Category: Food

Classics with a twist

Owners of Industry East open new restaurant on Elm Street

After opening their restaurant Industry East on Hanover Street in Manchester, Jeremy Hart and Dan Haggerty eventually decided to embark on their second business venture. On Monday, Oct. 2, the pair opened the doors to Stash Box, a restaurant and bar that puts a twist on homestyle comfort classics.

“Our No. 1 complaint at Industry East was that we didn’t have enough space,” Hart said. “Here, we have more space.”

Hart and Haggerty have both been in the food industry for more than 20 years, having worked as servers, bartenders and managers for other establishments before opening their own. Over the course of those two decades, both of them had contemplated leaving the industry but always found themselves being drawn back.

“Basically, you have to for some reason really love it, and I think it’s just providing hospitality to people and seeing them enjoy food and drinks that you created,” Haggerty said. “It was either leave or go for broke, so we decided to open a restaurant and then it worked out pretty well.”

The pair opened Industry East on Feb. 2, 2021, serving craft cocktails such as Smoke on the Water(melon) made with mezcal and Montenegro liqueur and Naval Academy made with aperol, bourbon and fresh orange juice as well as one-of-a-kind takes on staples like tacos, hot dogs and flatbreads.

“Industry East is essentially a cocktail bar that serves really good food, and Stash Box is a restaurant that has really good food with a cocktail bar inside of it,” Haggerty said. “It’s kind of like an elevated taste on regional classics from New England and around the country. … Our kitchen is a lot bigger here than it is at Industry East [so] we’re able to do a lot more … which is cool. Basically just a bigger expansive menu of homestyle cooking.”

An example of such a twist is their chicken cordon bleu. Added to the bernaise sauce is rosemary and basil and on the side is prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and shallot mashed potatoes. Appetizers include scallop crudo — sliced scallops with pineapple jalapeno salsa, mango gastrique, toasted coconut and sea salt — and scallion pancakes with kimchi, fried egg, pickled red onion, soy glaze sauce and sesame. For dessert, enjoy a peaches-and-cream tart with a homemade brown sugar shell, sugared peaches and blueberries topped with cream cheese frosting, whipped cream, powdered sugar and fresh mint, or bananas Foster, consisting of a cinnamon crunch waffles topped with sauteed bananas, brown sugar, dark rum, whipped cream, bruleed bananas and cinnamon sugar.

“We love being downtown in Manchester on Elm Street because we love all our neighbors. They’ve all been helpful and supportive the entire time we were building the project,” Haggerty said. “Downtown Manchester is an amazing restaurant and overall small-business community, and it’s a great thing to be a part of if you are willing to put in the work. … It’s been really good. Definitely a warm welcome on Elm Street.

Stash Box
Where: 866 Elm St., Manchester
When: Monday through Saturday, 4 to 11 p.m.
606-8109

Featured photo: Stash Box. Photo by Mya Blanchard.

The Weekly Dish 23/11/02

News from the local food scene

• Spirited evening: Tickets are still available to the 10th annual Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits on Thursday, Nov. 2, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown with general admission from 6 to 8:30 p.m. (for $75) and early access at 5 p.m. (for $90). In addition to spirit tastings, the evening features 25 food and beverage vendors. See distillersshowcase.com.

• Wine and whiskers: Tailgate Transport & Rescue, an organization that rescues dogs from kill shelters down south, holds its second annual Wine & Whiskers Fundraiser at the Derryfield Country Club (625 Mammoth Road) in Manchester on Friday, Nov. 3, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Enjoy wine, hors d’oeuvres, chocolate and live and silent auctions with items like two tickets to the Patriots-Chiefs game and a hot air balloon ride, all while raising money to help the animals. Tickets are $35. Visit tailgaterescue.org.

• Dinner and a show: Enjoy dinner and a show when Overserved makes their Peddler’s Daughter (48 Main St., Nashua) debut on Friday, Nov. 3, at 9:30 p.m. Admission is free.

• 10-year bourbon: Travel back to the Prohibition era and discover new flavors at Flag Hill Distillery & Winery’s (297 N. River Road, Lee) celebration for the release of their 10-year-aged bourbon. Enjoy handcrafted cocktails, refreshments and live music, line dancing and an afterparty. Tickets for the event are $85. To purchase tickets, visit https://rb.gy/t3qof.

Gin Punch

We’ve all done it. We’ve all planned our ideal dinner party — what we’d serve, how we’d dress, and most importantly, who we’d invite.

The guest list is the most intriguing part of this mental exercise.

We’d have to limit the guest list to eight people — four men and four women. Fewer than that, and you can’t fit in all your “must-invites”; more than that, and there won’t be one conversation, there will be four or five. All must be alive, as of this week, and no family members are allowed. It’s like a wedding — by the time you invite all the people you should invite, there isn’t room for the people you really want to invite.

So here’s my provisional list.

The Men

Me – I know I said no relatives, but I think I can make an exception for myself.

Robert Krulwich – Science reporter and former host of RadioLab. A charming guy.

Cheech Marin – Comedian and well-respected art collector. Brilliant and allegedly very nice.

Carlos Santana – Genius guitarist. He makes a point of collaborating with radically different artists.

The Women

Naziyah Mahmood – Martial artist model and astrophysicist. I imagine everything she says, down to her morning coffee order, is fascinating.

Lucy Worsley – British historian and famously nice lady.

Esperanza Spalding – Jazz genius, and probably the best bassist alive today.

Salima Ikram – Archaeologist and Egyptologist. Again, staggeringly fascinating.

So far, so good. All but one of these people are brilliant. They are all personable and fascinating.

But is that enough?

A good dinner party guest should have interesting things to say, but the very best ones are also excellent, dynamic listeners. How well do they play with others?

I have the feeling that Robert Krulwich would be fascinated by Naziyah Mahmood, who would charm Esperanza Spalding. She, in turn, would have Cheech Marin hypnotized by her beauty and, well, hipness. I would love to hear the conversation that he would have with Salima Ikram. I would just try very hard not to embarrass myself.

The point being, it’s not about who is brilliant on their own as much as it is what kind of chemistry they have together.

Which brings us to gin punch.

A good punch is supposed to be made of fantastic ingredients — also eight, in this case — that each add something to the whole but don’t dominate it. A fantasy dinner party of a cocktail, if you will.

Gin Punch

  • Peel of half a lemon – just the outside yellow part, not the bitter white part underneath.
  • Large teaspoonful of your favorite jam. Raspberry is a popular choice, but I like rose.
  • 2½ ounces dry gin
  • ¼ ounce triple sec
  • ¼ ounce ginger brandy
  • ½ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ ounce grenadine or simple syrup, depending on how pink you want this punch to be.
  • Dash of celery bitters

Muddle the lemon peel thoroughly in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.

Add the jam and muddle it again.

Add the rest of the ingredients, then use the muddler to stir everything, thereby rinsing the last of the jam off the muddler.

Add ice, and shake until very cold.

Strain over fresh ice in a coupe glass. Sip while listening to Esperanza Spalding; you won’t be sorry.

As with our imaginary dinner party, this punch is greater than its parts. The gin and lemon juice give it authority and keep it from becoming too sweet. The ginger is just barely detectable, as are the celery bitters. The jam doesn’t dominate the conversation but has something nice to say about your shoes.

This might actually be a good drink to serve at your next dinner party.

John Fladd is a veteran Hippo writer, a father, writer and cocktail enthusiast, living in New Hampshire.

Featured photo: Parmentier. Photo by John Fladd.

In the kitchen with Chris Ballou

Chris Ballou, a sous chef at Americus Restaurant at LaBelle Winery in Derry, discovered his culinary bent in a high school class. He went on to attend the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where he earned an associate’s degree, and gained experience in Arizona as well. Once back in New Hampshire, he started working at LaBelle Winery in Amherst before working at Americus Restaurant, where he has been for almost four years and enjoys the creative freedom to experiment with a diverse cuisine.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

The kitchen knife is definitely a must-have … but I would say a good stock pot because in culinary school you start everything from scratch and all food starts with good ingredients and my main go-to good ingredient is a good stock, so I think that is essential for me.

What would you have for your last meal?

It would have to be my mom’s pot roast. I played soccer when I was growing up and [on] rainy fall nights after a long soccer game you come home and the house just smells incredible, it’s a nice hearty meal [that] will fill you right up. Perfect for winter nights.

What is your favorite local eatery?

Green Leaf over in Milford. … He does a lot of creative things over there and it [is] amazing.

Name a celebrity you would like to see eating in your restaurant.

My chef out [in] Arizona grew up in France and he was living in the same neighborhood I think down the street of Dominique Crenn and ever since she did that episode on Chef’s Table on Netflix I’ve just been totally wowed, so that would be incredible to see her eating there.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

I have to say it’s the Mediterranean pizza that we have on the menu. … it’s just spectacular. It’s a 24-hour fermented pizza dough [made] in house … It’s amazing, such a good balance of spicy and sweet and there’s fresh oregano on top to bring it all together. It’s delicious.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I see a lot of oriental places popping up. … New Hampshire seems to be diversifying its food a lot more than it was, getting away from the New England cuisine of chowders and such like that.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Chicken piccata. It’s easy, it’s quick, it’s delicious. I’m a big fan of bold, sour flavors too but I like to add sun-dried tomatoes into it to kind of balance it out and give it some sweetness. It’s so easy to do after a long day at work.

Chicken piccata
From the kitchen of Chris Ballou

2 chicken cutlets
1 shallot sliced
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup chardonnay
1 cup chicken stock
¼ pound butter
2 Tablespoons capers
2 Tablespoons sun-dried tomato
1/2 lemon squeezed
salt and pepper to taste

On medium high heat, sear chicken for about one minute on both sides and remove from pan.
Add shallots and garlic and stir, picking up all the fond (leftover chicken bits on the bottom of pan). Cook until translucent.
Deglaze with wine.
Add in chicken stock, capers and tomatoes.
Add chicken back into the pan. Reduce by ¼.
Add butter and lemon juice, stirring constantly.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve over rice with your favorite seasonal vegetables.

Featured photo: Chris Ballou. Courtesy photo.

Jals Cuisine Bantu

Bringing the flavors of Africa to Nashua

On Friday, Sept. 22, a VIP launch party was held for the opening of Jals Cuisine Bantu, Nashua’s first African restaurant. Jals Cuisine Bantu is an extension of Mola Foods, a food production company offering the flavors of Africa through spices, sauces, seasonings, teas, marinades and more.

“Mola Foods is a food production manufacturing company, and Jals Cuisine plays the role of showcasing our product with traditional cuisine of Africa,” said LaFortune Djabea, the founder of Mola Foods and Jals Cuisine Bantu. “Mola Foods creates products, and people want to know how to use these products in their cooking. That’s where Jals Cuisine comes into play [by] showcasing how you can utilize Mola Food products in your own cuisine.”

Born and raised in Cameroon, Djabea describes her native country as a melting pot of culture and cuisine from other African countries, such as Zambia, Congo, Nigeria and Ghana. Her grandmother was able to cook in a variety of styles. When a friend of Djabea’s asked her to create a hot sauce using her grandmother’s recipe, she was at first reluctant but eventually decided to accept the challenge, which led to the creation of Mola Foods and, in turn, Jals Cuisine Bantu.

“The flavor is completely traditional of African cuisine, so basically we are introducing a fusion cuisine with the bold flavors of Africa,” Djabea said. “People think African cuisine is spicy but it’s actually not. … If you want to make your food spicy then you add the sauce, but the food itself isn’t spicy, it just has a bunch of spices that people don’t use traditionally on their food here in America. In Africa we use a bunch of spices to bring out those flavors, bring out the boldness [and] the smell. … Whether you want it spicy or not is really based on what you’re looking for. At Jals Cuisine we don’t make food spicy, we give it a kick, and if you want it a little spicier then you’re welcome to utilize one of our hot sauces.”

Menu items include jollof, or thieboudienne, a traditional Senegalese dish consisting of rice, okra, yucca, assorted vegetables and your choice of meat; West African key lime pie; yassa, made with cauliflower or chicken, rice, onions, olives and lime; and fried plantains. Each meal can be made into a vegan option as well. You can dine in at the restaurant or order to take out, with pickup and delivery options available. Meal plan services are also offered.

“African cuisine, and Africa in general, is extremely not represented in Nashua whatsoever,” Djabea said. “It’s a wonderful cuisine [and] the world does not do it justice, and the reason the world doesn’t do African cuisine justice is because of the stigma surrounding Africa itself [and] African people … and that’s unfortunate. … I have made it my mission at Mola Foods and through Jals Cuisine to … repel the stigma … and make people understand that African cuisine is very approachable, delicious and is something that should be acclaimed with the rest of the cuisine.”

Jals Cuisine Bantu
9 Simon St., Nashua
When: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 4 to 8 p.m.; closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
More info: 820-2543; jalscuisinebantu.molafoods.com

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Craft spirits and community

Manchester Distillery open on Willow Street

This past August, a new distillery opened its doors on the north side of The Factory on Willow in Manchester. Manchester Distillery, founded by Liz and Jeremy Hitchcock, currently distills gin and vodka, with plans to expand their catalog, which can be purchased in their tasting room as well as state stores, and hosts events such as the upcoming Halloween block party in partnership with Double Midnight Comics on Saturday, Oct. 28.

“The craft spirits market is just a fun thing to be in, so I think the ownership group here wanted to get involved,” said Bill Tambussi, the lead distiller. “It helps bring people to the community, I think.”

Tambussi discovered his passion for distilling about 15 years ago when his sister and brother-in-law gifted him a home-brewing kit for Christmas. When it was recommended that he gain more experience after applying to a brewery, he quit his job and moved to Scotland to study brewing and distilling.

“I never did study abroad and I always liked to travel so I was definitely willing to take a leap and go see somewhere else,” he said. “My mom’s side of the family is Scottish as well, so that was kind of neat to go see where they’re all from.”

After earning his master’s degree, he moved back to Philadelphia and worked at a distillery there, followed by one in New Jersey, before becoming the lead distiller at Manchester Distillery.

“I’ve actually always kind of wanted to be up north,” he said. “I actually love the cold and snow and skiing and all that stuff, and then talking to the ownership group here I thought they had a really good vision and plan for what they wanted to bring to the market and they needed someone to do it. … What they were looking for aligned with my philosophy of making spirits … so I think it was a nice fit.”

Tambussi says his spirit-making ideology is “approachable pretension,” meaning high-level products that are made for everyone. His approach involves putting a modern spin on traditional classics by making the spirit traditionally but using the botanicals differently. The botanicals used in their American-style gin, for example, include juniper, coriander, angelica root, orange peel, lemon peel and grapefruit peel, cardamom, elderberry and almond. The result is a gin with less pine flavor, lighter on the juniper, with the bright citrus flavor.

Arriving on the scene a little too late for the main event, the Manchester Distillery will not be involved in the Distiller’s Showcase, but Tambussi says they are hoping to plan some fun events that week to draw people to the tasting room.

“We’re trying to do some sort of big [event] every month,” he said.

Coming up is the Fall for All Block Party presented by Manchester Distillery along with Double Midnight Comics on Saturday, Oct. 28, with specialty cocktails, food trucks, live music, lawn games, special sales, costume contests and more.

While the development of the business is still in the works, exciting things are on the horizon.

“We have some people here who can make some cocktails that showcase what we can do with our spirits,” Tambussi said. “We partnered with Wood Stove Kitchen, another New Hampshire-based company that makes cocktail mixers. … We’re going to try to do more Manchester Distillery-specific cocktails, which I think are going to be kind of neat and fun. … We’re working on a Halloween one with pumpkin and peach tea. There will be standard classic ones, and some small, little bit out there ones.”

Manchester Distillery
Where: 284 Willow St., Manchester
When: Thursday and Friday, 4 to 9 p.m.; tours and tasting by appointment. Hours subject to change.

Fall for All Block Party
Where: Double Midnight Comics, 252 Willow St., Manchester
When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 23/10/26

News from the local food scene

  • • Market happenings: The Concord Farmers Market which runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays next to the Statehouse concludes its season this coming Saturday, Oct. 28. Kids are invited to come in costume and trick-or-treat the vendors.
  • The Salem Farmers Market (held at The Mall at Rockingham Park between Dick’s and Cinemark) is also holding its final outdoor market of the season this Sunday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (starting Sunday, Nov. 5, the market returns to its winter indoor state at LaBelle Winery in Derry from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Sunday’s market will be a Halloween Fest with costume contests for kids, pups and adults; crafts for kids and trick-or-treating the vendors, according to the market’s Facebook page.
  • • Holiday planning: You may still be in Halloween mode but planning that Thanksgiving dinner menu has already begun in the form of the “Cooking with Wine: Thanksgiving Recipes” class at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111 in Derry; labellewinery.com) on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. The cost is $40 and the class will include wine pairings, recipes for stuffing and gravy and a discussion of wet- versus dry-brining a turkey, according to the website.
  • A similar “Holiday Recipes” class will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m. at the LaBelle in Derry. Recipes for this class will include candied kielbasa, LaBelle Red Wine caramalized onion dip and more. Admission costs $40.

Chocolate spider

With Halloween around the corner and a host of sports moms and PTA dads waiting to humble-brag about the amazing handcrafted costumes and treats they’ve whipped up in their copious spare time, here is a bonus food-craft-y idea. It has the candy hat-trick of (1) looking very impressive, (2) being actually extremely easy to make, and (3) really showing up those snooty car-pool parents.

Ingredients
Whoppers
chocolate chips
pretzel sticks
chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Equipment
wax paper
small paintbrush (You don’t actually need-need this, but it might make it easier to work on small details)
tweezers (ditto)

Fill a small microwave-safe bowl halfway with chocolate chips.
Heat for 20 seconds, then stir with a spoon or a craft stick.
Heat again for 10 seconds at a time, until the stirred chocolate is melted.

Dip the mini-pretzel sticks in chocolate, and lay them out on wax paper.

Use the melted chocolate to glue the Whoppers together to make a body, then glue the legs together and then to the body with more chocolate. If it still looks too much like pretzels glued to Whoppers, drizzle some more chocolate onto your choco-spider. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you could sprinkle some chocolate sprinkles onto the body to look like hair.

The good news about this project is that the rougher your spider looks, the creepier it looks. If you completely mess up and it looks really bad, pretend one of your children made it and brag like heck about it, which makes you look like a better parent than that dad who always wins the Pinewood Derby. This’ll show him. And Sharon from ballet class will eat. her. heart. out.

John Fladd is a veteran Hippo writer, a father, writer and cocktail enthusiast, living in New Hampshire.

Featured photo: Chocolate spider. Photo courtesy of John Fladd.

In the kitchen with Ann Marie Baril

Ann Marie Baril, owner of Pastry Dream, has always loved to bake. Her passion for food comes from her grandmother, who she says always sought to bring others joy through food. When Baril had a dream one night about owning her own bakery, she first wrote the idea off as crazy. After a few minutes went by, she thought, ‘Why not?’ After researching and experimenting, Baril started Pastry Dream about a year and a half ago, serving individual-sized pastries in a variety of flavors such as lemon raspberry, chocolate peanut butter, ginger spice cake and, new for the season, pecan pie. You can find them at the Salem farmers market on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

What is your must-have kitchen item?
My Kitchen-Aid mixer. It’s the best thing that was ever created. … It’s such a fantastic tool and I think everyone should have one. Anyone who does any kind of baking needs one.

What would you have for your last meal?
I think it would have to be lobster. I live in New England [and] grew up in New England. … [I was] brought up [going] to the church festival and [having] the clams and the lobster. That’s something that I’ve eaten forever.

What is your favorite local eatery?
I have to say the Firefly Bistro in Manchester. … I’ve never had anything even mediocre there. The food is fantastic and they present it so interestingly. The wait staff is very very good.

Name a celebrity you would like to see eating in your restaurant?
I’d have to say Mike Andrews. … When I was a kid growing up I loved the Red Sox [and] I was always a fan of Mike Andrews. … When he stopped playing baseball he became the chairman of the Jimmy Fund and … I found that so incredible.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?
I love the cheesecake, I love the ginger spice and I love the chocolate peanut butter.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
Mini things or small things seem to be very popular right now. That and cookies. Cookies I don’t think will ever go out of style.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
I have to say lasagna because it’s my husband’s favorite and any time we go anywhere he may try the lasagna but he always says it isn’t as good as mine, which is a good feeling.

Cinnamon Apple Bread
From the kitchen of Ann Marie Baril

3 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
A pinch of salt
⅔ cup butter (chilled)
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
1 or 2 large baking apples, Granny Smith
¾ cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Grease three mini loaf pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Cut butter into thin slices and add to bowl. Break butter into mixture with fingers until mixture is crumbly. Stir in brown sugar. Add chopped apples, milk and eggs. Stir.
The batter should be thick but not dry. If necessary, add more milk (1 Tablespoon at a time.)
Divide batter evenly into three greased mini loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until done. Turn loaves out and let cool on a rack.

Featured photo: Ann Marie Baril, owner of Pastry Dream. Courtesy photo.

Tequila, whiskey, gin and more

10th annual Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits

By Mya Blanchard
mblanchard@hippopress.com

Whether you like gin, whiskey, vodka or tequila, there is something for everyone at the 10th annual Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits, the main event of New Hampshire Distiller’s Week, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Manchester on Thursday, Nov. 2, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. to benefit the New Hampshire Food Bank.

“I’ve been with the Commission just over 30 years and … I attended the Winter Wine Spectacular,” said Mark Roy from the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. “As I walked around the event and took in the scenery and how things were running, I said, ‘Why can’t we do this for a spirits event?’ … We had 225 guests our first year, and every year since then it has seen significant growth, with our first sellout last year.”

This year’s showcase will feature more than 600 spirits and 35 food and beverage vendors like Atlantic Grill, Fabrizia Lemon Baking Co., Tuscan Kitchen, Stark Brewing and The Press Room.

“I like to tell people to use this event as an opportunity to sample products that you normally wouldn’t try, are out of your price range, or you’re not sure if you’ll enjoy,” Roy said. “Some people don’t enjoy drinking spirits straight so they offer a signature cocktail at a lot of these tables so you can get some ideas on how to use these products and maybe get some new cocktail ideas.”

Water and soft drinks will also be available through a sponsorship with Pepsi, McDonald’s will offer food and coffee, and new this year is a water break stationed sponsored by Crown Royale. There is also a free ride home program through transportation companies like Grace Limousine Service, and the hotel offers sip and stay packages with reduced room rates. Another addition is the Penstock Room with 14 tables showcasing high-end, ultra-premium spirits such as Kentucky Ale Whiskey and Grand Patron Tequilas. Other happenings throughout the week include tastings and food pairings, seminars and bottle signings.

Returning to the showcase this year is Cathedral Ledge Distillery, New Hampshire’s only organic distillery.

“We make a variety of spirits — whiskeys, vodkas, gins — all grain-based spirits that are crafted grain to glass, so we do everything from milling all the way through bottling in our facility in North Conway,” said Christopher Burk, who owns the distillery with his wife. “Being organic means all of our ingredients are organic, so no GMOs, no artificial fertilizers, no pesticides or herbicides. A big part of what makes our distillery unique is our water. Our pristine water literally runs off Mt. Washington into our backyard. We don’t have to filter our water … and by not filtering we’re able to leave the local minerals in and that becomes part of the distinct flavor of our product.”
Burk will be bringing gins, bourbons and one of their most popular sellers, their maple liquor, to the showcase.

Also making an appearance is Charlie Moore, also known as the Mad Fisherman, Grace Gonzalez, the fourth-generation distiller from El Mayor and the current master blender from Kentucky Owl.

“The ability to have consumers come in and actually get … to meet these people and see the names behind the brand I think is huge,” Roy said. “They get the chance to meet these people that are just like you and I that spend their days doing what they enjoy and creating incredible spirits and we’re lucky enough to have a lot of them right here in New Hampshire.”

10th Annual Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits

Where: DoubleTree by Hilton, 700 Elm St., Manchester
When: Thursday, Nov. 2, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Tickets: $75 general admission; $90 for 5 p.m. admission, and $120 for VIP admission that include 5 p.m entry and ultra-premium product samples.
See distillersshowcase.com

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

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