Ah New York. City of some 9 million people squeezed into 300 square miles that never stop, never slow down. There is something about the energy of the place that is like nowhere else. I have a special place in my heart for New York, and though I have never called the city home, I can think of fewer places on earth where I would rather be.
But tucked away among skyscrapers and some of the best restaurants to ever open their doors are a growing number of whiskey producers. Most are in the city proper, while some within the few miles drive—we’ll take a few liberties here and show you the greater New York City region. If you’re traveling or even live in the city, you’ll want to check these out at the source or in one of the many bars in the city selling local swill.
Get out there and support local New York City distillers!
Did we miss one? Hit us up, @whiskeytramp on Twitter.
Brooklyn
Kings County Distillery
63 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, Ny 11205
Overview (from the website): Kings County Distillery is New York City’s oldest operating whiskey distillery, the first since prohibition. Founded in 2010, Kings County makes handmade moonshine, bourbon, and other whiskeys out of the 118-year-old Paymaster Building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. We use New York grain and traditional distilling equipment to make distinctive spirits.
Offerings:
Moonshine
Straight Bourbon
Chocolate Whiskey
Peated Bourbon
Barrel Strength Bourbon
Honey Moonshine
Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
Single Malt Whiskey
Straight Rye Whiskey
Where to buy: http://kingscountydistillery.com/distribution_2/
Where to try: http://kingscountydistillery.com/tours/
Learn more: http://kingscountydistillery.com/about/
Heights Distilling
63 Flushing Ave, Unit 329, Brooklyn, NY 11205
Overview (from the website): Heights Distilling is what happens when a Kansas-born journalist falls for a filmmaker from a hooch-making family in the Republic of Georgia. Nick and Tamara met in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi in 2009 and the pair moved to Brooklyn in 2015. In 2017, they took over Heights Distilling with the goal of introducing the US to Tamara's family recipe for chacha, a hearty grape pomace brandy.
Offerings:
Single-barrel bourbon
Single-barrel rye
Where to buy: http://www.heightsdistilling.com/
Where to try: http://www.heightsdistilling.com/
Learn more: http://www.heightsdistilling.com/
Van Brunt Stillhouse
6 Bay St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Overview (from the website): The Van Brunt Stillhouse brand is built on the principles of integrity, creativity and pure hard work. The Stillhouse has been producing farmhouse style whiskeys in the heart of modern day Brooklyn since 2012. As master distiller, Daric brings a creativity to his recipes while working within the traditions of distilling fine spirits. He has developed a line of spirits that establishes his unique voice within traditional spirit categories, as well as our American Whiskey, which is unlike any other on the market.These whiskeys are celebrations of small batch spirits that showcase the flavorful essence of the grains.
Offerings:
American Whiskey
VBS Rye
VBS Bourbon
SIngle Malt
VBS Rye Moonshine
VBS Smoked Corn Whiskey
Where to buy: http://www.vanbruntstillhouse.com/where-to-buy-2/
Where to try: http://www.vanbruntstillhouse.com/#about-1-section
Learn more: http://www.vanbruntstillhouse.com/#home-2-section
Breuckelen Distilling Company
75-77 19th St, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Overview (from website): To us, craft means always starting from raw ingredients, adding only water to our spirits, and letting nature run its course inside our whiskey barrels.
We don’t just make our spirits from scratch, though. We also develop our own recipes by following our taste buds. Rather then sticking to tradition, this approach has led us to create spirits that taste different than the other bottles on the shelves.
Offerings:
Straight wheated bourbon, bottled-in-bond
Local rye & corn
New York wheat whiskey
Where to buy: no information posted
Where to try: no information posted
Learn more: https://brkdistilling.com/
Surrounding area
Nahmias et Fils
257 Lake Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701
Overview (from the website): Hudson Valley Master Distiller David Nahmias and his wife Dorit hand-craft their award-winning spirits with the finest, natural ingredients.
Offerings:
Rye Whiskey
Rye white dog
Where to buy: http://nahmiasetfils.com/where-to-buy/
Where to try: http://nahmiasetfils.com/tours-and-tastings-6/
Learn more: http://nahmiasetfils.com/
Silk City Distillers
321 River Road, Unit 5 Clifton, New Jersey, 07104
Overview (from the website): At Silk City Distillers, we focus on bourbon and locally sourced ingredients. The distillery is owned and operated by three lifelong friends and NJ natives who share the belief that great spirits should be created by hand with quality, local ingredients, and with the passion and dedication of being true to the complete process of distillation.
Offerings:
Single Barrel, Cask Strength, Straight Bourbon
100% NJ Rye
Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Oat Bourbon Whiskey
Millet Bourbon Whiskey
Corn Whiskey
Where to buy: http://silkcitydistillers.com/where-to-find.html
Where to try: http://silkcitydistillers.com/visit--contact.html
Learn more: http://silkcitydistillers.com/
Long Island Spirits
2182 Sound Avenue Baiting Hollow , NY 11933
Overview (from the website): Long Island Spirits, founded in 2007, is the first craft distillery since the 1800’s located on Long Island, in Baiting Hollow, NY. The distillery is in the heart of the acclaimed wine region on the North Fork of Long Island. Long Island Spirits is uniquely a farm-to-bottle hand craft distiller operation.
Offerings:
Cask strength bourbon
Straight bourbon
Single malt whiskey
Cherrywood smoked single malt
Three barrel rye
Cask strength rye