Yes you read that right, Manhattan’s first legal whiskey distillery is here and it’s amazing! Great Jones Distilling Co, welcome to the big apple! This space is made of total ingenuity and has been many years in the making. The 28,000 square foot venue features a fully functioning distillery, educational tour and tasting bar, and numerous thoughtfully designed drinking and dining venues. This includes an underground speakeasy and full restaurant debuting this fall!

I had the pleasure of attending the launch before the public, and wow, what a space it is. You’re greeted with a well designed entrance, full of gorgeous bottles, a stunning architecture and design, and more. This event had live music on every floor and it was so fun. This space is ideal for retreats, company meetings, as well as weddings and parties. The whiskey is also delicious, and we started out with a fun cocktail made with sparkling wine, whiskey, and lemon juice. It was pretty delicious, until I went upstairs to discover even more amazing cocktails.

Upstairs in the distillery we found some incredible Whiskey Mules, and a Saxaphone player before heading up to the VIP Lounge for some live music, Truffle Old Fashioneds, and Lady Jones cocktails. I absolutely loved how every floor had attentive and cheerful staff, but also a new cocktail as well. It’s so fun to see creativity as well as excellent service. Everyone attending had a scheduled tasting time, where we enjoyed a flight of all the whiskey’s. They are incredibly smooth and range from Straight Bourbon, to Four Grains, and then a Rye.

Straight Bourbon- Medium bodied with notes of vanilla, and pepper. Aged a minimum of four years in oak casks, this one is really delicious. Great for cocktails, and on it’s own with a big cube of ice. Cigar wise, I would totally love this with something bold and vanilla driven, like a Cohiba Connecticut!

Four Grain Bourbon- This one is medium bodied and oakier than the straight bourbon. I like it’s creaminess and it’s complex layers which lead to a smooth finish. Aged a minimum of four years, and overall a fun one to sip at a tasting!

Rye- This one was my favorite of the lineup. I tend to be a rye lover however, so I was hoping to love this one as much as I did. This one you get more of the dried fruit aromas and flavors and nice rye pepper spice. Ahed minimum of four years like the others, this one is fun, complex, and delicious.

After the tasting we went downstairs to the speakeasy which had an elevator bar serving… you guessed it, another cocktail! This time a smoked old fashioned, and it was delightful. This led you through an amazing light exhibit that’s so fun and a bit trippy, before getting to the Speakeasy room. This fun underground bar is great for intimate parties and events.

If you’re looking for a great activity for when friends come to town, or just to be able to visit a very cool distillery with great food and beverage options, you’ll want to check out Great Jones Distilling Co.