Baltimore's favorite spice tin just got a purple makeover. Old Bay has rolled out Blackbird Seasoning, a Ravens-themed blend with more heat than the original, and it's now sitting on shelves at grocery stores across the region just as tailgate season kicks into gear.
The seasoning combines Old Bay's signature flavor with black pepper, onion, garlic and lemon oil, according to theimpulsivebuy.com, giving it a brighter, spicier edge than the classic crab-boil staple. As FOX45 News reports, the blend was created in collaboration with Chef Adam Carter and the McCormick culinary team, and is built specifically for tailgates, watch parties and game-day meals.
Carter serves as regional chef for Levy Restaurants, which provides food services for Baltimore Ravens concessions at M&T Stadium, per the same FOX45 report. Hadar Cohen Aviram, executive chef for McCormick's North America consumer business, also worked on the project, according to that outlet. The station notes the seasoning is meant to be sprinkled on wings, fries, burgers, seafood, snacks and other tailgate-ready foods.
Where to Find It Around Baltimore
Old Bay Blackbird Seasoning became available this week at the Baltimore Ravens Flock Shop as well as local Weis, Safeway, Wegmans and Giant stores, according to Baltimore Fishbowl, which describes the product as an expansion of the classic Old Bay brand with a lemony twist and a Ravens-branded tin. The seasoning is also sold through the Old Bay website, per theimpulsivebuy.com. It comes in a 6.5-ounce size, according to terms posted on McCormick.com.
The Ravens and McCormick's partnership on a Blackbird-branded spice dates back to a collaboration first reported in August 2024 by the Baltimore Business Journal, which described the seasoning at the time as inspired by Old Bay but carrying more of a kick. It's not established in available reporting whether that earlier Blackbird Spice and the seasoning now on store shelves are exactly the same product.
A Recipe, a Discount and a Bit of Purple Pride
McCormick is promoting the new blend with a caramel popcorn recipe on its website, pairing the seasoning's bold flavors with brown sugar and melted butter for a sweet-and-savory snack. The recipe calls for one tablespoon of Blackbird Seasoning, according to the company's posted instructions.
Shoppers looking for a deal have a window coming up: McCormick's terms and conditions page states that a 10% discount on the Blackbird Seasoning begins at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday and runs through 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on December 31, while supplies last. The offer is limited to one discount code per transaction and per email address, with a maximum of two items per order, and it applies only in the contiguous United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Customers redeem it by adding the eligible in-stock product to their cart on McCormick.com and entering the code at checkout.
Old Bay has leaned into Ravens branding before. In December, the brand announced it was returning its seasoning to tin packaging after a stint in plastic, and paired that switch with a limited-edition Ravens giveaway that ran from December 1 through December 14, 2025, according to a release distributed on PR Newswire. That release also describes classic Old Bay as a blend of 18 herbs and spices and notes that Old Bay is a McCormick brand headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
Reaction online has been enthusiastic so far. One Threads user, posting as @baltimore.memes, summed up the mood simply: “I need this in my life.”
