At a mere 10-years-old, Robert Patton-Spruill learned the ways of distilling from his grandfather. Enraptured by his grandfather’s teachings, Patton-Spruill eventually decided he wanted to preserve his family’s cherished tradition. So, he took a bold step and founded the New England Sweetwater Farm & Distillery in Winchester, New Hampshire in 2015. When Robert made the bittersweet decision to part ways with his beloved creation in 2020, he knew he had to give it to someone who truly understood its generational value.
Wanting to keep the legacy in the family, Patton-Spruill turned to his cousins Alisa Lawrence and Nilaja Young. The sisters, with a deep appreciation for tradition, immediately jumped at the opportunity, packing their bags to move from New York to New Hampshire. With their husbands, they purchased the distillery, taking the reins of the cherished, award-winning family business.
“Without [tradition], we wouldn’t be here,” said Lawrence. “We would not be talking with you right now. All of this was built on tradition, generational bonds…We’re first generation, Caribbean Americans. Our family was born in South America, the Caribbean and Africa…we’re bringing all of those things along with us on a daily basis. Tradition, no matter how we sometimes fight it and wanna do our own thing and forget about it, it circles back.”
Assuming control of the distillery in the midst of the pandemic, the business started out a bit slow. However, the sisters were able to sustain it, and eventually expand it.
Lawrence and Young found major inspiration in Black women who had major success in the world of distillery, such as Fawn Weaver, CEO of Grant Sidney Inc. and Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, and Vanessa Braxton, founder of Black Momma Vodka.
“We’ve been able to watch these women, speak to them as mentors, they walk the talk, they answer our questions, we cold-call them…they have no problem being the mentors that we need,” said Lawrence. “ Because as black women, we have very few options and resources for businesses, or so we thought. The world has opened us up…to so many more opportunities”
The distillery’s products are all cultivated from local ingredients, fermented between four to 20 days depending on the product and, finally, distilled on the grain. At the farm, they grow heirloom cider apples, blueberries and juniper berries.
They boast an enticing selection of products well-suited for summertime, such as the Libation Pineapple Mint Mojito, Lemon Drop, Bloody Mary and the Kingfish Rum Punch, a favorite among the sisters. They even offer a Clark & Chesterfield BBQ sauce, made with a hint of their Maple Whiskey.
In the tasting room, visitors can sample artisan spirits and purchase exclusive and signature products.
“[Customers] can expect to get a great quality product,” said Young. “Anything that they drink is great quality, smooth. When you come here, you’re with family, you’re like family, you can have a good time here in the tasting room. And we also give tours after you have your tasting experience.”
The distillery’s Clark & Chesterfield American Single Malt Whiskey won a Silver Medal Award in the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Their Ashuelot Gin won a Silver Medal Award at the 2016 American Craft Spirits Awards.
To further explore the sisters’ curations, you can visit the distillery’s website, where they showcase some of their cocktail recipes, including the Lady Ashuelot and the Monadnock Moonslide.
Lawrence and Young anticipate the continued expansion of their distillery, aiming to take the company to new heights while preserving the familial spirit that breathed life into their venture.
“We’re staying in the New Hampshire region, but we are expanding as far as distribution nationally, internationally,” said Young. “We’re also expanding our space to make a bigger distilling area and tasting room.”
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