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Merrimack Valley Magazine

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A View from the Kitchen – Old World, New Curiosities

September 4, 2018 by Scott Plath 2 Comments

“Do you think we’ll see anyone that looks like your nan or your dad in Scotland?”  

The question was posed by my wife after visiting cemeteries in her ancestors’ tiny Irish village of Inchigeelagh. We were on the first leg of our summer vacation with friends. Scotland would be next. I thought of Nan — she had eyes as the bluest of skies and a stoic demeanor that masked the most magnificent of laughs. When she was disapproving, she would lower her chin, lips pursed, eyes narrowed and you knew … like my dad.

While ambling over lumpy, sunny grounds, we perused headstones for signs of Kathy’s clan, “Moynihan” finally appearing under words of loving remembrances across numerous weathered tablets.

Other stones bore familiar names of those back home in Lowell, where a rich heritage endures — “Sheehan.” “Murphy.” “McCarthy.” “Creegan.”

Her question had stoked a recent realization of mine. For many years, I have reveled in (and admittedly, at times, rolled my eyes at) all things Irish, whilst barely experiencing my own roots. Irish butter, Irish coffee and Irish cream. “Kiss me I’m Irish” and the wearin’ of the green, but nary a tartan or kilt beyond Hollywood cliché.  

 

So much Emerald Isle, so little Land of Scots.  

Although the Scottish did not migrate to the States in the same proportions —in fact, Ireland has yet to return to pre-famine population levels — Nan chose to leave her own small town of Tayport, alone, at age 20. She arrived in Massachusetts to no Scottish community — except for a “scoundrel” of an older brother with whom she ultimately cut ties. We were always proud of our heritage, but it occurs to me that maybe Nan focused more on assimilation than on romancing her past. I now wonder if that’s true and why.  

As we drove throughout these two countries, I was reminded fondly of my first trip to Scotland 42 years ago with my grandparents; I also came to realize as many new curiosities arose that, at age 12, I had been more interested in reading books about Scotland than actually engaging with elder Scottish aunts and uncles — now a deep regret. 

Along our recent journey I sought to compare Irish vs. Scottish culture and wondered what perspective Nan could have shared? After some “research” at the Jameson Distillery in Cork, as whisky and ginger morphed into the early-vacation drink of choice, I smiled while remembering how much Nan enjoyed her late afternoon “highball.” While visiting St. Andrews, I lamented having been unable to share in her reverence when she spoke so proudly of golf’s birthplace being in her own backyard. As we made our way through the stunning and treacherous Scottish Highlands, I wondered if she had ever been there, growing up nearby 100 years ago. Witnessing hundreds of rowers, hikers and bikers, I wondered if she would embrace Scotland’s liberal lack of trespassing laws, allowing travelers to camp almost anywhere, including private property. During visits to the Dalwhinnie and Oban distilleries in the Speyside region, and then the Western Isles — a new favorite drink emerging — I could not recall Nan showing an affinity for a “wee dram” of her native scotch. Was it simply a flavor preference?

I was reminded daily of her love of scones and jam — items served every morning in both Ireland and Scotland, where hearty breakfasts remain the norm. We enjoyed other past favorites of Nan’s: fish and chips, and steak pie, yet I have no recollection of whether she liked smoked salmon, a prevalent local delicacy. I do recall those pursed lips making clear her disdain of haggis, a common comfort dish still often cooked in a sheep’s stomach! But did Nan fancy any typical haggis accompaniments, such as skirlie, Yorkshire pudding and “neeps and tatties”? (Or were they partly the reason she left home?)

 The questions and curiosities continued. We discovered widespread sustainable practices in both countries — comprehensive recycling, prolific replanting of trees, paper straws. Nan repurposed her whole life and wore her self-ascribed badge of “thrifty Scot” with honor. Was that simply economic prudence or a deeper cultural ethic?

In Tayport, we searched fruitlessly for evidence of my kin on the Church of Scotland grounds despite knowing that for all their mysticism and emotional gravitas, cemeteries offer few answers.

As vacation and a harborside dinner wound down, I was drawn to a stoic, blue-eyed Scottish grandmother sternly staring down her precocious granddaughter. I thought of Nan again while Kathy and I alternated spoonfuls of the special dessert — reminiscent of Nan’s favorite “trifle” — and contemplated whether its name, “Knickerbocker Glory,” would have caused her to throw back her head and laugh out loud! 

I can see her now …      

 

Filed Under: Food & Drink, Travel Tagged With: Distilleries, distillery, Emerlad Isle, Ireland, irish, Lands of Scots, Scotland, Scottish, Travel, trip europe, vacation, whiskey

Granite State Gold – Smoky Quartz Distillery

July 9, 2016 by Dean Johnson Leave a Comment

For Kevin Kurland, the success of Smoky Quartz, his artisanal distillery in Seabrook, N.H., is all about the details. The Iraq War veteran and longtime engineer has seen to it, for example, that each of his Smoky Quartz products — a vodka, two types of rum, a moonshine (more like a white whiskey, actually) and a bourbon — are distinctive. This one sits agreeably heavier on the palate, that one has a subtle but distinct flavor twist, etc. His vodka actually has a hint of sweetness, and he suggests serving it as cold as possible.

In case you haven’t noticed, central New England has suddenly begun sprouting boutique distilleries like so many dandelions in the spring. But Kurland, 48, seems to know that success lies in bringing quality to the marketplace and, well, nailing down the details.

Smoky Quartz’s bourbon, vodka and moonshine, for example, are made with locally sourced organic corn. And all of Kurland’s products are made with pure New Hampshire spring water. Take a gander at the large still Kurland uses to make his products in his Seabrook facility and you’ll notice that it doesn’t look quite like the stills in any of the other distilleries that are popping up in the area.

Instead, it has the kind of steampunk look you’d expect to find in a Jules Verne novel. That’s because Kurland, who has a degree in engineering from the University of New Hampshire, tweaked the still according to his own design in order to refine the distilling process.

 

Kevin Kurland is the main man behind the success of the Smoky Quartz Distillery. Photo by Kevin Harkins.
Kevin Kurland is the main man behind the success of the Smoky Quartz Distillery. Photo by Kevin Harkins.

Kurland wants everyone to know that Smoky Quartz is “veteran owned and operated,” not as a marketing ploy, but because four other family members, also vets, are part of the ownership team. Kurland explains that some vets sadly return home from war zones “permanently broken,” but the majority are not, and he wants people to know that.

Kurland’s eye for detail even extends to his company’s name. He mentions a meeting with state officials a while back and notes that they were curious about the Smoky Quartz moniker. He told them smoky quartz is New Hampshire’s official gemstone. They didn’t know that … but he did.

If not for Kurland’s time in Iraq, Smoky Quartz might never have come to be. In 2008, he was thumbing through a copy of The Wall Street Journal while hunkering down in Baghdad during an attack. He read an article about craft distilleries and thought, “Wow, that looks really neat.”

After Kurland returned to the United States, he did a lot of reading and visited a lot of craft distilleries, including Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville, Va. He finally decided, “Oh, what the hell, why not?” He bought some equipment, located an ideal old warehouse space just off Route 1, and had at it. Smoky Quartz Distillery opened to the public in May 2014.

Left: The Smoky Quartz Distillery has produced some award-winning products, including one of its rums. Right: The custom-designed still, created by Kevin Kurland, gives the Smoky Quartz products a unique flavor. Photos by Kevin Harkins.
Left: The Smoky Quartz Distillery has produced some award-winning products, including one of its rums. Right: The custom-designed still, created by Kevin Kurland, gives the Smoky Quartz products a unique flavor. Photos by Kevin Harkins.

Kurland sold 600 cases of liquor in 2015. He hopes to move close to 1,000 this year. His products have won their share of awards, and all are now available at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets. A variety of local restaurants and bars have created cocktails using Smoky Quartz spirits, including Surf in Nashua and Portsmouth, N.H.; Ron Jillian’s in Hampton, N.H.; Applecrest Farm Bistro in Hampton Falls, N.H.; and The 401 Tavern in Hampton, N.H.

Kurland’s bourbon is his best-seller, in part because he says bourbon sales in general have recently shown triple-digit growth. Smoky Quartz’s bourbon also takes a year to produce, the longest of all the company’s products. Other beverages, such as the white rum (10 days) and vodka (21 days), are produced more quickly.

Smoky Quartz has an on-site tasting room and store where folks can purchase items ranging from T-shirts and sunglasses to mini bourbon barrels and assorted cocktail paraphernalia. [ Note Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, please check their website before visiting for updated details and guidelines.]

 

Smoky Quartz Distillery
Seabrook, N.H.
(603) 474-4229
SmokyQuartzDistillery.com

 

Filed Under: Food & Drink Tagged With: Distilleries, N.H., Seabroor, Smoky Quartz Distillery, Veteran

The Spirit of Innovation: Merrimack Valley’s Craft Distilleries

June 22, 2014 by Matt Osgood Leave a Comment

The first clear evidence of the distillation of alcohol dates back to the 12th century at a medical school in the town of Salerno in southern Italy. In that regard, “innovation” is a tricky word to use as a descriptor of the recent rise of microdistilleries across the United States. It might be tempting to use the phrase “innovation through anachronism.” In a marketplace saturated with megacorporations pumping out seemingly identical offerings, local distilleries are reaching for a share by placing a product on the shelves that features an old-fashioned sense of craft. (Editor’s note: This article originally apreared in the May/Jun 2014 issue of mvm. )

“Our definition of ‘craft distilling’ would be something that’s made from scratch, something created from its raw product,” says Heather Houle, general manager of Flag Hill, a winery and distillery in Lee, N.H.

Flag Hill has been a mainstay in the local wine industry since 1994. Co-owner Frank Reinhold Jr. will celebrate the 10th anniversary of running his still this September.

Houle likens craft distilling to home baking, “Like baking cookies [from scratch], you can have your eggs and sugar and flour and they taste much different [when you put them together] than just getting the store-bought package,” she says.

Definitions of “craft distilling” — there is no official, legal definition of the term, according to the American Distilling Institute in Hayward, Cal. — vary, as does the innovation that lies within the craft. Andrew Cabot, founder of Privateer International, in Ipswich, calls it “innovation out of necessity.”

 

Frank Reinhold Jr. has run Flag Hill in Lee, N.H., for 20 years; Flag Hill has become a leader in New England craft distilling

Cabot’s company, which focuses on rum production, was born in 2011. He is passionate about helping to create a “consumer community” where what is produced and consumed is sourced and crafted locally, and is made with an eye toward quality. An item created locally does not always denote superiority, he says.

Privateer strives to bring what Cabot calls “best practices” to a rum industry he says is “underdeveloped.” He cites the maritime climate in Ipswich, which allows the rum to ferment in “long, cool” temperatures. This environment also makes it possible for the barrels that the rum ages and develops in to go through “natural breathing cycles.”

“We’re not solving a problem,” Cabot says, “if we’re delivering an inferior product.”

Andy Harthcock of Djinn Spirits in Nashua, N.H., echoed this sentiment.

“Our goal is to focus on making a [quality] product,” he says of his distillery business, which opened in December 2013. “We want to focus on small, quality batches. It’s always been about the craft over making money.”

Harthcock’s small batches currently include a white whiskey and a gin. Harthcock, who owns Djinn with his wife, Cindy, eventually intends to add “new recipes with new twists,” including a krupnik, a high-proof spirit made with honey, cinnamon, clove, vanilla and citrus.

Part of what’s driving innovation in the craft distilling movement is the recent birth in the U.S. of a more refined cocktail culture that’s straddling the fence between craft and convenience.

Andy and Cindy Harthcock of Djinn Spirits in Nashua, N.H., are an affable, familial presence in local craft distilling.

“The cool thing about distilling in the U.S. is [that] we can push limits,” Houle says. “In more established cultures, they often stay within boxes. Here, a lot of us are looking for something unique in mixing and trying things. We’re all trying to find something different to break the mold.”

Innovation, according to Houle, is also driven by community — the local population and — terrain, agriculture and the community of local distillers.

“If we [distilleries] are not helping [one another] as far as making actual product, we’re helping each other because we’re making sure we’re all making a good product,” says Houle, who notes that Flag Hill relies on local products such as corn, apples, cranberries and maple syrup.

Cabot says that producers and have a responsibility to work together to make distribution easier so thatsmall distillers can establish a stronger foothold in the spirits market.

“It’s been great to see the [local and state government] act more proactively,” Cabot says. But, he adds, “We’ve got to continually ask ourselves, ‘Is there more we can ?’ ”

Djinn Spirits
Nashua, N.H.
DjinnSpirits.com

Flag Hill Enterprises
Lee, N.H.
(603) 659-2949
FlagHill.com

Privateer International
Ipswich, Mass.
(978) 356-0477
PrivateerRum.com

Filed Under: Food & Drink Tagged With: Distilleries, Ipswich, Lee, Merrimack Valley, N.H., Nashua, Spirits

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