Whiskeys From The Empire State

Produced in New York City's oldest operating distillery, Kings County Distillery has been around since 2010 and is located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Their bourbon is made from a mash bill of New York State-grown corn and malted barley from the UK. Aged in new, charred oak for at least two years. Bottled at 90 proof. Typically sold in 200ml sized bottles.

Van Brunt Stillhouse, located in Red Hook, Brooklyn, is named for Cornelius Van Brunt, one of the founding fathers of the neighborhood. The distillery harkens to the days before the Prohibition, when distilleries dotted the Brooklyn waterfront. Made with NY rye and unfiltered. 375 ml bottle available only.

Dorit and David Nahmias began producing rye in their upstate distillery after first producing Mahia, a fig brandy modeled after the one David's family made at home in Morocco. The Legs Diamond Whiskey is named for a wily, flamboyant Prohibition bootlegger (who was a particularly good dancer, hence the "legs.") The rye for the whiskey is grown on locally sustainable farms. Note: there is a white version of this whiskey with the same name, this is the aged version.

The trend of experimentation seems to be ever more prevalent in young American whiskey brands and McKenzie is no exception. The mashbill is seemingly familiar (70% corn, 20% rye and 10% malted barley) however, the corn and rye are sourced from local area farmers. Then, after going through a double pot-still distillation, it is aged a minimum of 3 years in charred American oak.

Long Island Spirits named their whiskeys after the First United States Volunteer Cavalry - the "Rough Riders" - originally organized by Long Island's own Teddy Roosevelt in 1898 to fight in the Spanish-American War. The whisky, sourced from LDI, is a mash bill of 60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley. After initial aging in new charred oak, It is finished in merlot and chardonnay casks from local wineries. The wine casks themselves are washed in local brandy before the bourbon goes in for final aging.

Made with corn, rye, wheat and malted barley, this four grain offering from Tuthilltown is aged in their trademark 3-gallon barrels to minimize aging time, but maximize the liquid to wood ratio. Note: This has been discontinued.

The eventual release of Ragtime Rye has long been the goal of the New York Distilling Company, based in Brooklyn. As their whiskey came of age, in 53-gallon new, charred American oak barrels, the distillery released Chief Gowanus, an aged gin, and Rock and Rye, incorporating one year old rye whiskey. Here, the matured spirit, a straight rye whiskey, uses locally-grown rye grown specifically for the distillery in its mash bill. It is aged at least three years. Released September 2015.

Black Button Four Grain bourbon is made with 60% corn, 20% wheat, 9% rye, and 11% malted barley. The grains are all grown in New York State from Edgewood Farms in Groveland, a 1,600-acre farm just south of Rochester. This straight bourbon is bottled at 84 proof.

Hillrock Estate is one of the pioneering field to bottle distilleries to produce whiskey in Hudson Valley, NY since Prohibition. This whisky was made under the meticulous care of Master Distiller Dave Pickerell, formerly of Maker's Mark. It is made from barley grown in the fields at the estate, and malted in house, ensuring every aspect of this whisky is monitored on premise. They even custom-built a 250-gallon copper pot still for the job!

Hillrock Estate Double Cask Rye is produced using organic rye grown right at the Hudson Valley estate. The whiskey is given two maturations: first in new charred American oak, then white oak that was seasoned for 2 years before the barrels were assembled and filled. Master Distiller Dave Pickerell chose air seasoning as a way of removing what can become bitter tannins that develop in kiln-dried wood.