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The Negroni is one of the most traditional cocktails in bartending history, but at Tamworth Distilling we like to do things a little untraditionally. But to rewind for a second, let’s go back to how the cocktail first originated. The Negroni is also one of the few cocktails with a traceable history, which in this case goes back to year 1919. Legend tells that the drink was created by bartender Forsco Scarselli, at Bar Casoni in Florence, Italy. A special bar patron, Count Camillo Negroni, ordered an Americano which typically used sweet vermouth, Campari and club soda. This time however, he special requested that gin be swapped in for the soda.

Taking a cue from Count Camillo Negroni, we’ve also decided to reinvent this bar classic ourselves. Enjoy a Tamworth take on this classic with these 4 recipes.

The Classic

1 oz White Mountain Gin

1 oz Blanc Vermouth

1 oz Campari

Stir, strain into a rocks glass over ice.  Express an orange twist and garnish.

Humboldt’s Negroni

1 oz Von Humboldt’s Tamarind

1 oz Dark Rum

1 oz Sweet Vermouth

orange twist

Stir over ice until well-chilled, serve neat, garnish with an orange twist

Negroni Giardino

1.5 oz Apiary Gin

1.5 oz Dry Vermouth

5 fresh raspberries

5 thin slices of fresh beet

1 orange peel

 Muddle Raspberries, orange peel and thinly sliced beet root in bottom of shaker tin, add Gin and Vermouth, Shake gently until chilled, double strain on the rocks in a rocks glass. Garnish with Raspberry and shaved beetroot

(With this version, we’re using produce from the distillery garden to provide the bitter flavor that the Campari aperitif would traditionally provide. This adds a unique depth of flavor.)

In the Spring of 2017, we released our second aged whiskey: William Whipple’s Winter Wheat. The name honors William Whipple, the representative from New Hampshire who signed the Declaration of Independence. Whipple was not only an important figure in the state’s history but also the son of a maltster — an auspicious origin for this whiskey’s namesake.

To may homage to our founding father’s, as well as the ones who played a part in raising us, we’re stocking our shelves with this whimsical Winter Wheat Whiskey for Father’s Day.

This particular mash is composed of 75 percent organic red wheat, 5 percent caramel wheat, 5 percent chocolate wheat and 15 percent malted barley. We offer this spirit in both unaged and aged varieties. The latter being aged for two years in 53-gallon, No. 3 charred white oak barrels. Stock is very limited, as only 250 bottles were made, and very few remain.

As we say here at Tamworth Distilling, “Waste not, want not.” So we gave our barrels to our friends at Lucas Roasting Company to create a different kind of brew: William Whipple’s Whiskey Age Coffee Beans!

The folks at Lucas Roasting Company aged Brazil Bobolink beans for 7 weeks in the delightful aromas of William Whipple Winter Wheat Whiskey barrels, which aged our whiskey for 2 years.

You can pick up a bag at Tamworth Distilling & Mercantile in New Hampshire or at the Art in the Age store in Philadelphia. You can also buy these limited edition beans straight from the source online HERE.

And for those who like to have their brew and whiskey too, try a Whipple Creamed Coffee: 2 oz William Whipple’s Winter Wheat Whiskey, 1 cup of freshly brewed William Whipple’s Brazil Bobolink Beans, top with heavy cream, serve over ice

If you’re unsure what dad would enjoy most, give him an experience that money can’t buy by participating in our #FoundingFathersDay Dad Joke contest for a chance to win a private tour and tasting at Tamworth Distilling & Mercantile, for 10 of your favorite folks. Just comment with your go-to dad joke on our Instagram page by clicking HERE.. We’ll reveal the winner on Friday, June 16th.

 

 

This Mother’s Day buy Mom a bouquet of flavors with the release of our Art in the Age Black Walnut Damson Cordial Saturday, May 13th!

Make it a full afternoon in Tamworth by browsing the Tamworth Farmer’s Market, indulging in a tasting flight at the Tamworth Distilling tasting bar, and enjoying a buy one get one half off lunch at Tamworth Lyceum when you buy a bottle of Black Walnut Damson.

Raise your glass to the woman who raised you with one of these 5 simple cocktails:

The Plum Derby
2 pts Damson Plum Cordial
1 pt William Whipple Aged
Splash of seltzer to taste
Over ice, garnish w/ twist of orange

Mummy’s Punch
1 pt Damson Plum Cordial
2 pts Dry Lavender soda
Over ice, garnish w/ twist of orange

Plum Royale
2oz Damson Plum Cordial
1/2-1 tsp Royal Rose Saffron Syrup
Splash of seltzer to taste
Build Over ice

Nonna’s Negroni
2 pts Damson Plum Cordial
1 pt Hopped Gin or WMG
Over ice, garnish w/ sprig of rosemary

The Garden Tarte
1 pt Damson Plum Cordial
1/2 pt unsweetened cranberry juice
Top with Summer Pear soda

All ingredients listed are available at Tamworth Distilling & Mercantile.

Click HERE for more information on our limited Art in the Age Black Walnut Damson Cordial.

If you’re one of the lucky ones that have their home bar stocked with our coveted Tamworth Garden Apiary Gin, you may have wondered about the sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

There’s a sweet secret to our Apiary Gin and that is that it’s delightfully sweetened with raw honey and the sediment is just the natural separation of real ingredients, so we suggest inverting the bottle before you enjoy.

We truly stick to what we know best – Scratch Made.

Speaking of “sticky” – back to the sweet stuff. We use raw honey sourced directly from Champlain Valley Apiaries in Vermont to add a final touch of natural sweetness to our spirits. This apiary was started by the Mraz family in 1931, and has stayed family-run for 3 generations and counting.

The bees in this area harvest pollen mostly from clover, alfalfa, and birdsfoot trefoil. This honey is not filtered or pasteurized, which results in slight wisps of wax and sediment in the Apiary Gin, but also gives a more flavorful taste and aroma.

Spring Preview

We’re releasing an extremely limited amount of our Tamworth Garden Apiary Gin this weekend (May 5th, 2017) only before the full batch is ready later this month.

You can’t go wrong with a classic cocktail. They’re simple, refreshing, and normally consist of few ingredients: booze, sugar, and citrus. Though less is sometimes more, here it’s just enough when you’re mixing up the classics with Tamworth Garden Gin.

Revive your favorite old time recipes with Tamworth Garden Apiary Gin, Flora Gin, Hops Gin, & Spruce Gin for a subtle hint of unique seasonal flavors.

 Flora 75

1 oz Flora Gin

2 oz chilled sparkling wine

½ oz elderflower liqueur

½ oz fresh lemon juice

Combine Flora Gin, elderflower liqueur and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a coupe or flute. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a twist of lemon.

Beekeeper’s Gimlet

1 ½ oz Apiary Gin

1 oz fresh limeade

slice of lime

sprig of rosemary

Combine Apiary Gin and limeade. Pour over ice. Garnish with fresh lime & a sprig of rosemary.

Hops & Tonic

2 oz Tamworth Garden Wild Hops Gin
2 oz Fever Tree Indian Style Tonic Water
2 Dashes of Cardamom Bitters

Build all ingredients in a rocks glass with ice. Stir & enjoy!

Spruce Collins

1 ½ oz Tamworth Garden Spruce Gin
1 tbsp honey
Granny smith apple, sliced thin
Club soda

Muddle a few thin slices of apple with honey. Add Spruce Gin. Top with club soda and garnish with an apple slice “fan”

When we say “small batch”, we truly mean it! Few of our #ScratchMade spirits make it out of the distillery shop simply because they’re extremely limited and precious. Most of our limited releases sell out the very first weekend that they hit the shelves.

However, we are able to produce large-scale distillations of select spirits like White Mountain Vodka, Art in the Age Chicory Root, & Camp Robber Whiskey, which are distributed throughout New Hampshire.

We made a list of some of our favorite spots to drink Tamworth Distilling spirits throughout the state:

1.) Black Cap Grille

Settlers Crossing, 1498 White Mountain Hwy, North Conway, NH 03860

Experience the White Mountains with four classic White Mountain Vodka serves.

2.) Giuseppe’s Pizzeria & Ristorante

312 Daniel Webster Hwy #3, Meredith, NH 03253

Enjoy their full #ScratchMade menu that features all three of our distributed spirits: White Mountain Vodka, Art in the Age Chicory Root, & Camp Robber Whiskey

3.) Squam Lake Inn

As we thaw out from a long winter, we’re beginning to look forward to the Squam Lake Inn opening for the  warm season. Squam Lake Inn serves beautiful craft cocktails on their deck and screened porch.

4.) Flatbread Company

2760 White Mountain Hwy, North Conway, NH 03860

One of our first partners in the industry whom we share a similar vision with. Nothing beats a freshly made brick oven pizza with a White Mountain Mule.

5.) Earth Eagle Brewings

165 High St, Portsmouth, NH 03801

Experience their amazing selection of craft beers and a mean with White Mountain Vodka Bloody Mary.

6.) Corner House Inn

2 Main St, Center Sandwich, NH 03227

Quintessentially New Hampshire with a cozy pub and fireplaces.  Their cocktail list features all 3 of our spirits: White Mountain Vodka, Art in the Age Chicory Root, and Camp Robber Whiskey.

7.) Black Trumpet

9 Ceres St, Portsmouth, NH 03801

Owner and chef Evan Mallett was just nominated for a James Beard award for Black Trumpet’s incredible menu, which includes Art in the Age Chicory Root.

8.)  7^th settlement brewing

7 Washington St, Dover, NH 03820

7th Settlement Brewing has a strict commitment to staying local, and we’re glad that it includes White Mountain Vodka, Art in the Age Chicory Root, and Camp Robber Whiskey!

9.) Wolfe’s Tavern at Wolfeboro Inn

90 N Main St, Wolfeboro, NH 03894

A Beautiful Inn on lake Winni offeringWhite Mountain Vodka, Art in the Age Chicory Root, and Camp Robber Whiskey. Why not taste all three and stay the night?

10.) Local Eatery

21 Veterans Square, Laconia, NH 03246

The name says it all – and they offer all 3 of our distributed spirits!

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!

    

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.

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.

“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.

 

“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.