In the United States, product development associate distiller Will Robinson wants people to drink and think.
"The crab whiskey was my idea," Mr Robinson said.
"Most people have the yuck factor, the gross out factor. However, once they smell and taste the whiskey, it totally changes their opinion."
The distillery sits in the small town of Tamworth, New Hampshire, near the Canadian border, and close to the historically cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
However, the waters aren't as frigid as they once were. Global warming in this part of the eastern seaboard means more green crabs, and that is bad news for other marine life.
"The crab started coming across in sailing ships about 200 years ago to the coast of New England. Their numbers were kept at bay because our estuaries would freeze solid in the winter for periods of time, killing a lot of the young crabs," he explained.
"Now, with ocean temperatures warming, the estuaries are not freezing like they used to. And so the crab numbers are becoming prolific … they devour lots and lots of bivalves and other [crustaceans], such as scallops and oysters."
The House of Tamworth Crab Trapper Green Crab Flavored Whiskey is made with a 4-year-old bourbon base and more than 90 pounds (40.8 kilograms) of green crabs. The blended whiskey is steeped with spices.
Mr Robinson says he was inspired by Asian cooking, which uses fish sauce.
"When you mix it with the right spices and you cook it in the right context, it can make something that's much better than it would be without it," he said.
Crab Trapper is available in limited quantities, but has now gone viral, Mr Robinson said.
And they are having trouble keeping up with demand.
Mr Robinson makes about 500 gallons (2,273 litres) per batch and he'll start on a fourth batch soon.
Right now, distribution is only within the United States, but Mr Robinson is hoping that, some day, it will expand to other parts of the world — particularly to Asia, the source of inspiration for this unique pairing.
"Who knows? I mean, we would love to see something go that big," Mr Robinson said.
The distillery has created other surprising spirits, such as Eau de Musc, The Deerslayer Whiskey, and Bird of Courage – in order, the three incorporate elements of beaver, deer and turkey.
While making — or drinking — Crab Trapper isn't a solution to the problems brought about by green crabs, the staff of Tamworth Distilling think it is a step in the right direction.
"Obviously, we're not going to put a dent in it with the amount that we use in our whiskey, but we can bring awareness," Mr Robinson said.
Reuters
