King's County Distillery: New York’s Oldest

They say old is gold. Old distilleries hold an irresistible charm for any whisky lover. And, a search for the oldest operating whisky distillery in New York will lead you to the King’s County Distillery. Standing in a corner on the Brooklyn Navy Yard, this 117-year old distillery was America’s first to open after the Prohibition Era. Beginning the journey in a tiny room in East Williamsburg, the distillery shifted to the waterfront Paymaster Building, a stone’s throw away from the landmark where the Brooklyn Whisky War of 1860s was fabled to have taken place. The King’s County Distillery strikes a note of symphony between the traditional, and the modern. The distillery uses copper stills imported from Scotland with hand-built wooden fermenters sourced locally in their distillation process. It remains one of the oldest, and the most prominent craft distilleries of New York, well known for producing corn whiskey, and bourbon.

The distillery arranges weekly tour and tasting sessions for whisky lovers, from Tuesday to Sunday. The tasting sessions take place on Monday, Saturday, and Sunday. A whisky tasting at the King’s County Distillery will give you a chance to sip on some unique, house special whiskies. Moonshine Whisky, matured from indigenous New York organic corn, double distilled, and unfiltered remains the distillery’s most famous creation, and has received high praise from whisky connoisseur Jim Murray. Apart from that, Chocolate Whisky, an in-house innovation also remains a hot favourite among the distillery’s dedicated customers.

Discovering Asian Drams Yoichi Whisky Expedition

An hour west of Sopporo, nestled in the southeastern ridges of Shakotan Peninsula lies Yoichi. This modest Japanese hamlet- miles away from the bluegrass fields of Kentucky and Scottish highlands, is reminiscent of Japan’s one of the most highly coveted Whisky legacies surrounding Masataka Taketsuru- a man revered as the godfather of Japanese Whiskey.

Tango with a Tipple: The London Whisky Weekender

The very Scottish Compton Mackenzie had rightly observed, “Love makes the world go around? Not at all. Whiskey makes it go round twice as fast.”

Unearthing George Washington's Distillery

Who could have imagined that the Father of the Nation of the United States would set his mind on whisky making after retiring from his presidency in 1797? Yet, that is exactly what George Washington did. Shortly after stepping down from his stately duties, he was looking forward to the peacefulness of a sedentary pastoral life which had so far eluded him. Mount Vernon was his sanctuary of choice, and when plantation owner James Anderson met George Washington, he proposed they utilize the watermills, and state-of-art gristmill of Vernon for whisky production.