On my visit to Kings County Distillery, I learned that it is New York City’s oldest operating whiskey distillery, the first since prohibition. Bourbon, Moonshine, and Whiskey are the spirits handmade at Kings County Distillery. What started as a small operation in a 325 square-foot room in East Williamsburg, Became an award-winning distillery.
The first batch of Legally Distilled Whiskey
King County Distillery uses Corn, Barley, and other grains straight from New York farms. King County Distillery is also very sustainable, the by product of the remain grains used to make the whiskey are used again and converted into feed or used for compost.
At the Kings County Distillery the Process of making their award winning Whiskey, Bourbon, and Moonshine starts by Malting the desired grain. (Corn, Barley) Which is the process of soaking the preferred grain for 2-3 days in warm water. This allows for the starch in the grains to be converted into soluble sugars to make alcohol. As the grains are dried in a kiln to stop any germination the Mashing process is started.The ground down grain used, which is called Grist, is now added to warm water to begin the extraction of the soluble sugars.The liquid combination of malt and water is called the ‘mash’. It is put into a large vessel called a mash tun and stirred for several hours. During this process the sugars in the mash dissolve to the bottom of the container used which a wooden tun. This process is normally carried out three times with the water temperature being increased each time to extract the maximum amount of sugar. The resulting liquid is called Wort. Any residue, such as husks, is called Draff. This is collected and used in the production of farm feed.
Fermentation begins once the Wort is cooled and passed into large tanks called wash backs. In The Kings County Distillery they use wooden Fermenters that hold about 440 gallons.
Wooden Fermenter
Here the yeast is added and the fermentation begins. The yeast turns the sugars that are present into alcohol. The distillers at Kings County carefully select the strain of yeast that they use because its can effect the final flavor they are trying to achieve in their spirit. The fermentation takes around 48 hours but at Kings County it may be fermented longer depending on what type of flavors and characteristics they are trying to bring out in their spirits.The Liquid at this stage is called the Wash because it is low on alcohol strength.
Copper Stills
In the Distillation process King County distillers use copper still pictured above because copper is the best material for extracting impurities from the spirit. Taller stills with longer necks will give finer, lighter spirits. Stills work in pairs the wash enters the larger wash still and is heated the liquid vaporizes and rises up the still until it reaches the neck, where it condenses. This liquid is called Low Wines because it is unusable so it is passed through the second smaller still, called the spirit still. Three alcohols come out of this process Foreshots are very high in alcohol level and very pungent.
Feints are weak but also pungent. And It is only the alcohol from the middle or Heart of the distillation that is used and this is skillfully removed by a King County distillers and collected through the spirit safe. The Foreshots and Feints are collected and re-distilled with the next batch of Low Wines. The Heart is the spirit taken to be matured in charred oak barrels that will eventually turn into whiskey. Or put in glass jars if Moonshine was the goal of the end product.
Charred Oak Barrel
The Maturation process for whiskey in the United States to be considered actual whiskey is spending two years in a newly charred oak barrel or cask pictured above. In Kings County the distillers have barrels or casks with their names on it so they could known it is the batch they personally worked on.
Some of the smaller barrels have been sitting 1-2 years already. The bigger barrels have been aging for 7 plus years. And are considered to be Kings County Premium Whiskey.
This Man is blending different year whiskeys to create a signature blend.
Award winning whiskey
I enjoyed my tour of the Kings County Distillery I learned some history as well. About the Brooklyn Whiskey Wars of the 1860s which was fought just steps from the distillery. My tour guide seemed very passionate about the history of whiskey and the history the Kings County Distillery has created since its first batch of legal Moonshine. My guide as well had a profound knowledge of the process of making their well known Whiskeys,Bourbons, and Moonshines. My guide expressed throughout the tour that whiskey is a required taste and to keep an open mind in tasting. The guide had knowledge of the taste characteristics of the whiskeys, bourbons, and moonshines at Kings County. And expressed their favorite combinations or cocktails to taste with their spirits. Very knowledgeable on whiskey period. Although i was not able to taste the spirits due to my age I will be back in November to have me a taste.
