MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — An Algoma distillery is finding inspiration for one of its latest spirits in submarine history, creating a unique bourbon that pays tribute to sailors who once turned torpedo fuel into alcoholic drinks.
Unbound Spirits is aging bourbon barrels in the torpedo room of the historic vessel to create their "Torpedo Juice" bourbon.
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"Instead of using models we like to use American veterans and service people," said Kerry Brown, co-founder of Unbound Spirits.
The idea came naturally to the veteran-focused distillery.
"What if we did a special batch inspired by the Cobia... what if we put the casks in the torpedo room on the Cobia," Brown said.
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum says it's a fitting tribute, since sailors once made their own drink out of torpedo fuel nicknamed torpedo juice.
"The submariners often say it was 90% boredom 10% terror ... these submarines in these moments of the Pacific Ocean figured out how to have a party," said Kevin Cullen, director of Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
For submariner veteran Mark Becker, who was featured on the bourbon bottle, the memories come flooding back.
"Torpedos during World War Two they ran on alcohol well you put a bunch of sailors near alcohol you know what they're gonna do, they're gonna steal some of it," Becker said.
Becker shares how sailors made the original torpedo juice during wartime.
"You'd strain it through bread to take out the nastiness and you'd have orange peels or apple peels .... to give it a little flavor and then ... oh boy that was some good stuff," he said.
As the Navy caught on to their activities, the sailors got more creative with their brewing methods.
"We also used aftershave ... Old Spice had the highest alcohol count in my day .. so we'd do the same thing with it ... you had to be creative back then," Becker said.
Unbound Spirits says while their sub-finished batch won't feature notes of Old Spice, there will be natural flavors like vanilla and caramel that emerge from the oak barrels.
Torpedo Juice will hit the Unbound Spirit shelves at the end of September, soon after the casks return from their dry dock adventure.
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