Tamworth Distilling, the New Hampshire distillery best known for its bold experimentation with local flora and fauna, prides itself on its scratch-made philosophy that pushes eco-friendly practices to the forefront. From start to finish, the distillery aims to implement sustainable practices, including sharing nutrient-dense spent grains with farms and local bakeries, sourcing ingredients from the distillery’s garden and the New Hampshire wilderness, crafting eco-friendly spirits, and donating proceeds to local environmental organizations. With these practices (and more in the works!) Tamworth Distilling makes a compelling case to be named “the most sustainable distillery in the world.”
Tamworth Distilling’s sustainability is deeply ingrained into the brand’s ethos – the company prides itself on relying on the surrounding environment in ways that are never intrusive, and never wasteful. The team distills its own neutral grain spirit base (rather than purchasing it from an industrial producer) from organic corn, rye, and malt – all sourced from farms within a 150-mile radius. Oftentimes, grain goes to waste after the distillation process – but not at Tamworth. Spent grains are sent to local farms to be used as warm cow feed and compost. When those farms are stocked, the distillery partners with local bakeries, like Sunnyfield Brick Oven Bakery, who mix the spent grain with organic flours, cornmeal, blackstrap molasses, yeast, sea salt, and malted barley, creating a unique loaf dubbed “Distiller’s Bread.”
The team at Tamworth Distilling also sources its ingredients from nearby farms, as well as their very own backyard botanical garden. For flavors that can only be found in the wild, the distillers forage ingredients in the rich New Hampshire wilderness. Tamworth Garden, one of the many lines from the distillery, offers a wide range of scratch-made botanical spirits, including its new line of cordials. Tamworth Garden Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial is the perfect example of sustainable sourcing – the distillers purchase organic blueberries from Burke Hill Farm in Maine, harvest lavender and lemon verbena from the backyard garden, and order foraged black trumpet mushrooms from the New Hampshire Mushroom Company. Tamworth Garden also boasts a variety of gins, flavored with hand-forged balsam poplar buds, pine resin, spruce tips, local honey, and a variety of wildflowers grown in the raised beds on the distillery property.
“I’m extremely proud of our sustainability efforts, especially with Tamworth Garden, where we challenge ourselves to draw inspiration from the natural world around us – and trust me, we’ve developed plenty of ideas based on the breathtaking nature in New Hampshire,” said Matt Powers, Distiller at Tamworth Distilling. “We look to extend our backyard into the great outdoors for classic wild flavors, as well as collaborating with local farmers to source the freshest produce available, providing imbibers with a true taste of New Hampshire terroir.”
Tamworth Distilling also champions eco-friendly practices with innovative spirits like House of Tamworth Crab Trapper Whiskey, a unique spirit crafted with a seacret ingredient – green crabs. In collaboration with the University of New Hampshire, the distillery rids the coast of invasive green crabs that are wreaking havoc on the New England coastal ecosystem. This sustainable sipper flooded the news when it went viral – it was featured on outlets such as The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Food & Wine, NPR, Forbes, USA Today, VinePair, and more.
In addition to a multitude of sustainable sippers, Tamworth Distilling crafts charitable spirits that give back to the planet. Chocorua Straight Rye Whiskey, one of the distillery’s most renowned spirits, benefits a non-profit organization that maintains its environmental namesake: the Chocorua Lake Conservancy. Each purchase of the 100% organic rye whiskey pays forward $1 to the protection and maintenance of the majestic Chocorua Mountain and Chocorua Lake Basin via donation to the Chocorua Lake Conservancy. The most recent addition to the distillery’s line of “weird whiskies,” House of Tamworth Saison De Frai, is inspired by the Swift River, another natural landmark located steps away from the distillery. $1 from each bottle sold benefits Trout Unlimited and their mission of keeping our country’s cold-water fisheries and their watersheds safe from environmental threats for this and future generations of anglers to enjoy. It also supports the distillery’s quest to care for, and recover, the Swift River and restore its thriving population of wild and native trout.
“My hope for Tamworth was always to find a sustainable way to highlight New Hampshire’s nature. One of the ideas that we came up with was to use local wildlife for a good cause – you can see that in our use of invasive green crabs, castoreum sacs from locally trapped beaver, and more,” notes Steven Grasse, Founder and Owner of Tamworth Distilling. “As a resident of New Hampshire, I’ve always felt compelled to get involved in organizations that take care of the nature that inspires our spirits. We’re always looking for new ways to collaborate with our community to create positive change in weird and wacky ways – stay tuned for our next philanthropic spirit!”
As Tamworth looks to the future, one goal remains consistent – to find the most sustainable way to create scratch-made spirits. Currently, construction has begun on a larger barrel house that has sustainability literally built into the foundations. The wood for the barrel house is all sourced within one hour of the distillery, made by a local craftsman. The building will also have zero heating – instead, the Barrel House will be oriented to Southern exposure, which will capture sunlight year-round, creating passive solar heating. Using transparent, polycarbonate panels, the building will act almost like a greenhouse, requiring no fossil fuels in order to heat the building. This experimental design is the next (and certainly not last!) step in Tamworth Distilling’s sustainability journey.
