Kings County Distillery Now Lets You Drink Your Moonshine Out in the Moonlight
Thanks to a bill passed and recently amended by Governor Cuomo, which grants distillers using 75% NY-grown ingredients the right to serve cocktails, in addition to offering tastings and selling bottles on premises, Brooklyn’s premier hooch purveyor is now taking full advantage of its expansive al fresco space. And so while the fate of New York’s rent control regulations may be up in the air, but at least residents can drink their worries away at Kings County Distillery’s bucolic new whiskey garden.
Strung with sparkling lights and outfitted with picnic tables, King’s County’s corn-ringed garden serves as a sit-down extension of their regular tasting room. Open from 4-10pm on Fridays and 2-10pm on Saturdays throughout September 5th, patrons can partake in whiskey flights, pours of limited releases, and mint juleps, moonshine punch and barrel-aged Manhattans, all made from spirits distilled on premises.
And since food options in the Brooklyn Navy Yard area are few and far between, KCD has also partnered with a rotating stable of vendors, starting with Tim Laursen of the Brooklyn-based catering company Smoak—which specializes in ribs, dry-rubbed chicken and rosemary-brushed lamb in addition to its whole hog feasts—as well as Hill Country Barbecue Market, which recently served BBQ beef sandwiches topped with slaw and pickles, and hot links with saurkraut and Shiner Bock mustard, perched on cushy potato rolls. The Craft New York Act has also enabled Kings County Distillery to use their space for various, large scale events, including collaborations with Four and Twenty Blackbirds and San Franscisco’s Workhorse Rye, which featured drinks and snacks centered around their India pear bitters.
So basically, King’s County Distillery’s glorious, whiskey-soaked garden is an ideal place to add to your out-of-doors drinking itinerary this summer. And keep your fingers crossed, because if Cuomo continues on his pro-city streak, Brooklyn’s fun-loving dogs might be able to get in on the action soon too.