Kings County Distillery is a local gem located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. I recently took a tour of their whiskey distillery and fell in love with their space and their whiskey, of course. 

Founded in 2010, Kings County Distillery is New York City’s oldest and largest craft whiskey distillery. It’s bar, distillery, and event spaces are all in Navy Yard, which is just a short walk from my studio in DUMBO. 

Has anyone read Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan? The characters likely walked about where Kings County Distillery is now — in gorgeous buildings from the 1800s. The distilling space is housed in a building that used to be used as the Paymaster Building, or accounting building, when the area was still used by the Navy.

On the tour, we got to see the process of how whiskey is made. First, they cook or mash the grain (the type of grain used depends on the type of whiskey or bourbon being made). Then, they separate the grain and the liquid. Next, they ferment the liquid. Finally they pass the liquid through the still for distillation and then they collect the result, keeping the hearts (middle) and getting rid of the heads (first part) and tails (end part). After this, each type of liquor has it’s own distinct process. For example, some is aged in charred oak barrels, some in a new barrel, and some are even aged in used bourbon barrels. 

There’s also an adorable tasting room in the Gatehouse where you can try all of their whiskies and get cocktails.

If you’re interested in whiskey or distilleries in general, you should definitely check out King’s County Distillery! We’ll be hosting a Shibori Indigo Dyeing Workshop at Kings County Distillery on June 12th. You’ll get a cocktail, learn shibori indigo dyeing, dye your own t-shirt or tea towel, and get a ticket to come back for a Distillery tour! Don’t miss it!