibrahim and Mohammad Elmanyari are hoping their concept brings a new energy to Mount Vernon. The owners plan to open at 1225 Cathedral Street a Mediterranean restaurant doused in a spectrum of blues, serving yellowtail crudo with grilled pineapple and serrano alongside kofta-inspired smash burgers. Below it, a 3,000-square-foot speakeasy called Hush, will offer live entertainment and an intimate drinking experience.

“We really love the Mediterranean palate, but we also love going to a restaurant with live entertainment, so we thought it would be good to give the best of both worlds,” Parker said.

The renovations and alterations to the building have been in the works for about a year and comes as Parker says the neighborhood needs more spots to enjoy a cozy after dinner cocktail. The focus will be classic, artisan-crafted drinks with small plates, including variants on hummus and baba ghanoush, as well as oysters and crab and falafel bites. Both food and talent will be sourced locally with produce from Lancaster Farms and a diverse lineup of artists ranging from DJ’s and bands to comedians.

Parker believes the blending of cultures and carefully orchestrated experiences will spur community interest in the space, which he plans to open by the end of January.