An American distillery is turning invasive green crabs into whiskey, and people say it tastes like a 'briny Fireball'

© Provided by INSIDER Green crabs are disrupting New England’s coastline. Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

• An American distillery called Tamworth Distilling is infusing whiskey with green crabs.
• Green crabs are an invasive species that cause ecological harm along the New England coast.
• Around 1,000 green crabs are used to make 500 bottles of the infused whiskey.

Invasive green crabs are ravaging New England’s coast, but one distillery is fighting back.

Green crabs thrive in New England’s climate-change-warmed ocean waters. The invasive species is known to be a quicker and more aggressive predator than local New England crabs: One green crab eats 40 clams a day and lays more than 185,000 eggs a year, per Ocean River Institute. With their voracious appetites, green crabs are causing a decline in the native seafood population, per the NOAA Fisheries.

To control the invasive crab population, New Hampshire distillery Tamworth Distilling has developed a green-crab-infused whiskey. Named Crab Trapper, the whiskey features a four-year-old bourbon distilled with stock made from harvested green crabs.

© Tamworth Distilling One bottle of Crab Trapper costs $65. Tamworth Distilling

“We take the necessary quantity of crabs and clean them the same as we would if we were to eat them,” the owner of Tamworth Distilling, Steven Grasse, told Insider. “We use around 90 pounds of crab, which is over 1,000 of the little buggers, for a 25-gallon batch, or about 500 200-milliliter bottles.”

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I spent $150 at Guy Fieri’s newest restaurant in Boston, and it was exactly what I expected from the Flavortown chef

I visited Guy Fieri’s Kitchen and Bar in Boston, the celebrity chef’s newest restaurant. The eatery’s vibe was that of a nice Applebee’s and the place clearly felt like it was Fieri’s.  The food was forgettable but tasty and well-priced — this is a great spot to go with friends.  Read the original article on Insider

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Guy Fieri is one of the Food Network’s most recognizable figures.

His frosted tips and goatee are regular features on the channel with shows like “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” and “Guy’s Grocery Games.”

In between filming, he’s found time to open restaurants around the globe. There are dozens of eateries with his name on them, ranging from pizza parlors and sandwich shops to burger joints and taco spots.

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His newest restaurant opened in Boston in December.

His newest restaurant is a Guy Fieri’s Kitchen and Bar.

There are 14 other Guy’s Kitchen + Bar locations around the globe in spots like Dubai and Pittsburgh.

This particular chain of restaurants, per the chef’s website, is a trip to Flavortown and “casual dining experience” that features “Real Deal” signature recipes from Fieri.

I was really excited to be able to taste some of his signature dishes.

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You won’t forget your welcome to Flavortown.

This Guy’s Kitchen and Bar sits in the minimal bustle of downtown Boston.

It is across from the historic Boston Commons (and, notably, kitty-corner from the coffee shop in which Zendaya and Tom Holland had a date while in the area).

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The windows are big and feature the crest of the restaurant, which seems to be a flaming bald eagle and shield.

When I entered the restaurant we were greeted warmly by the host as Fountains of Wayne sang about their desire for Stacy’s Mom in the background.

We had a reservation for three, which wasn’t too hard to get. I booked it the day before for a prime-time dinner on a Friday night.

I would suggest making a reservation if you want to dine here — the restaurant was bustling.

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The vibe is like the nicest Applebees you’ve ever been in.

There’s a big bar in the front of the restaurant and the walls are lined with TVs playing sports.

Were it not for the “Flavortown” plastered across the back wall or Fieri’s recognizable signature tattooed on the cups and booths, it might feel like you were in a pub or a nice sports bar.

When we sat at our own high-top booth, the energy seemed high — I saw heads nodding to the beat while The Outfield belted out, “I don’t wanna lose your love, toniiight” over the speakers.

Overall, the atmosphere was fun but laid-back, with a slight edge, a promise of outrageousness — much like Fieri’s on-screen persona.

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The menu featured Fieri’s takes on classic American bar food.

Per our server’s suggestion, I started with the Caliente Margarita ($15). The pour was generous and the margarita was good.

It came with an intensely tangy and sweet chili-salted rim that certainly woke my taste buds up — welcome to Flavortown.

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I knew I needed to order some of Fieri’s signature dishes.

I started off by getting the famous Trash Can Nachos ($16), which were released from the small “trash can” right at our table.

They were topped with cheese, black beans, cilantro, pickled red onions, sour cream, and jalapenos.

This method of nacho construction meant each chip was covered in cheese and sour cream, but still stayed crispy for a while.

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The burger and fries I got were also impressive-looking.

I got the bacon mac and cheeseburger ($18), which Fieri won an award for at the 2013 New York Food and Wine Festival.

The burger was loaded with bacon, the chef’s signature Donkey Sauce (an aioli), macaroni and cheese, SMC (“super melty cheese”), lettuce, onion, pickles, and tomato.

It came with three different types of fries —”Why have one when you can have three?” seems like an on-brand question for the establishment.

Each cut of fry was crispy and perfectly seasoned.

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The food was fun and flavorful.

The bourbon-brown-sugar BBQ wings ($18) were one of my favorite things I ordered.

They were tossed in Fieri’s bourbon-and-brown-sugar barbecue sauce and topped with crispy fried onions. The wings punched with sweet and salty flavor and were perfectly cooked.

Overall, the portions were generous and reasonably priced. I shared all of these dishes with two friends and we couldn’t finish.

The whiskey is also made with a blend of eight spices commonly used in crab boils, Grasse said.

“It has a nice spicy aftertaste,” Grasse said. “Some people have even unexpectedly begun comparing it to a ‘Briny Fireball,’ due to this spice effect.”

Tamworth Distilling and online spirits retailer SeelBach’s are selling a 200-milliliter bottle of Crap Trapper for $65.

This is not the first time people have turned green crabs into culinary creations. Jeremy Sewall, the owner-chef of Boston seafood restaurant Row 34, told The Boston Globe in June that he has been serving green crab soft-shell sliders at his restaurant. Ali Waks-Adams, the former executive chef at Maine’s Brunswick Inn, told NBC in 2018 that she experimented with making green crab dips, bouillabaisse, and broth.

Read the original article on Insider