Did You Know Seaweed Is Sometimes Used to Make Whisky?

'Would you like seaweed in your whisky?' That’s not a question you’ll hear from any bartender. And yet, there are a few examples where seaweed is used to make whisky.

In the seventeenth century, whisky distilling was a cottage industry. At a time of limited medical knowledge, women in Scotland knew quite a bit about using plants for medicinal purposes. It’s said that the Scottish Iana McClannaghan reached the remarkable age of 99. She infused seaweed in Uisge Beatha and was even reputed to have cured people of their ailments.

It may sound like a tall tale, but researchers at Wageningen University confirm that seaweed is rich in minerals such as calcium, iron, iodine, and vitamins A, B, and C. The health benefits of seaweed are proven, but is it a good idea to make whisky with it?

Two Dutch companies certainly thought so. Celp is a six-year-old peated whisky. The Van Wees family from Amersfoort brought this special seaweed spirit to market. When it comes to the distillery of origin, people think of Lagavulin, Laphroaig, or Bunnahabhain. Celp is made through a unique process in which seaweed and malted barley meet as wort in the mashtun to exchange flavors.

The first editions of Celp carried the label “single malt seaweed whisky.” By adding seaweed to the base product, however, it strayed from the rules governing Scotch single malt whisky. The Scotch Whisky Association intervened, and the label was changed to “single seaweed spirit.” Each bottle of this maritime spirit includes a sprig of seaweed as a finishing touch.

The Van Wees family isn’t the only Dutch outfit pairing seaweed and whisky. Also the Irish The Currach uses seaweed for extra flavor from their casks. They put the seaweed in the casks and then char it. That way the seaweed itself is gone, but the flavor remains embedded deeply in the cask.

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