When it comes to small-batch alcohol, New York’s cup runneth over. It seems like this morning that I was assigning a story about Tuthilltown Spirits, who blazed the state’s craft booze trail. Shortly thereafter, I assigned another feature about the burgeoning distilling boom in our boro. Naturally, we called it The Whiskey Rebellion.
As Amy Zavatto explains in our current feature, that boom is entirely thanks to state legislators who created a Farm Distillery License and lo, the floodgates opened and the artisan spirits poured forth. Today New York boasts over 40 licensed distillers in the state, with dozens more in the works.
We’ve had the pleasure of telling many of their stories in Edible Brooklyn‘s pages. Here, a few of our favorites. These are best enjoyed with a glass in hand. Read responsibly.
The Noble Experiment: Bushwick-distilled rum, inspired by a TedTalk.
NY Distilling Company: Gin and rye, made in Williamsburg from local ingredients.
Breuckelen Distilling: a copper still on the banks of the Gowanus Canal.
Kings County Distillery: a Kentucky-born Brooklynite makes moonshine magic.
Cacao Prieto: a failed parachute and an organic cacao farm lead to a Red Hook distillery.
Prohibition Distillery Bootlegger Vodka: a Hudson Valley spirit made from one ingredient: corn.
Industry City Distillery: machinists in Sunset Park re-imagine vodka.
Van Brunt Stillhouse: a “family of whiskeys” and even grappa, made by hand in Red Hook.
Photo credits in order of appearance: Facebook/Tuthilltown Spirits; Facebook/The Noble Experiment NYC; Vicky Wasik; Max Flatow; Valery Rizzo; Facebook/Cacao Prieto; Facebook/Prohibition Distillery; Alan Gastelum; Michael Marquand
