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Maple season is a special time of year in NH. The dormancy of the bitter cold winter weather begins to shake off, and mountain snow-melt swells the watertable. As the state starts to thaw, the circulatory systems of trees kick back into high gear. Cold nights and warmer days are the perfect ebb and flow of Sugar Maple trees. Their activity is even visible by a natural warming effect, often seen first as a radiating melt ring in the surrounding ground snow.

Another bit of wood sugar magic that begins to take shape is barrel aging. This is particularly true with apple brandy which was pressed, fermented, distilled and barreled as the Autumn’s cold removes leaves from the area trees. Traditionally, “Applejacking” (an extremely common household practice in colonial New England) was the result of freezing hard cider to concentrate the alcoholic content. This was also considered “cold-distilling,” even though there was no distillation apparatus necessary besides hard cider, a good study barrel and Mother Nature. At Tamworth Distilling, we just so happen to have a piece of technology to help our process: an alembic still, complete with a ‘brandy helmet.’ This has a traditional brandy shape, modeled after French Cognac stills to historically promote ample fruit flavor and aroma during distillation. Our iconic still shape helps preserve the source ingredient’s integrity: 100% New Hampshire apples.

These two, very local ingredients go together famously: Maple and Apple. We use Maple syrup from the TDM land, stretching along the little Swift River that flows behind our barrelhouse. We also supplement syrup from Remick Farm Museum (our neighbors from across the street). It is safe to say, this is a classic Tamworth treat.

William Whipple was no stranger to whiskey – his father was a successful New England maltster. After a stint as a high-seas rum runner he landed in New England, commanded a brigade at Saratoga – a turning point for the Revolutionary War – and signed Declaration of Independence. After which he planted a horse chestnut which grew to be an eighty-foot tree still living in New Hampshire today, located about an hour South of our distillery.

But what of the whiskey? This breed of whiskey is a rare bunch and offers an interesting experimentation in grain bill. Much like the brewing world, a few traditional styles are available. Our aim was to showcase more unorthodox grains and offer this recipe as an excellent choice for an aged whiskey. Made with a complex combination of red, caramel, and chocolate wheat William Whipple’s Winter Whiskey offers a sweetness that doesn’t overstay its welcome and a soft finish, making it the perfect sipper.

Last year we released a limited run of Skiklubben Aquavit,  a traditional Scandinavian spirit flavored with spices and herbs. Whether sipped as a pre-ski bracer or an après ski celebration, Skiklubben Aquavit is the perfect spirit for the season, especially when you’re in the White Mountains. We received such a great response from locals, that we decided to bring it back for a second winter, only this time it’s also available at select locations throughout in New Hampshire.

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.

Pick up a bottle at Tamworth Distilling, or stop in any of these locations to see what sort of concoctions they’re mixing up with this unique Scandinavian spirit.

Nibblesworth – Portsmouth

409 The Hill, Portsmouth, NH 03801

Moxy – Portsmouth

106 Penhallow St, Portsmouth, NH 03801

Sonny’s Tavern – Dover

328 Central Ave, Dover, NH 03820

Thompson House Eatery – Jackson

193 Main St, Jackson, NH 03846

Black Mountain –  Jackson

373 Black Mountain Rd, Jackson, NH 03846

The Beal House – Littleton

 2 W Main St, Littleton, NH 03561

Local Eatery – Laconia

21 Veterans Square, Laconia, NH 03246

Revival Kitchen and Bar – Concord

11 Depot St, Concord, NH 03301

Castle in the Clouds – Moultonboro

455 Old Mountain Rd, Moultonborough, NH 03254

The Corner House Inn – Sandwich

 22 Main St, Center Sandwich, NH 03227

Shaken or stirred, gin or vodka?

The classic argument on a classic cocktail: The Martini. Regardless of how you prefer yours, we’ve got a White Mountain spirit to help perfect your recipe.

We suggest our White Mountain Vodka in a “dirty” martini because olive juice lends a balance to the vodka’s sweet flavor profile which comes from corn, rye, and malt. As for Tamworth Garden White Mountain Gin, we prefer to garnish with a lemon. This gin is made with Amarillo hops which offers notes of citrus and pine, making a martini that is crisp and bright.

 Mountain Martini
2 oz White Mountain Vodka
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/4 oz olive juice
green olives

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with an olive or two.

Garden Martini
2 oz Tamworth Garden White Mountain Gin
1 oz Dry Vermouth
lemon twist

Add gin and vermouth to a shaker filled with ice. Stir for 10 seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

It’s Winter Solstice and though that may mean it’s the shortest day of the year, we’ve got a long list of cocktails for you to get through! We traveled south to see what some of the top bars in Manhattan and Brooklyn were concocting with our spirits, and enjoyed everything from simple champagne sippers to flaming tiki cocktails.

Enjoy our latest Winter Cocktail Guide to New York featuring Camp Robber Whiskeyjack, Art in the Age Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial, Von Humboldt’s Tamarind & Turmeric Cordials.

“Feelin’ Myself” at Butter and Scotch

Camp Robber Whiskeyjack, Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch, Barrow’s Intense Ginger Liqueur, Atsby Amberthorn Vermouth, Fee’s Aromatic Bitters, Pinch Salt.

“And You Get a Car” at Butter and Scotch

Art in the Age Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial, Bol’s Genever, Tamworth Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial, Thatcher’s Elderflower Liqueur, Lime, Cinnamon Syrup

“Brown Bomba” at Glady’s

Von Humboldt’s Tamarind Cordial, Prizefight Whiskey, Jamaican pot still rum, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup, banana milk, allspice

“Poolside” at Glady’s

Von Humboldt’s Turmeric Liqueur, Unaged Cachaca, carrot juice, honey syrup, lime

“Valiant Little Tailor” at Grand Army

Von Humboldt’s Tamarind, mezcal, Moscatel Sherry, Pimento Dram

“Go Ahead, What Difference Does It Make?” at Holiday Cocktail Lounge

Von Humboldt’s Tamarind, Sombra Mezcal, lime, hibiscus rose syrup

“Black Mamba” at Sweet Polly

Von Humboldt’s Tamarind, Hamilton gold, Campari, Claro, lime, salted peanut orgeat

“That Feeling When…” at Nitecap

Von Humboldt’s Tamarind, Torres 15 Brandy, Coffee Liqueur, Orgeat, heavy cream, Mexican Coke

“East of the Sun” at Celestine

Von Humboldt’s Tamarind, Gin, Sugar Cane, lemon, Cava

If you have a few booze enthusiasts on your shopping list, a single trip to Tamworth Distilling can cross them all off your Holiday To-do!

While you shop through our scratch-made vodka, gin, brandy, whiskey, & cordials, make sure you stop to taste our premium seasonal selections. This year we’re highlighting our latest release Art in the Age Sierra Fig, Tamworth Garden Spruce Gin, Chocorua Rye Whiskey, & Tamworth Garden Pommeau. They’re flavors are all perfect for enjoying at holiday functions, but they also make the perfect gift.

While booze may be our go-to quick gift pick, we have an entire shop full of recipe books, glassware, and everything else you need to appropriately imbibe. Have a look through our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide for inspiration an stop in to shop Friday through Sunday 12 PM – 5:30 PM.

1.) Egbert Premium Cocktail Cherries – $23

Rich and flavorful, these cherries rival their European cousins. A hint of warm fall spices make them the perfect addition to an Old Fashioned or Manhattan, or to any whiskey, vermouth, or brandy-based cocktail.

2.) Leatherette Flask – $14

Sip your favorite Tamworth booze in style. This flask is dressed in beautifully branded leather.

3.) Peak Ice Works Mold – $12

Ice plays an important role in the cocktails will sip, so treat yourself to a quality rock that stops the clock and melts slowly.

4.) Tamworth Distilling Hot Toddy Thermos – $20

This sleek branded thermos will see to it that your belly stays happy and warm during those chilly winter camping trips.

5.) Tamworth Distilling Infused Chocolate Truffles – $14

Chocolate infused with booze. Homemade. Need we say more?

Featuring Art in the Age Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial & Camp Robber Whiskeyjack

6.) Tamworth Garden Spruce Gin – $45

Citrusy, fresh evergreen elements are backed with warmth from birch oil, nutmeg, and cinnamon, while bay leaves, tarragon and gentian add woodsy depth. To tie these more unusual botanicals together, coriander and lemon peel add familiar gin flavors.

7.) Tamworth Garden New Hampshire Pommeau – $65

We combined fresh, sweet apple cider and distilled apple brandy, then aged it in a spent bourbon barrel for over a year before bottling. The resulting spirit is somewhat wine-like, with fresh apples and honey on the nose and crisp, tart apple flavors on the palate mellowed by nutty vanilla and caramel notes from the bourbon barrel.

8.) Tamworth Distilling Mule Mug – $35

Enjoy ice cold White Mountain Mules in this copper branded mug.

9.) Dashfire Bitters – $23

These bitters are for the creative cocktail and culinary minds out there. Direct and to the point but also wildly complex, these flavors add their own element. They also meld well together for complexity and true mastery of flavor.

10.) Chocorua 100% Rye Whiskey – $55

Chocorua is a straight rye whiskey, made from a single crop of organic rye grain from Maine distilled in the sour mash style. The result is a cherry-like nose and depth accented by the rye’s peppery kick.

11.)  The Bartender’s Knife – $40

The Bartender’s Knife is carefully crafted from hardwood, brass and high-quality steel to be the perfect addition to your home bar, and comes equipped with a multi-purpose blade that allows you to peel, slice and pick your cocktail ingredients.

12.) Scrappy’s Bitters Sampler Set – $24

This exotic flavors mini set contains Scrappy’s innovative expression of four unique varieties of bitters. Chose from a set that includes lavender, chocolate, cardamom, & grapefruit OR orange, orleans, aromatic, & celery

We’ve always got something special brewing in our test kitchen and this month we’re introducing a custom made spirit for Boston’s Ball Square Fine Wines: Von Humboldt’s Apricot & Tamarind Cordial.

Ball Square is a specialty spirits store located in Boston that curates an amazing selection of spirits from around the world. They frequently foster single barrel releases with quality producers. One such collaboration was with Buffalo Trace Distillery where they rendered exquisite bottles of liquor from one freshly dumped single barrel.

Aside from an exemplary barrel from the fine coopers and whiskey folks of the south, Ball Square was unclear of the fate of the oaken barrel and its hidden flavors. That is when they reached out to Tamworth Distilling, as we were becoming known for our infusion works. We took the barrel and added our base spirit to extract the Buffalo Trace essence that was still locked in the wood grain. We then used that base for an exclusive Alexander Von Humboldt Nature Wasser, featuring the much loved Tamarind with the addition of apricot to heighten the fruit nose of Buffalo Trace Whiskey.

On November 26th, 2008 Buffalo Trace filled a barrel with their own Bourbon Mash. The empty barrel arrived April in Tamworth New Hampshire in 2017, when we filled it with our neutral grain spirit. This was left to rest in a barrel, allowing us to pick up the top notes of the bourbon, with esters of peach and pear aromas. This worked perfectly in combination with tart tamarind and apricot fruits, bolstering in fruity aromas. This approach is similar to Noyaux, where kernels from stone fruit are used to flavor brandy. Tamworth Distilling just happens to keep the pulp and pods of fruit to aid in the complexity of the spirit.

Von Humboldt’s Apricot & Tamarind Cordial is available exclusively at Ball Point Fine Wines:

716 Broadway
Somerville, MA 02144
617.623.9500

Hours:

Monday -Saturday 9am to 11pm
Sunday – 10am to 9pm

To learn more about Von Humboldt’s CLICK HERE.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree here at Tamworth Distilling. In fact, they all go right into our spirits! We’re lucky to have an array of wild apples grown in Tamworth, and surrounding communities. Over the years we have taken our local apple harvest and distilled apple brandy, applejack, eau de vie, and even collaborated with local cidery Dube & Robinson to create a fresh pressed cider, aged in our recycled Tamworth 1766 Rye Whiskey barrels.

There’s one more apple spirit to be had, but before we get into that, lets appreciate the process. Here’s a little background on how we’ve created a medley of apple libations.

First we’ll start with one of the nation’s most foundational spirits: Apple brandy! The history of apple brandy stretches all the way back to the 1600s, when colonists were cultivating apple orchards throughout the Northeast to produce cider. Soon, the cider was left in barrels overnight which caused it to freeze, a method revered to as “jacking” or freeze distillation. This allowed for the separation of water and alcohol resulting in a concentrated apple spirit higher in proof.

Speaking of historical spirits, that brings us to Cherry Bounce! Dating back to the 17th century, Cherry Bounce was a favorite drink of George Washington, who enjoyed the brandy-based recipe made by his wife Martha. He was known to take a canteen full of Cherry Bounce for jaunts with his prized dog, Sweetlips. 

Starting with Martha’s original recipe, we adapted our own interpretation to make something that was true to history yet truly unique. Our distillers adapted Sweet Lips has a base of house made rye whiskey, stored in oak with Montmorency cherries, apple brandy and neutral spirits for infusing. Sweet Lips Cherry Bounce is a liqueur full of luscious cherry flavor, warm spice, and a deep smoky base with notes of leather and tobacco.

One of the purest apple spirits is unaged apple brandy, or Eau de vie, which is produced by means of fermentation and double distillation. The result is a clear, delicately flavored apple spirit. Tamworth Garden Unaged Apple Brandy began its life deep into apple cider pressing season. After putting away several barrels of apple brandy for aging, the distillers decided to keep one barrel for immediate release. This unaged apple brandy is a true essence of New Hampshire apples. Rich and full-bodied with the sweetness of Macintosh and Cortland apples, this particular blend lends a complexity as well as a slight tartness on the nose.

Each summer we release a limited run of Barnstormer’s Punch, which is another apple based concoction. It has a base of raw apple cider from a local New Hampshire Orchard, which is fortified with unaged apple brandy, and infused with whole cherries and house-made bitters. The result is a ready-to-drink bottled cocktail, with sweeter flavors of kola, cider, and sour cherries balanced by wild cherry bark and gentian root. The finish is vivacious, with brandy aromatics and a touch of black peppercorn and almond.

Moving on to whiskeyjack, ours is a combination of both whiskey and apple spirits. Tamworth Distilling’s Camp Robber Whiskeyjack is made from a “stolen” still-aging 16-month bourbon made from organic corn and rye, apple brandy and fresh apple cider. The result drinks like both a whiskey and an American applejack, with sweetness from the bourbon, acidity from the cider, and a spicy backbone from the rye supporting the light, floral brandy.

When we joined forces to make 1766 Cider with Eric Dube and Will Robinson, we used their handed pick apple cider and repurposed barrels from our coveted Tamworth 1766 Rye Whiskey. When making apple cider, it’s important to use apples with more acidity and tannins found in “eating” varieties, which are not very palatable if eaten on their own, but they make do delicious cider. Cider is a natural liquid that is obtained from the pressing of a finely ground apples, and under the proper conditions, it undergoes a natural fermentation process. Since yeasts are already present in apples, they converts the apple sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide, which yields a sweet and tart alcoholic juice.

Lastly we have our latest spirit: Tamworth Garden Pommeau! Pommeau is a traditionally French endeavor,  where fresh apple cider is fermented and distilled, then aged. A select amount of this apple brandy product becomes the alcoholic base and preservative for fresh cider to be aged in barrels. The result is closer to an aperitif, cordial or after-dinner wine. Generally sipped neat, chilled or even room temperature to allow for the full evolution on aromas and flavors. You can enjoy this unique blend of aged cider and apple brandy by picking up a bottle at Tamworth Distilling on Friday November 3rd.

With all of that, we have just one question for you – How do you like them apples?