Tamworth Distilling of Tamworth, New Hampshire, is pleased to announce the debut of Tamworth Garden Cordials, a collection of six natural fresh fruit liqueurs. The lineup includes Black Trumpet Mushroom & Blueberry, Citrus, Mountain Berry, Raspberry Lime, Sierra Fig, and Strawberry Rhubarb. Available now, Tamworth Garden Cordials (375ml // $35) are low proof libations, perfect for sipping or in a spritz, but truly shine when brandished as a cocktail enhancer.
With distillers committed to making a garden-fresh product, using only quality ingredients, the line of Tamworth Garden Cordials are completely absent of artificial flavors and additives. Each bottle contains real ripe fruit (over ¾ pound per bottle in some instances) and careful botanical macerations with a base of non-GMO scratch-made neutral grain spirit. A true passion project for distillers Matt Power, Jamie Oakes, and Will Robinson, the collection of cordials is the result of many years of R&D and workshopping countless flavor combinations and ingredients.
“To capture the essence of real fruit, we first source ripe fruit and botanical ingredients at their peak,” said distiller and biochemist Matt Power. “We then use a mix of historical brewing tactics and low temperature distillation combined with our state-of-the-art vacuum still, which lets us very efficiently preserve the vibrant flavors.”
Nuanced local terroir shines in every sip thanks to the organic on-site garden, lovingly cultivated by Power, which provides botanicals such as lavender, lemon verbena, sage, juniper, basil, and lemon thyme. Fresh, local fruits are sourced where possible and include hand-picked blueberries from the forest near the distillery, foraged black trumpet mushrooms from neighbors New Hampshire Mushroom Company, hand-picked red raspberries, honeyberries, and chokeberries from neighbors Wayside Farm, and more.
Notable techniques behind the innovative line of naturally-flavored cordials include infusion methods tailored to each type of fruit in each liqueur, as well as a commitment to sustainable practices where possible — for example, whole fruits are used in their entirety with large quantities of spent aromatic fruit pomace finding new life through redistillation and aging in second use barrels, which then becomes the base for other spirits, such as recently debuted Tamworth Garden Sugar Plum Fairy Absinthe cordial.
Read on for more information on each liqueur in the Tamworth Garden Cordials collection:
Tamworth Garden Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial ($35, 50 proof, 25% ABV, 375 ml) Made using Maine Lowbush blueberries, black trumpet mushrooms (sourced from the distilley’s neighbors at New Hampshire Mushroom Company), lavender, lemon verbena and sugar, the spirit brings presents to the palate fresh blueberry, earthy fungal undertones, and bright floral citrus bouquet. Distillers, who often forage their own ingredients in the forest local to the distillery, were inspired to pair blueberry and mushroom based on the adage, “what grows together, goes together” — as black trumpet mushrooms were discovered growing in the shade cast from blueberry bushes, and infused into the base, allowing distillers to sculpt a tapestry of flavor into the fruit. Black Trumpet Blueberry cordial shines in cocktails like Gimlet, but also as a culinary ingredient — with one of its recommended uses being poured atop vanilla ice cream. Over ¾ pound of fresh berries are in each 375 ml bottle!
Tamworth Garden Citrus Cordial ($35, 60 proof, 30% ABV, 375 ml)
Made with blood orange, tangerine, pomelo zest, quassia bark, and a small amount of aged apple brandy, this spirit is both sweet yet vibrant—capturing the true flavor of these year-round citrus fruits. This cordial isn’t just defined by its flavor; its vivid color and lively scent are reminiscent of freshly peeled fruit. Deep notes of sweet orange and candied grapefruit are balanced by subtle woodsy notes. Espresso Martini lovers from the 90’s to now can enjoy the cordial shaken into the distillery’s signature Espresso Zestini recipe, accompanied by vodka, maple syrup, and freshly pulled espresso, garnished with an expressed orange peel.
Tamworth Garden Mountain Berry Cordial ($35, 44 proof, 375 ml) begins with a barrel-aged base spirit fermented from apples and grain that is then infused with whole raspberry, honeyberry (a species of non-climbing honeysuckle), and aronia berry (a deciduous shrub known colloquially as a chokeberry) — all grown in the soils and runoff of the Sandwich Mountain Range, and harvested at peak time for immediate use and hand-picked by Wayside Farm & Great Northern Berries, located in North Sandwich, New Hampshire. The spirit’s deep flavors of wild, spicy berries with rich notes of port are exquisitely demonstrated in the distillery’s signature Mountain Berry Bramble, alongside Tamworth Garden White Mountain Gin and fresh lemon juice.
Raspberry Lime Cordial ($35, 51 proof, 25.5 ABV, 375 ml)
Tamworth Garden Raspberry Lime Cordial is made with locally-sourced New Hampshire raspberries. Raspberries are pressed and infused with the distillery’s own Neutral Grain Spirit to balance the sweet and sour appeal of the fruit, creating a base of undeniable smoothness. The mixture is then combined with lime zest and basil for a gentle flowery scent with clove overtones. This newly-crafted blend is another delectable spirit honoring the fruits of the beloved state of New Hampshire. It can be enjoyed on its own, in a variety of gourmet variations (such as poured atop ice cream), or in the distillery’s recommended “Sacred Basil Fizz” cocktail, an opulent, sweet-and-savory take on a highball.
Tamworth Garden Sierra Fig ($35, 52 proof, 26% ABV, 375 ml)
With ½ a pound of figs per bottle, the Sierra variety was picked for its balance of light molasses notes and bright, wildflower honey aromatics, and was sourced from a family farm in Madeira County, CA. The flavors were double-extracted into Tamworth’s house-made neutral spirit, and finished with rhubarb root and damiana leaf to amplify bitter cocoa and nut flavors as well as floral and fruit aromas, creating the impression of a full, intact fig. Sierra Fig Cordial shines in a Fig Manhattan, paired with the distillery’s celebrated Chocorua Rye (named for Mount Chocorua located in the distillery’s home state of New Hampshire). Fig is a notoriously difficult flavor to capture but the team does so by infusing fresh fruit, the fig flavor is also highly concentrated with ½ pound of real figs in each bottle of Tamworth Garden Sierra Fig cordial.
Tamworth Garden Strawberry Rhubarb Cordial ($35, 50 proof, 375 ml),
Strawberries and rhubarb were pressed in a wine press (as opposed to making an infusion), and the resulting juice was used to proof down a blend of house-made neutral grain spirit, and barrel aged neutral grain spirit, to deliver strong base notes of vanilla and caramel without adding artificial flavors. In each 375 ml bottle there is ½ pound of fresh berries and ¼ pound of real rhubarb! The product contains strawberry juice, rhubarb juice, and a scratch-made lime distillate – from the distillery’s roto vap still. Off the top, the aroma has hints of the woodiness of limes, followed by juiciness of strawberries and a strong hint of rhubarb. The distillery’s recipe for a spicy-sweet sipper, the Thai Rhu-Berry Refresher made with thai chili gin, Tamworth Garden Strawberry Rhubarb Cordial, orange aperitivo and lime juice, brings a surprising balance of sweet, tart, and spice.
“The juice is really loose on this one,” commented Robinson. “It is overloaded with fresh fruit, reminiscent of my Grandma’s strawberry rhubarb preserves, and is super easy to like. Matt and I laughed about calling it ‘low hanging fruit’ because the fruit literally grows close to the ground, and it is easily approachable to just about anyone who imbibes. I have been enjoying it as a supplement to a dry hard cider, or even a light beer.”