Tamworth Distiller Making its Mark

The Tamworth Distilling & Mercantile's tasting bar. Photo by Breanne Furlong.

A year after its launch, the spirits at Tamworth Distilling & Mercantile, a craft distillery, are gaining international attention.

In March, three of its Art in the Age line of infusions—beet root, sweet potato and chicory vodkas—won gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, with the beet root named best flavored vodka.

Beet Root vodka going to bottle. Photo by Breanne Furlong.

The distillery, which makes vodka, whiskey, gin and infusions, sold a couple hundred cases of spirits in its first year from its retail operation, but its wholesale growth ramping up. Its White Mountain Vodka, introduced in November, is now sold through the NH Liquor & Wine Outlets. (The distillery stores about 60 barrels annually to develop aged spirits.)

Opened in Tamworth in May 2015, the distillery makes its own neutral grain spirit from local grain using water from the Ossipee Aquifer and a reverse osmosis filter that removes residual elements.

Housed in the former Tamworth Inn, the distillery is nestled between a historic library and The Barnstormers, one of the longest-running professional summer theatres in the country.

“In summer, the town completely changes. Every weekend is busy with people coming from all over the place,” says David Grasse, director of operations. “We’re committed to making Tamworth a destination.” To that end, it opened a tasting bar last year offering 11 different spirits.

Between the distillery and tasting bar, the business employs eight, and Grasse says the business is growing. Among its popular spirits is its recently released Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial made with a base of blueberries and infused with black trumpet mushrooms, lemon verbena and lavender, and Tamarind Cordial. “A lot of them have been designed to be bar mixers,” Grasse says.

The distillery was started by David’s brother, Steven Grasse, an advertising executive from Pennsylvania and the CEO of Quaker City Mercantile in Philadelphia. Steven Grasse worked with many companies to create lifestyle brands, including Hendricks Gin and Narragansett Lager.

Founder Steven Grasse sampling a glass of Camp Robber, the distillery's first barrel-aged spirit. Photo by Breanne Furlong.

Steven Grasse bought an 87-acre farm in Tamworth as a summer home in 2005. When a country store in a historic building along Tamworth’s Main Street went out of business, he decided to buy the building in 2012 to preserve a portion of the town’s history and opened the Tamworth Lyceum, a community gathering place that often features musicians.

“The goal for the business is to become a profitable craft distiller. It is going to stay here in New Hampshire,” says David Grasse.

For more information, visit tamworthdistilling.com.