in the county of kings comes the tasting room for the oldest distillery in new york, and the first to reopen since prohibition. in other words, these guys know what they’re doing. the not-contrived minimalist label, grandpa’s old cough syrup-esque bottle, the smooth liquor that tastes like it has a story to tell… they are doing everything right and from their meticulous product to their inimitable tasting room at the entrance of the brooklyn navy yard. the distillery relocated in 2012 to the 117-year old Paymaster Building in the navy yard after moving from their east williamsburg, where they were both the oldest and smallest distillery in new york city.
the tasting room occupies one of two turrets that were originally erected as the superfluous (yet charming) entrances to the brooklyn navy yard, and were used for workers to convert checks to cash that they would primarily use at the bars and brothels that lined sands st. the gatehouses eliminates one step by allowing you to just use your money for drinks right there in the tower, and the brothel… well, you’re on your own there.
the outdoor space is charming and simple with a garden intentionally overgrown with herbs and sunflowers and no-frills picnic tables. the outdoor bar is made from a converted container, that presumably made the long trek from the shipping yard to the gates, adding another subtle element of their inherent connection with the navy yard. inside they kept most of the original details of the tower, allowing the small space to feel smooth, old, and a little dangerous, not unlike their whiskey.
and i by no means will pretend to be any sort of whiskey connoisseur here, but this shit is good. really good. so good i tend give it as christmas presents and then sneak little sips of it from family members’ liquor cabinets when i’m back in virginia (jeff, just finish it already! don’t make me do this!)
they also hold some pretty rad events, like the make-your-own tarot card workshop and reading by the more-than-locally-famous Desiree Mwalimu. i attended last saturday’s boozy crafternoon, and when i declined to make a card and just observe instead, i was told they “knew” i was just there to drink.
what is it with those clairvoyant types?
anyway, this is The Gatehouses at kings co. tasting room and it’s where you should drink this weekend.
what not to miss
the frosty sno-cone-esque mint julep, the seasonal moonshine punch, or the bottled-in-bond bourbon, neat.
how not to miss it
m-f 8am-10pm
sat, noon-10pm
sun, 2-8pm
mornings monday through friday it’s a coffee.
299 sands st, at the entrance to the navy yard.
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