Turkey Shore Distilleries Old Ipswich Tavern Style Rum (80 Proof)

Product information
In colonial days New Englanders discovered the joys of barrel aged rums almost by mistake. Those rums that spent time in American oak barrels took on a whole new character. Old Ipswich Tavern Rum is a recreation of this more refined spirit. It combines the great flavors of our White Cap rum with the more robust notes of new White Oak barrels. For those who enjoy their rums with a bold character, Tavern Style Rum is your choice.

About the producer
Turkey Shore Distilleries LLC was formed in 2010 in the historic coastal town of Ipswich, Massachusetts by two childhood friends and locals, Mat Perry and Evan Parker. The idea of starting a distillery first came to Mat in 2007 when he was on a one year sabbatical from his job teaching high school history. During that year, Mat attended graduate school in Hanover, New Hampshire where he was exposed to a robust culture of locavores. Sampling the delicious abundance of what New Hampshire and Vermont had to offer, Mat was struck by the lack of local options when it came to spirits. As a history teacher and avid rum drinker, the lost connection between New England and its rum proved an alluring basis for a possible revival.

The idea of starting a rum distillery gained traction one night when Mat pitched the idea to Evan in a pub over of couple of Ipswich Ales (product of an excellent local brewery). Dogged in his approach to all things in life, Evan did the research that proved micro-distilling was a movement that was sweeping the nation and so it was, indeed, possible to open a distillery. Further research revealed a distillery that operated in Ipswich during the colonial days. That distillery owned by John Heard, which operated from 1770-1836, was located on the street that both Mat and Evan grew up on (Turkey Shore Road) and that the barrels of molasses that originated in the West Indies were unloaded at an old wharf called Hunt’s Wharf, located in Mat’s back yard along the Ipswich River. The molasses and rum were then rolled back and forth across the street from Hunt’s Wharf to the distillery. Furthermore, the manager of the distillery, Nathaniel Heard (John’s brother) lived in Mat’s house. Upon this discovery of a personal connection, Turkey Shore Distilleries was reborn. Now, more than175 years later, Turkey Shore Distilleries once again sits along the banks of the Ipswich River ready to revive the ancient tradition of producing New England rum!