New York City’s First Distillery Since Prohibition
Vintegrity is committed to building a portfolio of only the finest wines and spirits and are excited to announce that Kings County Distillery has joined our spirits collection! Kings County Distillery has been exclusively crafting handmade bourbons, whiskeys, and ryes since its founding in 2010. As the oldest, and largest, distillery in New York City, you can find it in the Brooklyn Navy Yard – right in the heart of the former distillery district of the 1800’s. Kings County Distillery is New York City’s premier craft distillery – and among the most acclaimed small distilleries in the United States.
A Commitment to Quality
Kings County Distillery is known for creative, highly respectable whiskeys made only with premium ingredients and time-tested distilling techniques. For each of their whiskeys, the distillery uses only the finest New York-grown organic corn and rye with malted barley sourced directly from Scotland and England – and all Kings County spirits are non-GMO. Kings County “high-malt” mash bill skews similar to that of European whiskeys (rather than the typical rye or wheat that are a part of many other bourbon recipes).
For fermentation, Kings County uses a method called off-the-grain, open-air fermentation to allow wild yeast and bacteria to give their distiller’s beer a one-of-a-kind flavor – unique to their distillery. The distillery then uses an alembic copper pot still, which gives them greater control over the flavor than typical column-stills. The care and attention each whiskey receives from start to finish is due to a principle the distillery has stood by since they opened – “a good unaged whiskey will make a better aged whiskey.”
Once the distilling is finished, the whiskey is placed in small, charred, oak barrels. These are then set aside for aging and maturation. By using smaller barrels and pulling from a large stock, the blenders are better able to ensure consistency and quality.
When their whiskeys are ready for bottling, Kings County Distillery keeps it simple. They don’t chill-filter their whiskey, since this is done purely to make the whiskey look more appealing. When you skip the chill-filter, the esters that give whiskey a wholesome flavor and distinct mouthfeel are left intact. This is why Kings County whiskeys appear hazier than others. They don’t waste time and money on fancy labels and bottles, instead choosing to focus on making a better product.
Co-founders Colin Spoelman & David Haskell.
Inspired by Tradition
Where did Kings County Distillery begin? Owner and master distiller, Colin Spoelman, began his journey by rekindling his connection with his roots. He was born and raised in rural, coal-mining Kentucky – where moonshine is engrained in the history of the region. (For those unfamiliar with the difference between moonshine and whiskey, moonshine is simply just whiskey that has not been taxed and typically is unaged.)
Spoelman took up distilling moonshine in his NYC apartment, illegally, as a hobby while he worked as an architect. Over time, he perfected the art of crafting moonshine and he took his passion to the next level and applied for a license with his former roommate, David Haskell, thus creating Kings County Distillery. The distillery took off and after a few years, he was running Kings County full time.
High Praise for Kings County Distillery
Since its founding, Kings County Distillery has been astounding and delighting whiskey enthusiasts. Over the years, the distillery has earned numerous achievements and awards, including Distillery of the Year in 2016, Best Bourbon Bottled-in-Bond in 2020, and the American Craft Spirits Association’s Innovation Award for their Peated Rye to name a few.
You won’t find these premium whiskeys just anywhere. Fortunately, Vintegrity has added Kings County Distillery to both the Missouri and the Kansas portfolios, so no need to wait to offer one these world-class whiskeys – order yours today!
