Just across the Brooklyn Bridge in a former Navy Yard is a small craft distillery called King’s County, the first in NYC since prohibition. We visited in 2018, so given its history has now doubled since then, i’m sure some things have changed, but i’m sure it’s still worth a visit.

The founders were Kentucky born, but moved NYC and began hobby distilling, going legit in 2010, distilling in the old Paymaster building and have a tasting bar/bistro/coffee shop in the gatehouses. New York had a long history of distillation before prohibition, as the Irish in Brooklyn started many back in the 1850s. Then came excise taxes, raiding parties, fights between the Navy and the fighting Irish. Gangster culture became associated with whisky and Al Capone was actually born on Sand Street where the distillery is now located.

Kings County was the first, but by 2018 there were 20 distilleries in the city and 100 in the state. Kings uses 75% NY grown grain, plus some scottish peated barley. Their bourbon is 80% corn, 20% malt. They hit 6% ABV through fermetation, 20% after first distillation and 65-75% after the second.

in 2018 they had 3500 barrels in inventory, 500 on site. only 25% of them were full sized casks, most 15L small casks (which I’m generally not a fan of). Their warehouse isn’t temp controlled.

Then we tried a few drams:

• Moonshine: grainy, malty and sweet
• Bourbon, 2yrs in 10gal cask: vanilla, sweet light malt, no green woodiness which was a surprise
• Peated bourbon, 2yrs, 25% peated malt: light smoke, oak, earthy, mineral, vanilla
• Single malt, 2-4yr casks: 15 ppm. 40% peated malt, 60% english malt. clean smoke, light oak, creamy. ashy with honey and fruit.
• Empire Rye, a collaboration with other NY distilleries. 80% rye, 20% barley. spicy, apples, sweet fruit, baking spices, tons of flavour.
• Bottled in bond: same mashbill. chocolate, fruit sweet spice, oak, vanilla, long finish.
• Wheated bourbon, 60% corn, 25% wheat, 15% barley: creamy, soft and light body, vanilla.
• Wheat whisky, 80% wheat, 20% barley: very bready and some spice.
• Barrel strength, 2.5-5.5yrs: warm sweet, vanilla. spicy with a long hot finish.

After the tasting, we went to the gatehouse for some food, cocktails, and the best coffee we had in NYC. We also bought a small bottle of the empire rye to take home, as well as the t-shirt with the broken down still on it (which is a staple of mine at tastings).