I picked New York Distillery Company located on 79 richardson St. in Williamsburg Brooklyn, because i wanted to know more about how whiskey and gin are made.I have also never been to a distillery, and so everything was very new to me and my best friend. I participated in the VIP distillery tour and paid 30 dollars and it lasted about 45 minutes. What i liked about this tour was my very spunky tour guide Diane and also because they provided everyone with a mr. katz Rock-n- rye bottle and one cocktails of your choice at the bar. However, i also liked that they had water for everyone, magazines, stickers, and shirts.When we arrived at NY distillery it was 1:30 p.m. They weren’t opened yet when we walked in, was told they do tours 1 hour before the place actually opens to the public. The bartender said hello and we went straight into the area where the tour was being held.

When i first walked in, the bar was the first thing i saw.

view looking into the bar. from the Room where the tour was giving

Distilleries are dated back to the 1700’s and during prohibition there where about 50,000 illegal stills in NY. Until now there was an absence of distilleries in New York. New York distillery is one of the nations premiere craft distilleries. Founded by Tom potter co-founder of Brooklyn brewery and Allen katz an expert on distilled spirits and cocktails. The distillery is 7 years young, opened on December 5th (prohibitions anniversary). even if its young, it is amongst the oldest distilleries.

We tried 3 different gins each representing a different style and a different time in history. Gin has developed into different styles because it’s so loose and its an older recipe. This distillery primarily makes gin because it takes much less time, whiskey takes about 3 years inside the wood barrels to age, and primarily for color and gets its flavor from Juniper berries and barrels.

3 gins and 3 whiskeys. In front are the juniper berries.

Burnt barrel for flavor. Could only be used once.

They use things that haven’t been used before in gin. I learned that in the 1600’s in the Netherlands gin was genever. Genever in the Netherlands, gin in England. To separate themselves from others the distillery asked themselves how they can put a modern spin on there gins and whiskeys. what if they used, and played with cucumber and rose, hibiscus, floral gins, and honey what would they get. very playful huh.

Diane our tour guide, calls these 3 gins, Time travel through gin because each was inspired by a time in history. Gin- number one- inspired by Dorothy parker who was a writer in the 20th century. Dorothy loved her cocktails and her gins.so they added juniper and elderberries, citrus, cinnamon, and hibiscus to the Dorothy parker gin.

Gin Number two- perks tot a  British inspired gin in the 19th century. inspiration English origin

Gin three- Chief Gowanus 17-18th century Dutch inspired style gin. made with grains, un-aged twice distilled rye whiskey, out into a pot with juniper and hops, distilled one more time then aged 3 months in a oak barrel.

The tour guide Diane was very nice she taught us how to taste the gin and the whiskey. She advised us not to shoot it straight, because you cannot Taste anything, if you do that you won’t be able to appreciate it. “Take your time she said”, First I had to take the gin into my mouth, first with the tongue, than slowly switching it  around the mouth. Then swallow and flap your lips together to taste all the after goodness. Let me tell you, i took it like a champ.  the first gin tasted of flowers and it was smooth.

me looking into the pot used for distillation process.

Barrels for aging

How whiskey and gin is made at NYDC.

one: fermentation to make alcohol. they use yeast + sugar >>>alcohol + CO2+ heat

two: Distillation to concentrate the alcohol.In the pot it is the fermented mash goes in and it is heated. alcohol vapor goes to the column and leaves behind water, and solids behind. the column turns the vapor into liquid into the condenser.

Grain, water, heat equals 75% rye, 13% corn and 12% malt add yeast. After several days fermented mash is 5 percent A.B.V.

for gin: they re-distilled the base with juniper and for the whiskey they put rye and distillate into the barrels and wait 3 years.

I found it really cool that not only do they sale there house made liquor to companies but they bottle everything in-house and also hand label them. Guess who does that too, our tour guide Diane. “yes it is a lot of work, but its worth it” she said.

Bottles.

provided water just in case.