Readers might recall the piece we did two summers ago on the fledging distillery boom in our borough. (It was called “The Whiskey Rebellion.”) Flash-forward two years and we’ve actually lost count of the number of small-batch, craft-liquor producers that are creating vodka, whiskey, and gin right under our noses, but only one, as far as we know, has its very own bar.
That would be the New York Distilling Company, which settled its still in a 5,000 square-foot Williamsburg warehouse on the corner of Lorimer and Richardson streets last December. Ten months later they’re producing two amazing gins, with a whiskey made from local grain on the way, and serving cocktails at the Shanty, their rustic-modern bar right next door with a glass window for peeking into the production. Its one of the few places we prefer a booth seat to one at the bar: Belly up means your back is turned on Carl, their beautiful copper still from Germany.
We highlighted both the distillery and The Shanty in our current NY1 segment, where co-owner Allen Katz told about the two unique gins–including one that’s “Navy strength”–they now have on the market. (Watch it here.) You can also taste them both next week at Good Spirits, the Edible seasonal cocktail event that’s taking place next Tuesday. (Buy your tickets right here.)
