Rachael Manna | Tamworth Distilling

Raise a glass and say “Skal!”

Tamworth Distilling & Mercantile has released Skiklubben Aquavit, a spirit inspired by the storied history of Nansen Ski Club in Berlin, NH.

The Nansen Ski Club was founded in 1872 by a group of Nordic settlers, and has since become a ski institution — in fact, it is the oldest operating ski club in the country. A non-profit organization, it maintains cross-country ski trails in the area as well as its famous ski jump, which was recently restored to its former glory after being decommissioned in 1988.

This interesting piece of New Hampshire heritage inspired the creation of Skiklubben Aquavit, a traditional Scandanavian spirit flavored with spices and herbs. The result is a delightfully warming dram, usually sipped neat or taken as a shot. Aquavit is a large part of Scandanavian drinking culture, consumed at celebrations and as an aperitif before dinners. Often, it is drunk as a finale to a drinking song called a snapsvisa, with a toast of “Skaal!”.

Traditionally, aquavit’s main spice is caraway. Tamworth’s version adds carrot and parsnip, members of the same botanical family, as well as clove, anise, and cardamom. The flavorful shot is a perfect winter sipper, and can also be used as a seasonal twist on classic cocktails like a Manhattan or a Swedish Mule.

The baking spices combine with the malty sweetness of root vegetables to create a surprisingly unique mixing tool. The whiskey base (a blend of bourbon, barley and wheat whiskey) also adds complexity, serving as a rich background for the balanced spice of the other ingredients.

Whether sipped as a pre-ski bracer or an après ski celebration, Skiklubben Aquavit is the perfect spirit for the season. A portion of profits from each bottle sold will benefit Nansen Ski Club. Skiklubben will only be available at Tamworth Distilling & Mercantile, so interested skiiers should get a jump on planning their visit. Skaal!

A Cider Aged in Premium Whiskey Barrels

If you’re anything like us, you don’t leave the Lyceum without picking up a bottle of Dube & Robinson local hard cider for the weekend. It’s perfectly dry, slightly bitter and just a bit sour.

Their label reads “So Local” and their cider is just that – so local. Using wild apples grown in Tamworth, and surrounding communities, Eric Dube and Will Robinson hand pick, press, and blend their cider.

Wild apples are far more interesting than the common dessert varieties that are available in most Northern New England orchards today. When sweet cider is fermented much of the flavor can be stripped away in the process, so it’s important to use apples with more acidity and tannins found in “eating” varieties. These prime cider apples are not very palatable if eaten on their own, but they make delicious cider!

Dude & Robinson operate in an extremely small cidery and approach hard cider production in a very unique way. Similar to how many distilleries purchase spirits in bulk, many cideries opt to do the same, but not here. The guys at Dube & Robinson chose to put in the extra work by pressing their apples in-house. That offers greater control over their blends, which enables smaller artisanal pressings.

That’s where we come in.

Last October (2016) we released a limited run of our very first aged rye whiskey in celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the town of Tamworth. Only 250 bottles of Tamworth 1766 were released and it sold out almost immediately.

Much like our spent grains, which are passed along to local farms for animal feed or recycled into delicious crackers and bread, we wanted to give a second life to our used barrels.

That’s where Dube & Robinson comes in.

With a shared love of using what we have on hand here in Tamworth, New Hampshire, we decided to join forces to create a unique cider that’s ready to drink in a 750ml bottle. The 1766 cider is truly Tamworth Terroir. All of the apples for this blend are from within 15 miles of the the Village, pressed by Dube & Robinson, and aged in recycled barrels from our Tamworth 1766 Whiskey.

Only 240 bottles were made and will be released at Tamworth Lyceum on Friday January 27th. The celebration of Tamworth continues with 1766 Cider – Cheers!

For more information on Dube & Robinson, visit their website by clicking HERE.

A Winter Cocktail Guide to New York

Tamworth Distilling spirits are popping up on cocktail menus in cities from Boston all the way down to Philadelphia, so we took a little road trip down south to taste our way through the beverage menus of some of the top bars and restaurants in Brooklyn & Manhattan.

Below are some of our favorite cocktails featuring Camp Robber Whiskeyjack, Von Humboldt’s Tamarind Cordial, and Art in the Age Beet Root Vodka.

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“Camp Robber, Camp Fire” at Montana’s Trail House

Camp Robber, smoked maple bitters, bbq bitters, orange bitters, stirred, rocks with a lemon and orange twist.

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“T, G, & T” at Empellón al Pastor

Von Humboldt’s Natur Wasser Tamarind Cordial, gin, & house made tonic on tap

“The Conductor” at Walker Hotel

Art in the Age Beet Root Vodka, purple carrot, fresh pineapple juice, lemon juice, basil seed caviar, & pickled carrot.

“Intermission” at Porterhouse

Von Humboldt’s Natur Wasser Tamarind Cordial, Nino Franco rustic prosecco, Blandys 5yr Madeira, & pomegranate

“Midnight Society” at Montana’s Trail House

Von Humboldt’s Natur Wasser Tamarind Cordial, port mix, Pueblo Viejo Tequila, Reisling, lime juice, agave, & atomized orange flower water

“Sandman Sling” at Maison Premeire

Von Humboldt’s Natur Wasser Tamarind Cordial, blood orange, Sotol, chinachina)

“The Witching Hour” at Leyenda

Von Humboldt’s Natur Wasser Tamarind Cordial, Sotol, orgeat, lemon blanc vermouth, celery bitters.

Trimming the Trees for Spruce Gin

Spruce needles have a lasting aroma in the New England ever-green landscape. After our deciduous trees shed their colorful leaves in the fall, these piney stands are the only greens left in our snow blanketed forests.

The gin was inspired by the damp, spicy boreal forests of the White Mountains. Generally speaking, areas up above a few thousand fee elevation haven’t been timbered as heartily as lowland areas. Up there the sweet essence of spruce, fir, and birch trees are dominant. They merge poetically with an earthy potpourri that emanates directly from the woodland soil’s damp, ligneous carpet. Capturing this environment and the sense of place it instills was our aim for this liquid.

The tips, or new growth, of the Spruce have long been used in
Spruce Beers and medicinal teas. St. Lawrence Iroquoians even used it to cure scurvy, due to its high Vitamin C content.

The soft conifer quality of the spruce blends very nicely with the traditional juniper component of gin.

Forest like aromas are backed with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon.The baking spices along with slight birch oil imbue the nose with warming baser notes to the citrusy and fresh evergreen qualities of juniper berries, spruce and fir needles. Bay leaves, tarragon and gentian give a woodland depth.

The flavors stand true to the trees, with a campfire-like backbone from the birch oil and spices. The addition of coriander and lemon peel fortify the gin with familiar supporting flavors. Introducing Tamworth Garden Spruce Gin, a scratch-made gin infused with locally foraged spruce tips.

Scratch-made Holiday

We’ve got a Scratch-made gift for everyone on your shopping list!

Visit our distillery in Tamworth New Hampshire, Friday through Sunday from 12PM – 5:30PM. You can also order select spirits online by browsing our list of retailers by clicking here.

Our Art in the Age Gift packs are ready to be gifted. Fill a carrier with three of our scratch-made infusions and cross off your list.

Sweet Potato Vodka, Beet Root Vodka, Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial = $75

Sweet Potato Vodka, Beet Root Vodka, Barley Vodka = $55

We collaborated with a local chocolaterie, Winnipesaukee Chocolates, to create limited run, booze infused truffles.

We’re currently offering three flavors: Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial, Von Humboldt’s Natur Wasser Cordial, and Camp Robber Whiskeyjack.

Whether your list is filled with booze hounds or beer lovers, we’ve got a spirit to fit their interests. Our latest Tamworth Garden Wild Hops Gin is infused with locally foraged hops cones. Browse the full list of our scratch-made spirits using the spirits tab or by clicking here.

Those who have everything still have much to gain in experience! Treat someone special to a Tamworth Distilling gift card for an inside look at our distillery and a full tasting at our bar.

Introducing Tamworth Garden Hop Gin

Hops benefit greatly from a cooler processing, much like dry-hopping in beer. Traditional cooking of hops underscores the bitter components of the cone, while burning off much of the lighter floral attributes of fresh hops. Here at Tamworth Distilling we have a unique capability to cold distill our botanicals. Our process maintains these lighter attributes of the vinous flower.

We are lucky to have a local homestead discover some forgotten New Hampshire heirloom hop vines. We hand harvested those small cones, and bolstered the gin with common players in beers: Citra, Amarillo and Centennial, Columbus hops.

After the hop harvest, the four different cones were infused and distilled using our rotovap process. These hops were then given a structure with coriander, angelica, lemon and ginger.

Much in line with an IPA beer, this gin showcase the aromatic qualities of hops – not the bitter side. The four varietals of hops are prominent on the nose, fortified with the piney qualities of juniper and the floral spice coriander. These hops are present more fruity and tropical notes.

The taste is a pleasing follow through of the nose. It finishes slightly dry and medium, without overt resinous juniper tones. It sips surprisingly crisp on its own, but the botanicals come alive in a gin and tonic. The base neutral spirit was specific to this gin, highlighting a 100% soft white wheat recipe.

Celebrate Tamworth’s 250th Anniversary With 1766 Whiskey

Enjoy the history of our town aged in white oak barrels and poured as liquid lore in every glass.

Join us in a toast: This is our story.

Once reserved, pick up your bottle at the barrel house October 16th, from 3-5pm as our distillers bottle our first straight rye whiskey in honor of the town of Tamworth’s 250th Anniversary. Enjoy free live music, refreshments, and a bonfire.

Reserve your bottle of #1766Whiskey now: http://bit.ly/2cTHybp

Announcing Colonial Spirits & Sweet Lips

Colonial Spirits: A Toast to Our Drunken History, offers a peek into the barrooms and battlefields of the revolution, and a sip from the punch bowls of our ancestors. Within its pages you’ll find the stories behind everything from our founding fathers’ favorite tipples to the surprising origins of American beer, wine, rum, and whiskey. This isn’t a simple history, or even a recipe book: it’s an almanac of alcohol and the birth of our nation, with lists, charts, and recipes alongside tall tales and folklore.

While researching for “Colonial Spirits”, Tamworth Distilling founder Steven Grasse came across a recipe from 1st Lady Martha Washington’s journals for Cherry Bounce. To pick up on this tradition we recreated a new recipe based off her husband’s favorite tipple, to release alongside Colonial Spirits.

Cherry Bounce was a tasty way to preserve the fresh fruit of harvests all year round, and in this case to flavor a spirit. Sweet Lips has a base of house made rye whiskey, stored in oak with Cherries, apple brandy and neutral spirits for infusing.

Starting with Martha’s simple recipe, we wanted to make something that was true to history but also something that is a truly unique interpretation. The project started by investigating Martha’s original recipe, which was focused around the flavor of cherry pits. edit_2 Once we established our base, we added Tahitian vanilla, which contributed deep notes of leather, tobacco, and nuts. To provide a rustic, smoky edge we also added a distillate of smoked cardamom to play off Martha’s classic baking spices.

Additionally, a very subtle background of heavy, floral notes were added to skew the profile from excessively warm to slightly fruity. A bittersweet balance is essential to easy sipping and this was achieved with a long infusion of wild cherry bark. With the final recipe down, our Cherry Bounce Liqueur of course required a name!

George Washington became recognized as the father of the American Foxhound when he began breeding French Hounds with Black and Tan Hounds. Sweet Lips was his most prized hound, among others including Taster, Tipler, and Tipsy. Sweet Lips was his most favored traveling companion, along with a canteen of Cherry Bounce.

Sweet Lips is available at Tamworth Distilling & Mercantile, alongside Colonial Spirits, while supplies last. You can also pick up your copy of Colonial Spirits at Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or order online here: www.colonialspiritsbook.com

Blueberry Fizz: A Fermented Bottled Cocktail

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” – New England Proverb

Introducing Blueberry Fizz! A fermented offering made from blueberry pomace left over from our Art in the Age Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial. We combined plump, alcohol-rich berries with fresh-pressed New Hampshire apple juice, and unaged apple brandy for a fizzy drink that’s both tart and brightly fruity.

We’ve always been committed to using local, sustainable ingredients that are central to Tamworth, New Hampshire. We’ve created gins, whiskey, vodka, cordials, and other fine spirits tailored to this mantra. However, our experiments sometimes result in products that don’t quite fit into any existing categories. When creating Blueberry Fizz, we drew on techniques from several schools of alcohol — distilled spirits, beer, wine, and cider — to create a completely unique approach to the “ready to drink” cocktail.

After making AITA Black Trumpet Blueberry, our distillers were left with a batch of low bush blueberries plumped up with neutral grain spirit from the infusion process. When making the cordial, the blueberries were left whole in order to manage oxygen content, which would destroy the cordial’s flavor over time. However, oxygen is crucial for yeast health and procreation. So, by pressing and re-fermenting the now aerated berries, conditions are perfect for fermentation with champagne yeast (which works well with the high alcohol, acidity, and fruit sugar base). In addition to creating some delicious alcohol out of what otherwise would’ve been waste, the fermentation process also chews up the unwanted oxygen, creating a more stable end product.

This re-fermented blend of blueberries and cider is then back-sweetened and fortified with some additional blueberry infusion that spent time aging in used rye whiskey barrels. The barreled infusion has some sweetness that balances the dry tannins of the pressed, fermented blueberries. Finally, another layer of flavor is added with a touch of Tamworth’s pot still apple brandy.

In the end, Blueberry Fizz is a unique fusion of the beer, wine, and spirits worlds — both warm and brightly fruity, honoring the apples and berries that made it. The nose begins with warm, barrel, and round berry notes before moving to baked apple and rich wine, finishing on fresh and floral brandy notes. The palate has a pronounced winey quality – a rich balance of semi-sweetness and blueberry tannins with spritzes of voluminous red berry and oak vanillins carried aloft by the liquid’s bubbles. The finish is long and lasting.

At 16.76% ABV, bottled in a sleek 750 mL champagne-style bottle, the Blueberry Fizz is a refreshing sipper that can easily fill in for white wines, brut, or spritzers. Served chilled, this carbonated hybrid can be enjoyed on its own or serve as the base for a variety of mixers.

Tamworth Delivered: Where To Buy Online

We’re thrilled to announce that a selection of our scratch-made spirits are now available to be shipped to 20 states across the country! We’ve teamed up with our friends at Seelbachs.com to bring our spirits to the masses. Click HERE to shop our selection. Available for shipping to the following states:

Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Washington DC
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Michigan
Missouri
New Jersey
New Mexico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Virginia
Wyoming

Shipping available for Pennsylvania addresses at ART IN THE AGE.