New England Sweetwater Farm And Distillery Is Black Legacy
Sisters Alisa Lawrence and Nilaja Young are celebrating Black women with their New England Sweetwater Farm and Distillery. Formerly working in the music and medical industries, the ladies embarked on a “divine journey” which found them acquiring Streetwater in 2020 from their cousin Robert Patton-Spruill.
Patton-Spruill founded the New England Sweetwater Farm and Distillery in 2015, using his grandfather’s teachings and wisdom to jumpstart and preserve a family legacy. The Brooklynites’ commitment to the distillery found them leaving their previous careers behind to help “build a family legacy for the next generation.” Speaking to VIBE, the sisters revealed why it was time to make a move to Winchester, New Hampshire, for their family legacy.
“What motivated Alisa and I, along with our spouses, to dedicate ourselves to this company was to continue the legacy that our cousin Rob started as well as to start a new chapter of our lives post-pandemic,” Young said. “The pandemic most certainly played a part in our decision, as we were all unemployed and in limbo, but we were already working towards creating our own family legacy by educating ourselves on how to purchase real estate for investment purposes. When the opportunity to take over the distillery was presented to us, it was a no-brainer for us to do just that, especially when we quickly realized that we had something extra special that people loved, which were premium, quality spirits.”
“‘Without them, we are nothing,’ We honor our familial roots daily, making the spirits using recipes handed down from our ancestors and by curating and nurturing their beliefs in quality over quantity,” Lawrence added.
New England Sweetwater Farm and Distillery’s products are all crafted using local ingredients. Based on the product, These components are fermented for four to 20 days and then distilled on the grain. At Sweetwater Farm, their company grows an array of fruits, including blueberries, heirloom cider apples, and juniper berries.
As for their current selection of spirits, their lineup will get customers in the summer mood. Such offerings include the Libation Pineapple Mint Mojito, Lemon Drop, Bloody Mary, and the Kingfish Rum Punch, a favorite among the sisters. Additionally, the company offers Clark & Chesterfield BBQ sauce crafted with their Maple Whiskey.
But, much as the brand is about continuing its family legacy with tasty spirits, it’s also set on celebrating and advocating for Black women in the industry. The sisters hope to inspire other Black people to go out and follow their dreams—no matter what the field is.
“Our brand celebrates Black women’s excellence by highlighting and supporting our fellow Black Women Entrepreneurs of all kinds,” Young explains. “We hope our brand inspires and encourages diversity in the spirits field and beyond by continuing community engagement, such as sponsoring events, supporting educational programs, and participating in mentorship opportunities, as well as offering scholarships and/or internships specifically targeted at underrepresented groups in the spirits industry, providing opportunities for growth and development.”
“One thing we hope to change in the spirits business is that just by making everyone aware of our existence and story, it inspires people to take a leap out on faith and follow their dreams, or even take a risk or two,” Lawrence said. “There are very few black-owned spirits, but there are even fewer distillers – and even fewer women and women of color for that matter. So, it’s special for us to tell this story because it shows anything is possible.
And they have continued to make the impossible possible. In 2022, Alisa Lawrence and Nilaja Young’s Clark & Chesterfield American Single Malt Whiskey was awarded a Silver Medal Award in San Francisco’s World Spirits Competition. Previously their Ashuelot Gin snagged a Silver Medal in 2016’s American Craft Spirits Awards.
As for their future, they’re looking to expand their brand globally. The sisters have plans to keep the positive vibes (and alcohol) flowing as they evolve as a company and, hopefully, become a market mainstay. “10 years from now, we hope to see our brand go from regional to national and internationally known and sold. We would like to know that we have built a brand that has a loyal and respectable customer base and is recognized as one of the best Whiskey brands in the market,” Young said.
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