Van Brunt Stillhouse
“The whiskies are very tasty (the best that I've had from the three whiskey-producing distilleries I've visited in Brooklyn).”
“If you are not convinced yet – there is a dog – Sookie – who hangs out on the tour and in the tasting room, she's a doll.”
“Also had their single malt on the rocks, which I wasn't a big fan of.”
Van Brunt Stillhouse
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range Moderate
8 reviews
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From downtown Manhattan, you could either take a subway to Borough Hall and grab a bus B61 OR take the IKEA Water Taxi from Pier 11. I much prefer the latter cause it is quicker and more scenic.
Van Brunt is located in a warehouse that is a couple of blocks away from IKEA. I paid $19 for a Living Social voucher, which includes a tour of the distillery, and a $20 drink/merchandise ticket. I ended up using it for a cocktail ($10) and the rest for a hat. I enjoyed the Old Fashion and the casual chic style of the bar. The tour was informative and included a couple more tastings of single malt rye and moonshine. I would definitely recommend the tour for both locals and tourists!
Every time we visit NYC, we end up touring a distillery and Van Brunt did not disappoint. The tour guide was very friendly and informative and answered all of our burning questions. She even gave us some insight on the neighborhood, cool bars to go, the best view of the Statue of Liberty, etc.
My husband, the whiskey drinker, enjoyed himself immensely and I even found their American whiskey quite tasty, despite the fact that I'm not really a whiskey drinker. We walked away with two bottles to take home and enjoy, since Van Brunt is currently only distributing in the NYC area.
A tour and tasting will cost you $12, which is a bit steeper than some other places in the area, but in my opinion, worth it. You get to keep the cute tasting glasses too! Great place to visit if you're making a day of it in Red Hook.
I went to a fabulous Italian restaurant in DC where the chef/owner infused grappa with a few of his old world recipes. (Lets revisit this concept in a bit)
Great tour and tasting! Except I don't follow rules, I have my own schedule. I was told to register on the website for a tour at 1:30 or 4:00. Yeah, that's not gonna work. I have subway series Yankee game starting at 4:00. My buds want to eat before the game starts. Well, the amazing pizza didn't work out. The first nice weekend and everyone jammed the Brooklyn waterfront.
We get to Van Brunt Stillhouse after the tour started. (My single buddies are already trying to hit on the bartender) She was very knowledgeable on the Whiskeys as well as the craft of distilling. She broke out a few Mason jars showing how much corn and grain ratios it takes to make a Van Brunt Stillhouse Whiskey.
And man can she make a cocktail!
I started with an old fashioned that was made perfectly. Made with their bitters and bourbon, it was an outstanding and very smooth drink. Also, a very generous pour.
We also had a (3) glass tasting of their Bourbon, Whiskey and "Moonshine". The moonshine taste kinda like a Grappa. Very neutral.
*Idea is now popping my head
We go in the back and start conversing with the distiller. I love passionate folks, I can tell he was excited about the product they make in Red Hook. Which brings me to, Why open in Red Hook of all places?? When I was a kid, I knew this was a really rough neighborhood. I was told 10 years ago they got the place at a great rate and the neighborhood is changing which is a great thing. Very cool
I ask the distiller, what if I made a coffee infused moonshine drink?! Can it be done??
Oh course, the moonshine like the Grappa is a very neutral spirit and the coffee will work well. I've heard of folks using Jalapeño too. Now that sounds funky!
I work up this morning, took a mason jar and filled it with a cup of moonshine. Next, I took a handful of beans and crushed them to release the oils within the beans. I added the beans and closed the mason jar. Next weekend I should have a tasty new drink!
Van Brunt Stillhouse is a great local distillery that offers tours and tastings.
I highly recommend an afternoon to explore and sample Brooklyn's finest
I love Brooklyn everything, and Brooklyn distilleries in particular. This one did not disappoint. I found out about this place through a Living Social deal, and couldn't hit "purchase" fast enough. I did a tour, a tasting, and had a cocktail. I love that they get the majority of their grains from upstate and also sell their waste to a farm in Connecticut. "Local" and "green" are all the rage! On top of that, their products are fantastic. The American whiskey, with its unconventional blend of grains, was an easy drink with complex flavors. I also loved the bourbon, which is notable in itself since I don't drink bourbon often. I ended up buying some of the Single Malt, which they tout as essentially an American Scotch. I am a Scotch girl through and through, and this definitely held its own.
Stop by for a tour or a drink if you're in the neighborhood, or pick up a bottle from somewhere if you're not. You won't regret it.
We were walking on Van Brunt and saw a sandwich board that said "free whiskey tasting on Bay Street". "Whiskey" and "free" are two of my favorite words, so we had to head on over there.
They got their start making rum and grappa, and used their successes there to get into the whiskey business. Gotta respect that.
As soon as you walk in (and even from the street), you're hit with all the different distillery smells. There's a small bar in the front (where they can only serve whiskey due to some state laws). They have a cocktail menu, where each drink is made with a different whiskey, or you can get a drink neat. $10 apiece, which is extremely reasonable. I highly recommend the Old Fashioned made with their American whiskey, which is great. Super smooth but you'll still feel it. Also had their single malt on the rocks, which I wasn't a big fan of.
They do tours of the facility for $10 also. Our tour guide (whose name I forget) was super knowledgeable and passionate about his craft. He explained all the little things that Van Brunt does to improve quality that other distilleries might not.
Also, there was a tiny chihuahua named Chico roaming around during the tour, and he was adorable. From what I heard, they have different dogs from time to time in the space.
After the tour, we had a tasting of all of their whiskeys. My favorites were the American and the Moonshine.
Van Brunt is definitely worth visiting. They have award winning rums and whiskeys, and it's always great to support local businesses and to get drunk while doing so!
Love local, so any chance I get to support local I do. Van Brunt Stillhouse is sequestered away in Red Hook, Brooklyn (right around the corner from IKEA). You'd never know it was there, if you weren't looking for it. Found out about this business through "Living Social" – bought a deal for $19 which included a tour, tasting, and $20 credit for the tasting room – so to start it was great. The tasting room is quite charming, small but lots of seating, made complete with a wood burning stove for warmth. The distillery is small – but impressive – and they give back to the neighborhood by donating any excess byproduct to the Red Hook community farm. Now for the product, the whiskey. Van Brunt produces, in small batches, a bourbon, a single malt, a rye, and an American. Personally I thought the rye was the best of the four, and I purchased a small bottle to emphasize my like and support. The single malt was my second favorite. The whiskeys are poured for tasting along the tour so you get to see and sip. The bourbon seems to be the most popular because they were out of bottles for purchase. Van Brunt also produces a rum and grappa (maybe moonshine too) but neither were available on the tasting tour (some laws and stuff). The tasting room offers really stellar cocktails, $10 each, to showcase their product. I recommend whiskey drinkers to visit, I recommend NYers to go and show support for their local businesses. Just go… but make sure to check their tasting room hours. If you are not convinced yet – there is a dog – Sookie – who hangs out on the tour and in the tasting room, she's a doll.
Lee M and I spent the last sunny Sunday before Christmas doing something completely bat shit crazy…..while at the Yelp summer stunner at The Queens Museum a few months ago, Lee got to talking to the owner of Queens Courage, Chris Murillo,who was there graciously presenting his Old Tom Gin to the crowds. This is a small batch, locally distilled and bottled gin made with love. It was so memorable, that when the email inviting us to spend the day bottling the 3rd batch at Van Brunt Stillhouse in Red Hook Brooklyn , we jumped at the opportunity. It promised to be a long day of work…on our feet…and we were psyched !!!
The terms would be such ; lunch, a bottle of the artisanal gin and a Queens Courage t shirt plus a drink after work in the tasting room for a 10-6 shift of bottling, labeling and boxing. Sounded like a plan. We set out early on Sunday morning, sure to wear closed toed shoes and dress in layers as instructed…..it was to be a cold, drafty factory. But the truth is that once we were working, I was perfectly comfortable, even a bit warm.
The goal, was to perhaps complete 1 palate of boxes….roughly 600 bottles put 6 to a box. There were different stations and good team work meant a faster production line. One person opened and prepared the clean glass bottles while the next placed 4 under the spouts that delivered the distilled gin. The next person secured the cork tops and handed them to be labeled. That was my favorite part…placing the corked bottle sideways while pressing a lever with your foot, the labeled spun around the bottle perfectly securing a front and back hand designed label. The next person put the safety tab over the bottle top and a pretty tag boasting a 96 point rating for 2015 was hung around the top. Finally, 6 bottles were placed in special boxes and sealed, placed on the palate and stacked 5 levels high…600 bottles total. Then with a amazing sound and sheer skill, the entire palate was wrapped in plastic and hauled away on a huge cart. We were thrilled to complete one palate before we even had lunch. After some awesome Brooklyn Pizza from Big Daddy's down the block, we finished off yet another palate. At 4 pm we were given the challenge of completing yet another, which we did with gusto by 6pm….just in time to retire to the warm and cozy tasting room and indulge in some of the whiskey made by the distillery.
All in all it was an amazing day…we met many new friends ( there were 7 of us in total plus the owner Chris ) and by the end of the day it was as if we had known each other forever.
Lee and I truly look forward to our next bottling get together. You can sample Queens Courage in their Long Island City tasting room….it is worth the trip. !!!
We haven't been to too many distilleries to gauge but this one was found by Open House NY. The tour itself was very anti-climatic and the guide didn't seem like she enjoyed what she was doing. Being the owner's wife, I would've expected more knowledge from her and definitely more enthusiasm from her. Maybe it was a bad day.
After the tour, we got to do a tasting at the front, and that was a fun experience! The girl at the bar was great, very energetic and fun. She seemed very passionate about whiskeys in general especially the ones in-house. We were offered tastings of everything they had to offer, from rum to grappa and all types of whiskeys in between. Definitely not for a light drinker, these tastings can add up quick!
Nice place to learn about the process and a great spot in the neighborhood of Red Hook! The tour and tasting balanced itself out to 3 star.