In Hammonton, New Jersey, how can you possibly go wrong with “Blue Rascal Distillery” for the name of your business? Known as the Blueberry Capital of the World, Hammonton’s farms produce 80 percent of the crop for the entire state. Another local reference that ties the distillery to its colorful name is the Hammonton High School’s football team, the Blue Devils. And, a South Jersey story cannot be complete without mentioning that infamous “rascal” known as the Jersey Devil — a tale originating in the pine barrens that border Hammonton. In addition, the company logo depicts the devil playing beneath a full moon, harkening back a hundred years ago when distilled spirits moved through the area under moonlight.
So, the Blue Rascal is a keeper, but let us not forget another important word in the name — “Distillery.” The cozy and chic craft spirit house produces award-winning products with a local twist. Curt and Kelly Perone, owners and Hammonton residents embrace their ties to the community and how it syncs up with the distillery. Curt, who was born and raised locally, explains, “Hammonton is a farming community, and we use local produce to make our craft spirits, especially blueberries and cranberries. We also make different infused spirits during the year for use in the tasting room that uses the bounties of the harvest. In the past, that included local tomatoes and sweet corn, blackberries, and cucumbers.
Uniquely Handcrafted Spirits
Another feather in Blue Rascal’s cap is the fact that very few craft distilleries across the country use local berries the way they do to make brandy and liqueurs. Signature offerings include Blueberry Liqueur and Blueberry Brandy as well as their gold medal, award-winning Gin — all using local fresh blueberries in their production. Perone explains, “We take the freshly harvested fruit and process it right at the distillery. We also ferment, distill, and age our spirits in the distillery. In fact, you won’t find liqueurs like ours anywhere else.”
The staff at Blue Rascal, like alchemists brewing up unique concoctions, craft their spirits and liqueurs with “passion and precision.” Perone elaborates on the energy brewing in the distillery, “There is something magical about taking hundreds of pounds of fresh fruit or grain and turning it into a beautiful liquor that so many can enjoy. This distillery is a passion project of mine, and now our staff brings that same passion to the business. From identifying new cocktails to experimenting with new infusions to taking those experiments and turning them into new liquors that we are selling.”
Lead distiller, Ryan Carpenter brings his ten years of liquor-making experience and “magic” to Blue Rascal. With a heavy focus on fermentation, distillation, and maturation, Carpenter “…enjoys the art of crafting high-quality spirits” and was recently named in “Men’s Journal” magazine as a contributor to “one of the world’s best whiskeys.”
A Favorite Cocktail — or Two
Depending on the season’s harvest, Blue Rascal Distillery changes the cocktail menu. For example, you may see their wry old-fashioned, espresso martini flights, or their Blueberry Rascaltini — one of their most popular offerings. Every month Blue Rascal offers five or six unique cocktails that speak to the season. All their cocktails use products made in-house only and crafted in interesting ways so that guests can get ideas for making cocktails at home.
In addition to opportunities to imbibe, the distillery offers special events throughout the year. For example, Paint and Sip nights, Trivia on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month, and Open Mic are regular experiences. In 2025, Blue Rascal hopes to add more events including Board Game Nights and Singles Nights. Perone sums up the atmosphere at the Blue Rascal, “There’s always something going on at the distillery, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
