Tamworth, New Hampshire Distillery Releases Fish-Flavored Liqueur

Over the years, liquor shelves have expanded with a multitude of flavors to enrich all types of spirits, but this creation is nowhere in the same realm as a coconut rum or cinnamon whiskey.

Steve Grasse founded Tamworth Distilling and Mercantile, located in Tamworth, New Hampshire, about 30 mins south of North Conway back in 2015. This is not your typical distillery. According to their website, they distill their own neutral grain spirit base (rather than purchasing it from an industrial producer) from local organic corn, organic rye, and malt.

"We are taking a cue from the 19th century Transcendentalists of New England, we pull our inspiration and our ingredients from the environment that surrounds us. From start to finish, each spirit embodies our scratch made ethos: local, house-milled grain, pure White Mountain water, herbs and botanicals from the woods and our garden, and local fruits and vegetables."

They are continuing to stand by their words. The distillery that previously created a Beaver "Anus" Whiskey is now about to debut a smoked trout brandy, made with actual boba style fish eggs.

I spoke with distiller Will Robinson about this peculiar new spirit. He said that one of the inspirations behind it was that the New Hampshire state fish is the brook trout, and they thought it would be fun to celebrate it while also promoting the environment and the dangerous affects of global warming.

Then, naturally, the next question had to be, what does it taste like?

"Sweet maple and apple on the front. Caramel, raisins, and brown sugar which gently transitions into smoke, and just a hint of the trout flavor without lingering much at the end. Nice, clean finish."

Robinson then went on to say,

"I like to envision it as the scene from a traditional homestead, apple butter making in the fall next to a rushing river. Families would gather around a smoldering wood fire with a large copper pot full of apple sauce that would be slowly reduced over the course of days to a thick brown spreadable apple concentrate. I can smell the apples cooking along with whisps of wood smoke, gently mixing with the smells of the rushing mountain river next door."

I have to say his description of the flavor completely changed my initial thoughts and peeked the curiosity.

He also mentioned that they brought their idea to Idaho company Riverence, one of the largest trout farms in America, and they agreed to team up on this first-of-its-kind liqueur.

QUAKER CITY Mercantile

Beginning Friday, November 17, Saison De Frai will ship to 41 states nationwide. It will also be available at the distillery (15 Cleveland Hill Rd in Tamworth) along with nearly 70 other unique varieties of spirts. $1 from each bottle sold will be donated to Trout Unlimited, an organization set up to keep cold water fisheries and their watersheds safe from environmental threats. Proceeds will also go towards the distillery's ongoing quest in helping the Swift River restore its trout population.

If the trout brandy sounds intriguing to you, you may also like their Crab Trapper Whiskey, or perhaps their Deer Slayer Venison Whiskey.

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Gallery Credit: Rob Riccitelli