In 2018, we posted “Mutant Green Crabs Invading Maine.” At the time we noted that it sounded like a low-budget horror/sci-fi flick, but that, sadly, an aggressive breed of green crab has indeed invaded Maine’s and neighboring states’ waters.

Now, New Hampshire’s Tamworth Distilling is doing its part to help eradicate the invasive European green crabs by making crab-infused whiskey. The limited-release House of Tamworth Crab Trapper whiskey is made from an aged bourbon and over 90 pounds of green crabs harvested from a local trapper.

Delish reports that the result is “briny and better Fireball,” according to Tamworth founder Steven Grasse. You’ll find notes of maple, vanilla, and caramel on the nose with the warm flavors of cinnamon, clove, and all-spice adding a bit of heat.

“Totally unexpectedly, crab and whiskey do in fact go together. But who knew the unique flavor combination would create an all-natural and sustainable riff on Fireball? We certainly didn’t!” Grasse said.

“People have a negative connotation of things that are quote unquote invasive,” said Gabriela Bradt, Ph.D., founder of the NH Green Crab Project and fisheries specialist at the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. “Just because it’s not supposed to be here doesn’t mean you can’t eat it.”

Bradt, who worked with Tamworth to develop the crab whiskey, is investigating the creation of viable markets and fisheries for the green crab to help mitigate the problem. The green crab is quite small, which is why they’re often used as bait or to make broth.

“This collaboration [with Tamworth] is a really unique and exciting opportunity to help educate the public about green crabs, climate change, and sustainability,” said Bradt.

Green crabs have been in North America since the 1800s. They are believed to have arrived in the ballast water of ships from Europe. In recent years, however, a genetically different European green crab from Nova Scotia, Canada — one that is more combative and more destructive of ecosystems — has appeared off the coast of Maine and neighboring states. In the past decade, the green crab population has exploded, a cycle probably linked to rising ocean temperatures.