Keep Mick's dream alive
Mick's dream was to provide a college education for his beloved daughter Matoaka, who just completed her freshman year. In honor of Mick, please make a donation to Matoaka's college fund.
Mick Kipp, beloved Baltimore spicemaker, caterer, bartender, farmers' market vendor, former stuntman and father passed away suddenly on April 28, 2013. He left this world just as he lived in it, with a smile on his face, having just finished a 30-mile hike to Harpers Ferry, W. Va.
Mick's life was a series of adventures that started with his career as a stuntman. After beating cancer three times, his bandanas, once used to cover the hair loss from chemotherapy, became his pirate's mark. He began selling his homemade spices and sauces as the owner of Whiskey Island Pirate Shop, his products a staple at Pickles Pub and the farmers' markets. Mick's cooking won him awards and friends in Baltimore and throughout the country. A pioneer in the spicemaking business, he also followed the route of some pioneers who came before him when he traveled the Lewis and Clark Trail with his daughter Matoaka. He also related his exploration of the growing beer market in his book "Mick's Beer Guide," which he published in 1989.
Mick continued the fight against cancer through his tireless work on Leukemia and Lymphoma Society fundraisers. His generosity extended to the homeless, whom he served as a volunteer for Empty Bowls, a program sponsored by St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church.
Whether hawking his delicious sandwiches outside Pickles Pub or his wares at the farmers' markets or beer festivals, Mick was best known for his larger-than-life personality, zest for living and huge heart. Cheers to Mick, as much a part of Baltimore as John Waters and Ray Lewis.
Mick in the Media
The Legend of Mick T. Pirate Mick's blog
CityPaper's Best Pirate of 2004
A Passion for Heat, Baltimore Sun, 2006
NPR radio interview, 2006
Eat My Stuff cooking show video, 2007
The Stoop Storytelling Series
Baltimore Sun article, 2013
CityPaper's Memorial Blog by Charlie Vascellaro
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