The latest and greatest addition to Dorchester blends old and new for a beautiful and inviting space that is steeped in history and delicious spirits. We have been looking forward to visiting Boston Harbor Distillery since we first started to hear about it, and a trip to the boat mechanic right next door on Saturday was the perfect opportunity to stop in.
The space absolutely beautiful, jaw-dropping, really, with massive high ceilings, exposed beams and brick, an historic building lovingly refurbished into a rustic yet modern tasting room and distillery space.
Our visit was a quick one, and as a result I didn’t take many photos, but you can probably see just from these two how lovely all of the details are. Upon our arrival, distillery co-owner Corey took us around for a tour, sharing the history of the building, which had previously housed a nail factory and boat builder. All of the distillery’s products are named with a nod to previous building occupants, a nice way to fold in the old with the new. With so much having happened in one building, I wondered if the spirits in the bottle and barrels were the only spirits in that space?
As we went along we learned about the distilling process and saw what we were really looking for, Boston Harbor Distillery’s Putnam New England Whiskey, still in the barrel. We also got to taste the spirits that are currently available, Lawley’s New England Spirit, Lawley’s Dark New England Spirit, and Seymour’s Local Roast Coffee Liqueur, all really delicious and different from one another. We also tried a sample of a New England Daiquiri, made with Lawley’s New England Spirit. You can find the cocktail recipe on the Boston Harbor Distillery website.
The two New England spirits are basically rums, but because the distillery distills them from molasses and maple syrup, they can’t legally call them rum. Either way, they are delicious.
We left with a Lawley’s Dark New England Spirit, which is perfect with some ice and seltzer, we found. After some discussion my husband returned the next day for Seymour’s Local Roast Coffee Liqueur, which we think would be the perfect addition to an iced coffee on a hot summer afternoon. The whiskey is not quite ready yet, but we will be keeping a close eye on our emails to find out when it will be. The distillery has some fun plans in the future, including possible sale of cocktails, which would be a really great addition to the Dorchester going out scene. Hopefully they will be able to cut through all of the red tape and to make these ideas realities in the not-so-distant future.
It’s great to have a new small business in Dorchester and to give more people reason to come down to our part of Boston so they can see for themselves how great it really is. I look forward to seeing what comes next for Boston Harbor Distillery and wish them all the luck as they make their way into a hopefully very busy summer.
For more on things to do in Dorchester, visit this post.
