Boston Harbor Distillery sails into the drink scene.
Rhonda Kallman has been at the forefront of craft alcohol since the early 80s. She co-founded the Boston Beer Company (brewer of Sam Adams) in 1984, and was recognized by the Institute for Brewing Studies as a “Pioneering Woman in the Beer Industry.” As CEO and founder of Boston Harbor Distillery, she aims to be at the forefront of education on craft distilling.
Did you always want to craft spirits? Was this your end game?
I’ve always had an affinity for spirits. Jim (Koch, co-founder of Boston Beer Company) was the one that got me really passionate about and interested in beer, and being at the forefront of the craft beer revolution was a pretty exciting place. When we started Sam Adams, there were, like, 35 breweries in the United States, and that includes the big guys. And today, there are more like 3,735!
I know!
It wasn’t until I shut my last beer company…it was played out for me. I had a couple of fellas say, ‘You ought to look into craft distilling.’ And I did, and I just immediately became enamored with it.
So, how did you find this location?
My husband and I just happened upon it. It was falling down, all boarded up… The next day, we met with the landlord and I signed a 20-year lease. I’m pretty committed to the community and investing in it. I love it! I feel like all roads lead to Dorchester.
You’ve got history here.
I call it the Port of Boston Harbor. I did some research on the building—it was built in 1859. It’s been the center of entrepreneurial commerce since then.
Where do you see things going with Boston Harbor Distillery?
I would like the city of Boston and New England to be really proud of the distillery and our products, just as they are with Sam Adams. There were more distilleries here in Boston pre-Prohibition than there were breweries. So, if that’s any indication of where things are going, it’s pretty exciting! Currently, there are 20 [craft distillers] in the state of Massachusetts, and 61 in New England. We formed the Massachusetts Distillers Association. I’m really thrilled that a collective group of like-minded artisans can get together and, hopefully, expand the category.
How would you define craft spirits?
What craft means to me is the passion, the integrity and the quality of the spirit inside. And it’s what’s inside you as an entrepreneur and a craftsperson. The industry sees it more as how you make and market your brands. So what’s happening, unfortunately, is some distillers buy already aged and finished spirits from a big supply and put it in a bottle. That’s not necessarily hand-crafted!
So they don’t control the process from start to finish?
Exactly. You’ve got to know what you want to make, figure out the recipe, choose the ingredients...then you have to get approvals by the government for the formulas, do your batches, make your barrel selection and pick your grain or whatever your sugar source is. There are a lot of decisions that artisan distillers need to make. And, to me, that’s the definition.
How many tries does it take to get to something that you’re really proud of?
Well, I’ve been very fortunate. Our master distiller is John Couchot. He’s been at the forefront of the craft distilling industry for over ten years. He’s—he’s my artist, and that’s what I call him. He has not disappointed me once when it comes to the quality of the spirits that he makes.
Tell me about the spirits you’re making.
Well, for our Putnam New England Rye Whiskey, which is 95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley, we actually source un-aged rye and redistill it. When it comes off the still, there’s heads, there’s hearts and there’s tails.
Really?
Yeah! The heads have many bad flavors and compounds in them, and some of the tails do too, so the closer you cut to the heart, that’s the meat of it, that’s the delicious spirit. When we make our cuts, that’s really the talent of the distiller himself, and that’s where some of the artistry comes in. You should be able to drink it when it comes off the still. It’s that good.
What else?
Our flagship, Putnam New England Whiskey, is grain to glass. We make it all here. That is resting nicely in new American Oak barrels, and we use lots of chocolate malt and two-row malted barley. It gets that nice richness from it. And the first thing off our still was Lawley’s New England Spirit, which is our riff on rum. The government won’t allow us to call it rum because we use local maple syrup as our sugar source versus sugar cane. The white is 86-proof, and Lawley’s Dark New England Spirit is 92-proof—you can taste it more in a cocktail, the flavor really comes through.
What’s the hardest part about the craft distilling business?
The regulations would make your head spin—there’s federal, state and city. What’s very difficult is something that I’m literally an expert in: distribution. Getting it to market and getting it to sell when it’s on the shelf. Timing that is so hard. When I was a contract brewer, I didn’t have my own temple for people to come to. In our first two months since we opened our doors, we had over a thousand people come here to learn about our craft and taste our spirits. They’re enthusiasts.
Is it worth it?
I love virtually everything about the business. For me, I’ve made it a lifestyle. It’s an adventure. I’m excited about what we’re doing and how we do it, and I enjoy drinking it as well!
Starting September 30, Boston Harbor Distillery will be hosting Whiskey Wednesdays, a monthly whiskey tasting series. To make a reservation, call to reserve your spot or visit: whiskeywednesdaybhd.eventbrite.com You can find more information on Rhonda Kallman and Boston Harbor Distillery at bostonharbordistillery.com.
This interview has been edited and condensed by Amanda Balagur.
