Back in 2013, when New Jersey changed its laws to allow craft distilling, Curtis Perone saw an opportunity to combine a passion for quality liquor with his family’s farming business to create a new type of buzz in South Jersey.
The town of Hammonton has long been recognized as the “blueberry capital of the world” thanks to its profusion of farms that produce the fruit. One such farm, Macrie Brothers Blueberry Farm, is owned and operated by Perone’s family members and that connection led him to envision a way to utilize the abundant fruit to open his own distillery that would in turn directly support the region’s farm industry.
In 2013, Perone and his wife Kelly started construction on West End Avenue and after a slow start that was only further delayed by the pandemic, the couple realized their dream in 2021 when Blue Rascal Distillery opened its doors to the public.
They started small, specializing in a blueberry brandy. But they were not simply adding artificial flavoring to liquor, instead Blue Rascal makes their signature product in the traditional eau de vie clear/European style, a distinction that shows great appreciation and respect for the process and technique in craft distilling.
Just a few years later, Blue Rascal now regularly greets guest to its high-end cocktail tasting room where they can sip samples of more than a dozen products, including varying fruit liqueurs, and a stellar lineup of award-winning offerings like their coffee-flavored whiskey, an aged gin and, of course, the blueberry brandy.
“In the tasting room, we strive to make everything fresh and our cocktails are complex and we try to showcase the ingredients. We are only allowed to serve what we make here. … Everything is muddled fresh, shaken fresh; we do not have anything that sits around,” says Perone. “If we do not have it, we’ll make it. We’ll make amaros, we’ll make sambuca, compari—we make our own crème liqueurs; all fresh, made on site.”
It is just further evidence of the commitment to the craft that Perone, his wife Kelly and their team display.
“We make small batches and stick to what we know. We want to say true to the craft industry and we are going to continue to move forward,” says Perone.
Thus far, the response has been tremendous. The aforementioned blueberry brandy earned a silver medal at the 2023 East Coast Craft Spirit Awards, while also taking home the People’s Choice and Best in Class honors. At the same event, Blue Rascal’s coffee-flavored whiskey earned a silver medal and its gin offering took home a gold.
What’s more, Blue Rascal’s spirits are now regularly found on liquor store shelves as well on the menus of several area restaurants and bars.
It has been a journey to get to this point, but Perone has enjoyed watching everything unfold and he is excited about what’s to come. “It’s interesting to see our products out in various locations and being enjoyed by the masses. We plan on continued growth as we move forward, branching out to Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Maryland, etc.”
Other exciting developments in the works for Blue Rascal include a new blueberry flavored vodka and plans to offer canned cocktails in the near future.
And for those who may be leery of trying something different, whether they are new to craft spirits or perhaps stuck in their ways after years of brand loyalty, Perone simply suggests stopping by the inviting tasting room to get a better sense of how Blue Rascal operates, from grain to glass—or even from fermented blueberry to brandy.
“We offer tasting flights where guests can sample the spirits, the liqueurs or a combination of both. Our staff is very knowledgeable and will explain the process,” says Perone. “And our tasting room is relatively open, you can walk in, poke your head in and see what’s going on. You can walk into the back courtyard and everything is open for display.”
As Blue Rascal further establishes itself as a leader in craft distilling, Perone is happy to be part of a growing industry. “I hope to see more people get involved. The more the merrier,” he says.
With a bright future ahead, Perone remains steadfast that Blue Rascal will continue to differentiate itself from others by pushing the boundaries of creativity and further cementing Hammonton’s place in the craft distilling industry.
“It’s hard to compete. We are a small micro-distillery, so our production is nowhere near the big guys. The more unique we are and the more creative we are, the better off we are. We plan to keep evolving as we go.”
Blue Rascal Distillery
8 W. End Ave. | Hammonton
(609) 878-3578
BlueRascalDistillery.com
@bluerascalstill on Facebook and Instagram
