Since the end of prohibition, Brooklyn has been the longtime home to distilleries of spirits like rum, whiskey, bourbon, brandy, gin, and more. In recent years, distillers have popped up in Manhattan too! Some distilleries have a fun theme or unique proofing process while others collaborate with artists on limited-edition reserves or creative labels. Every NYC distillery touts its New York roots. Here, we explore the craft distilleries of NYC where you can raise a glass and learn about the distilling process!
1. Fort Hamilton Distillery
At this Industry City distillery, every bottle is individually poured right in Brooklyn. The barrelling of this proud all-American brand began in 2016 with what Fort Hamilton calls the original American whiskey style, a “New York Rye.” Their specialty liquid amber is aged at least three years in White Oak barrels. They also produce gin, bourbon, and a double barrel rye. Recipes can be found online and tours are more than just a walk through rooms of striking silver mechanisms; they’re also a history lesson and tasting experience.
Fort Hamilton Distillery Tour & Tasting
You can join Untapped New York Insiders for an exclusive members-only tour and tasting at Fort Hamilton Distillery on September 26th! This tour, a $100 value, is just $25 for Insiders. Guests will get to pour a bottle of whiskey and taste spirits straight from the barrel. Not an Insider yet? Become a member today and use code JOINUS to get your first month free! Non-members can still save on tours of Fort Hamilton by booking through our website and using code UNTAPPEDNY for $5 off! Learn more and reserve your spot here.
2. Great Jones Distillery
Feeling hungry for an original and authentic New York dining experience? This is your restaurant. Thirsty for winemaking techniques and a lesson in spirits? Head to the distillery. Hoping for an opportunity to kick back with class? Straight to the bar. Great Jones Distillery was the first whiskey distillery in Manhattan to open its doors since prohibition. The experts here aim to remind guests of the camaraderie that comes with New York’s social atmosphere and rich history.
Until October 1st, the distillery, in collaboration with the Jean Michel Basquiat estate, is doing just that at the Great Jones Basquiat Bar. The Basquiat Bar pays homage to the trail-blazing New York street artist who lived on Great Jones Street in the 80s. In honor of the artist, Great Jones has dressed their original whiskey bottle in Basquiat-influenced labels featuring his iconic signature and colorful designs. Their menu has expanded to include more than just their own modern drinks and food, with an enhanced 80s NYC-themed menu that will last as long as the bar is dedicated to Basquiat. Great Jones Distillery is also celebrating its two-year birthday, so now is a great time to visit, any day of the week.
3. Widow Jane
Widow Jane’s whiskey is proofed with pure limestone mineral water from the Legendary Rosendale Mines of New York, only 100 miles from the distillery’s location in Red Hook, Brooklyn. You’re truly getting “a taste of New York” when you sip on this whiskey made with the same material used to build the foundation of the Empire State Building. The water that flows through the Rosendale caverns has unusually high mineral content which gives it a sweetness that’s become the fingerprint of the distillery. Public tours are offered in the rustic, natural light-filled headquarters on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
4. Barrow’s Intense Ginger Liqueur
There’s no better way to describe Barrow’s Intense Ginger Distillery than the phrase fun time. The ginger is just one of the differentiating characteristics of this Brooklyn gem. Barrow’s is all about pure ginger flavor, unfettered by heat or filtration processes. Named for the street on which it was born, this distillery houses more than 160 NYC spirits. Tastings are inside Sunset Park’s Industry City campus, where you can grab a seat at the bar or a seat in front of the fire pit in the private courtyard with a craft cocktail in your hand. Barrow’s is a place of personality, so if you’re going to plunge into ginger wonderland, be prepared for live music, tarot readings, and comedy shows. Every Friday on Jukanbaila Salsa Night, DJ Gagou takes the aux as guests dance under the stars to salsa, bachata, and more.
5. Our/New York Vodka
The Our/Vodka line is international, with spirits pouring across the globe. Our/New York, like the other lines, comes in a fun bottle with a crown cap. So what makes Our/New York so NYC? The bar’s the best place to start. The warm lighting, the dark ambiance, and themed wallpaper with stamp-like pictures of beloved spots around the city give it a distinct New York feel. These detailed depictions of city life were created by local artists.
6. Kings County Distillery
If you’re near the Brooklyn Navy Yard and you have a ride home, this is the time to sample, purchase, or simply drool over Kings County Distillery’s coffee whiskey and bourbons. Their specialty spirits are mashed, fermented, distilled, and aged inside the Yard’s red brick Paymaster Building. Their heart is in the city, as their non-GMO grains are grown completely in New York. What began as the smallest commercial distillery in the country has become an award-sweeping staple for Brooklyn visitors.
7. Van Brunt Stillhouse
Van Brunt’s master distiller operates under the model of pre-industrial distilling. All of the corn, wheat, and rye that goes into making their spirits comes from Thor Oeschner farm near Ithaca, New York. They are proud to not use any commodity grains and their ingredients are organically grown. You can taste their whiskey, bourbon, rum, and vodka inside their tasting room or take a Saturday tour!
8. New York Distilling Co.
This year, New York Distilling Co. is arriving in Bushwick after 11 years in Williamsburg. The iconic “Shanty” has closed, but when NY Distilling comes to Bushwick this year, the options are limitless and the interior will be, no doubt, as classic as the previous venue. NY Distilling is known for its classic theme and critically acclaimed products like The Dorothy Parker Gin which has a citrus undertone, or the Perry’s Tot Gin with a hint of spice.
9. Standard Wormwood Distillery
Standard Wormwood Distillery’s spirits contain a once-banned ingredient! For more than a decade, the team perfected its distilling process using wormwood, an ingredient traditionally used in absinthe. Standard farms its own wormwood in upstate New York’s Orange County. The ingredient adds complexity and bitterness to their spirits, giving a taste that’s familiar but with a bit of a twist. At the bar that adjoins the distillery, every ingredient that goes into the cocktails is made by Standard. You can enjoy beverages while peeking into the distillery or sitting in the outside courtyard.
10. Greenhook Ginsmiths
Greenhook Ginsmiths was founded in 2010 by brothers Steven and Philip DeAngelo and the Greenpoint distillery opened two years later. Inside the facility, distillers craft an American Dry gin using a process that they describe as “part traditional, part modern day, and part mad science.” What sets Greenhook’s process apart is the custom-made 300-liter Copper Pot Still that is specifically engineered to work under a vacuum. As a result, the gin is distilled at lower temperatures and the delicate aromas of the botanicals used in the process are preserved.
Next, read about The Brooklyn Distillery Transforming Beer Into Whiskey
Written by Julia Chorun and Nicole Saraniero