Kings County Distillery

Situated along the banks of the East River, Kings County Distillery is New York Citys oldest operating whiskey distillery and the first distillery in New York City since Prohibition. Wedged between Williamsburg and Vinegar Hill, Colin Spoelman and David Haskell, the master distillers at Kings County, make hand-crafted bourbon and moonshine out of the 113-year old Paymaster Building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.A typewriter the two distillers found on the sidewalk in Williamsburg is used to make the labels that adorn their clear, flask-like bottles, while a hairdryer (made by Revlon) is used to affix each bottle seal. Handwritten scrawls on a chalkboard keep track of different batches, and mesh laundry bags are used as strainers.Haskell and Spoelman use the first alcohol produced from each batch the "head" as a disinfectant and sell the used mash to a pig farmer who uses it as feed. "I still dont understand why it doesnt make the pigs drunk," Haskell says. Kings County Bourbon is made from a mash bill of New York State-grown corn and malted English barley. Twice distilled on Scottish copper pot stills its then aged for at least two years in new oak barrels. Smooth, spicy, and complex, this bourbon is a precocious whiskey, surprisingly robust for its age with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and vanilla. Awarded three stars by the New York Times, and a double gold medal from the SF World Spirits Competition in 2019. Kings County currently produces about 150 gallons of bourbon a month. "We make enough to supply some of Brooklyn, some of Manhattan and thats about it," Spoelman says. After visiting their distillery, we bamboozled them into sharing some of their juice with the rest of the country. The bottles are filled, labeled and sealed by hand.Pick up a bottle of Kings County bourbon today!

Situated along the banks of the East River in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Kings County Distillery is New York Citys oldest operating whiskey distillery and the first distillery in New York City since Prohibition. There, the distillerys founders Colin Spoelman and David Haskell hand-craft moonshine and chocolate whiskey.A typewriter that Spoelman and Haskell found on a sidewalk in Williamsburg is used to make the labels that adorn their clear, flask-shaped bottles, while a hairdryer (made by Revlon) is used to affix each bottle seal. Handwritten scrawls on a chalkboard keep track of different batches, and mesh laundry bags are used as strainers.Kings County Moonshine Corn Whiskey is made from a mash of 100 percent organic, cracked corn that Spoelman and Haskell source from the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York. It has an aroma of sweet corn that is complemented by notes of pepper and warm vanilla.Perfect for Valentines Day, Kings County Chocolate Whiskey is made by steeping Kings County Moonshine in artisan cacao husks sourced from the Mast Brothers Chocolate Factory in Brooklyn. The chocolate and moonshine rest together for just over a month, giving the moonshine a deep mahogany color and an aroma of dark chocolate. "Its good for someone who either likes whiskey or chocolate which includes most people, I guess," says Spoelman. "Theres not a whole lot else like it out there." The initial flavors of sweet corn are nicely balanced by the subtle notes of rich, bitter chocolate and give way to a smooth and slightly sweet finish."We make enough to supply some of Brooklyn, some of Manhattan and thats about it, "Spoelman says. After visiting their distillery, we bamboozled them into sharing some of their juice with the rest of the country. Youre welcome.

Situated along the banks of the East River, Kings County Distillery is New York Citys oldest operating whiskey distillery and the first distillery in New York City since Prohibition. Wedged between Williamsburg and Vinegar Hill, Colin Spoelman and David Haskell, the master distillers at Kings County, make hand-crafted bourbon and moonshine out of the 113-year old Paymaster Building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.A typewriter the two distillers found on the sidewalk in Williamsburg is used to make the labels that adorn their clear, flask-like bottles, while a hairdryer (made by Revlon) is used to affix each bottle seal. Handwritten scrawls on a chalkboard keep track of different batches, and mesh laundry bags are used as strainers.After milling and mashing the grains, the wash is slowly fermented at their distillery in blue tanks that resemble oil drums and then double-pot distilled. Haskell and Spoelman use the first alcohol produced from each batch the "head" as a disinfectant and sell the used mash to a pig farmer who uses it as feed. "I still dont understand why it doesnt make the pigs drunk," Haskell says.What is Peated Bourbon? Its bourbon whiskey that conforms to the American requirements for bourbon but it incorporates malted barley that has been smoked with peat, a tradition common to some Scotch whiskeys. Made from 75 percent organic New York State corn, and 25 percent Scottish peated malt. Peated bourbon will definitely appeal to the adventurous whiskey traveler who has had a whiskey or two in their life.Aged for two summers (14 to 24 months) in a five-gallon charred, new oak barrels, Kings County Peated Bourbon Whiskey has an aroma of bonfire and juicy corn, which leads to notes of buttered toast, raisins and caramel on the palate. The finish is slightly smoky with hints of biscuits and more sweet corn. Now available in full 750 ml bottles.Pick up a bottle today!