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January 29, 2008

Chester man brews maple liqueur

John Carey

CHESTER -- “Cabin Fever” Maple Spirit Liqueur has been recently accepted by the N.H. State Liquor Commission for full distribution in all state liquor stores.

The spirit is a three-year-aged 80 proof maple liqueur created by Rob Robillard of Chester.

A former U.S. national sales manager for British optical-electronics firm Lloyd-Doyle, Robillard is a founding partner of Custom Spirits, LLC.

“Its turning a hobby into a full-time thing,” he said of his new career. "I tried to create a spirit we New Englanders could be proud of -- not just another trendy flavored vodka.

“I came upon the idea of a maple spirit by traveling extensively outside the U.S. I noticed that every region I visited had a special fruit or plant that was distilled and made into a spirit. They all seemed very proud of their regional spirit. In Mexico they distill tequila from agave. The French are just so proud of their cognac. Scotch from Scotland. In Iceland they distill from a type of moss that grows there. It tastes awful. I thought a maple spirit would be more pleasing than this moss stuff.”

According to Robillard, it took almost a year to get the engineering done and create a "robust product" without changing the recipe.

“A lot of work has to be done before it can be bottled," he said.

The process of engineering a new spirit was not as smooth as the taste of a fine liqueur. Robillard's research included traveling to Europe to visit locally renowned distilleries of the area. He also took distilling classes and has studied the subject for four years.

"Most people like maple and appreciate the fact it’s made with real maple," said Robillard. "The trick was to keep the maple flavor without making it too sweet. Lots of effort went into striking the right balance. We even considered calling it 'Cabin Fever Maple Spice.'"

The Depot Square Steakhouse in Derry serves the liqueur in a hot apple cider drink.

"People really like it, especially this time of year," says Janie Tuerck, Depot Square co-owner and bar manager.

Cabin Fever has caught on outside of the New England states. Robillard has received calls from agencies in Colorado and Oregon that are interested in distributing his product.

“It was kind of like being a musician and hearing my song on the radio,” says Robillard of his success with Cabin Fever.

First conceived in Robillard's backyard, Cabin Fever is now bottled in Cleveland, Ohio. But he still conducts all his research and development at home.

Robillard is married with two children, ages 7 and 11. "They love (the career change) because I'm home a lot more now," says Robillard.

Cabin Fever is available at all New Hampshire state liquor stores in addition to the Depot Square Steakhouse in Derry and other local venues.

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