Black-owned distillery builds on legacy of quality and craft

Alisa Lawrence comes from a long family lineage of distilling.

In 2015 her uncle, Robert Patton-Spruill, founded their family-owned and operated business, New England Sweetwater Farm & Distillery, located in New Hampshire.

Patton-Spruill’s passion began during his childhood summers with his grandfather, “Uncle Bob,” who was his primary teacher “in the craft of distilling Whiskey and Moonshine, but also instilled the value of prioritizing quality over quantity.”

In the 1940s, Uncle Bob used to make whiskey and moonshine to supply his brother’s juke joint in the woods of Mount Airy, N.C. With this rich family history, it only made sense that Lawrence and her cousin Nilaja Young became the next generation to steward the family business, which they officially purchased in 2020. According to Distillery Trail’s website, there are very few distilleries that are Black owned and operated in the United States.

Along with their spouses, Karl Lawrence and Kenny Young, they are working to keep the legacy of their Uncle Bob by studying “the science and art of distilling” while continuing to grow their family business.

Their family-focused mission “emphasizes tradition, craftsmanship and a dedication to quality, making NESW a testament to their shared values and heritage.”

Building on Uncle Bob’s original moonshine and whiskey recipes, the distillery has expanded — crafting their own lineup of spirits, including whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, moonshine, and readyto-drink cocktails.

Lawrence shared how it feels for her to continue the family legacy of distilling.

“It’s really surreal, in a sense, because my cousin Rob, when he founded the distillery, [it] was based on him carrying forward his granddad’s legacy in distilling and something that he learned from him directly. Fast forward to 2020, and him being able to hand that over to another set of family members for good stewarding of that legacy has been just on a daily basis, just really surreal,” she said.

She also shared what makes New England Sweetwater stand out in comparison to other distilleries: their location and family story.

“Everybody thinks about whiskey in Tennessee or the South, so to be in New England doing this and being successful and making such a premium spirit has been just a standout alone. … All of our whiskeys, our gins, our vodkas, the rums, the moonshine, they’re all good. The standout is obviously being that this is our story, our deep family roots, our generational knowledge and the personal history,” she said.

Lawrence also talked about what she believes makes customers loyal to their distillery.

“What keeps people coming back as customers is the connection. Sure, we make great whiskey, we make great rum, gin, but what makes us different is that we invite people into our story. The customers know our names, they understand. They met us, they’ve talked with us, we’ve touched them. There’s definitely a large sense of authenticity and intimacy that you don’t get from the bigger or more corporate brands,” she said.

“We’re consistent year after year — people know that they’re going to get the same spirit, the same flavor, the same texture, and understand that they’re supporting something that’s meaningful. They’re not just buying a bottle,” she added.

She also shared some of her favorite events they hold at the distillery — which always put the community first.

“They’re very whimsical. There’s a Pumpkin Festival, a Pickle Festival. Those are the more [largely] attended events, but just honestly, just our tasting room. Coming into our tasting room on any given day, that gives us the most support. We definitely make sure that we’re at all of the major events across the Northeast, but we also do a lot of smaller ones that are community driven and impact based…[we] want to make sure that we’re also giving back and pulling up, [and] paying forward,” she said.

She shared her advice for entrepreneurs who may want to open a business.

“Own your story, your background, your culture. It’s your superpower. Don’t water it down to fit in. People are really hungry for authenticity, that’s something we’ve learned, and we continue to learn on a daily basis as we talk to people and tell people the story,” she said. “Start where you are. You don’t need to know everything up front. We had no idea. We learned by doing, by failing, by asking for help, by leaning on each other.”

Lawrence also tells entrepreneurs to not wait until things are perfect to start their businesses.

“Build a circle, not just a network. You want to make sure that you have mentors and peers…you want people who really invest in you and you in them. That could be the community, the local vendors, or other small businesses, but you can build stronger if you’re together with a great circle. Know and understand that it’s going to take long nights, patience and learning on the fly, but make sure that you celebrate all of your wins,” she said.

ON THE WEB

Learn more at newenglandsweetwater.com