This past Saturday I attended the annual New York City Craft Distillers Festival. A pre-prohibition themed event of over 60 craft spirits with a live jazz style band.
A century ago New York States breweries and distilleries produced oceans of spirits made from local ingredients. The Volstead Act changed all that and Prohibition shut down most of those distilleries and breweries. The industry began to recover in the early 21st Century when the State laws regulating distilling were loosen which resulted in the explosion of local micro-distilleries and breweries. There are about 30 craft distillers and counting in New York State with some in Queens, Brooklyn and The Bronx.
The event was held at the hip Bowery Hotel at 335 Bowery in Manhattan, a castle-like venue. There were plenty of local whiskeys, gins, vodkas, tequilas, fruit-based eau di vie and even some absinthe.
With live music and people enjoying unlimited spirits, it was a party.
Some of the Distillers I sampled from:
Orange County Distillery
Cooperstown Distillery
Catskill Distilling Co.
Standard Spirit
Tres Papalote Mezcal
Black Button Distillery
Hillrock Distillery
Valentine Distilling Co.
Widow Jane
Tirado Distillery
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