Great Jones Distillery

The Great Jones Distilling Company is the first distillery to open in Manhattan in over a century. It is located at 686 Broadway in the NoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. It has been distilling for less than a year, but they have some fine aged Bourbon thanks to their sister distillery – Black Dirt Distillery in Warwick, New York that opened in 2012. They make a four grain Bourbon and a traditional Bourbon in Warwick and some of that whiskey has been released under the Great Jones label.

Rosemary and I recently visited the Great Jones Distillery while on a trip to New York. The distillery is a small distillery and the whiskey is aged at the Black Dirt Distillery because of the fire hazard associated with whiskey warehousing. We entered the building, and having booked a tour online, we were able to join the tour without having to by our tickets at the door. The tour starts on the second floor where they have a very beautiful hybrid pot and column still.

The guide explains the distilling process and the spirits they are making there. I was able to step aside and introduced myself to their distiller. I did not get his card and I forget his name, but he was a knowledgeable young man and I was able to taste the new make spirit. It was a very good Bourbon recipe.

The tour then went down to the basement level where we tasted several of their products. I enjoyed them all, but found the four grain very interesting. Their rye whiskey was also very good. They also have an apple jack made at the Black Dirt Distillery that I liked very much.

After the tasting, I rejoined Rosemary, who had left the tour immediately when she saw the bar on the second floor. She had already had a cocktail made with the four grain Bourbon and was telling me how good it was. I had the same and agreed with her. The tour is a short tour but very informative. The tour guide was excellent.

Besides the second floor bar, they have a speakeasy bar and a restaurant called “The Grid”. We did not eat there, but the menu looks to be good and I would be tempted to go back and try the Long Island Duck. The speakeasy is available for events that will hold about two dozen people comfortably. We left the distillery with a bottle of each of their Bourbons. I have not been able to sit down with Matt and write tasting notes yet, but will do so soon.

I would recommend a visit to this distillery if you find yourself in New York City. It is an interesting tour with good whiskey. The bar has a talented staff and friendly servers. Plan on having a meal after the tour and try the restaurant. It will make for a pleasant time.