Kings County Distillery

Great way to finish a tour of the shipyard. Excellent moonshine and bourbon tour and tasting are well worth the 8 dollars. What fun! If in Brooklyn a great place to include if your planning on going to dumbo…

/TL;DR Great way to spend an afternoon. The distillery tour is informative and interesting. The pours at the end, while small, can’t be beat for a $ 8 tour.
/​ATMOSPHERE The distillery is in a renovated paymasters building. Rustic, old world, and haunted. :)
/​FOOD This is quite literally the smoothest bourbon I’ve ever had. I brought some back for my brother-​in-​law who completely agreed. Make sure you get a bottle on your way out.
/​SERVICE Very knowledge folks. Very accommodating. We got there 15 minutes early and got to meander around so don’t feel like you can’t head in early.
HOW TO READ MY REVIEWS:
1 Star — Does not approach edible. Enter at your own risk.
2 Stars — If I’m in the area, I’d pick something else.
3 Stars — I would stop by if I happen to be in the area.
4 Stars — I would pick this place out of other places nearby.
5 Stars — I would go out of my way to dine here.

Came here for a tour of the distillery, what a great experience! I enjoy whiskey, and Kings County Distillery makes one of my favorites. One of the founders, David, led the tour. He provided us with some background history of how whiskey was traditionally made, especially in New York, and showed us their process of making whiskey. It was clear that he was passionate about whiskey, which made the tour even more special. Would definitely recommend coming here, it’s only $ 8 and you get to try some of their whiskey as well at the end. (and you can buy some for your own collection)

Short hours so plan ahead. We arrived 45 minutes before opening and had a good look around. It was December so plants weren’t growing so well. There is a garden out back that appears to be a place for small gatherings and per the master distiller, Colin, some of the corn grown goes into the distilling and other vegetables for the staff.
The doors opened early, thankfully, since we needed to use the bathroom, and we went upstairs for tasting. Colin informed us he was doing a tour with tasting at the end so we joined in. Colin told us the history of whiskey in the United States and the area, which was interesting, then we went down to where the magic happens. Colin broke the process down for everyone to understand and told us his history as a distiller. He’s come a long way!
After the tour came the tasting. We had 4 samples, one was seasonal: the pumpkin spice. The chocolate was phenomenal — not heavy or syrup like, actually kind of bitter. We didn’t get a chance to try the barrel strength Bourbon but I had a feeling I would love it, I did! Sweet, caramel flavor and a little on the harsh side, not smooth.
The draw back: it’s not in the best neighborhood but simple to get to using public transportation: use the F train to York St. and walk 5 blocks.
We’ll be looking to visit again and definitely looking to order online.

Had a really great day at the Navy Yard that culminated in the excellent tour of Kings County Distillery. A friend was come in from New Jersey on a perfect peak fall day, and we took the Turnstile bus tour of the Navy Yard, then ambled on over to the distillery for the tour.
We were a few minutes late, but it started outside where they were growing corn to be included in future batches of whiskey. The tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable, and despite priding myself on being a history buff (particularly as it relates to the Fort Greene-​Wallabout-​Clinton Hill-​Bed Stuy part of Brooklyn, where my family has lived for more than a century), I learned a whole lot about the history of distilling and drinking in Brooklyn.
The personal history of the distillery is fascinating as well, including how it started and dealt with setbacks like the devastation of hurricane Sandy (apparently, it became overrun with mice and rats, which were heroically and celeritously dispatched by the distillery’s cats. Being a cat person and fan of history, I thought it was particularly cool).
The building itself is awesome and beautiful, from the structure itself, to the wooden barrels and stills. I didn’t expect being in a distillery to be a particularly calming experience, but it totally was. We got to see the where the whiskey is made, the storage room on the top floor (accessed via an external staircase), and finishing in the immaculate tasting room, where we sampled three different products. The chocolate whiskey was a little funky for my taste, but the moonshine and bourbon were stupendous.
The perfect end to this day, we walked up to Dekalb to grab slices from Mario’s (corner of Clermont and Dekalb) to eat over at the Alibi (Dekalb between Vanderbilt and Clermont) with a few beers.
It was a few years back, so they didn’t have the open air spot where you could get cocktails, but the tour itself is well worth the price and trek down to the Navy Yard. Definitely looking forward to finding any excuse to head back there.

Go to Kings County Distillery and take their tour. You won’t be sorry. A tour and tasting costs a mere $ 8. I found the tour to be very informational and educational. You learn about the distilling process, the history of the distillery and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It is fascinating. It’s also pretty neat to see how they make the whiskey. At the end of the tour, you get to try their bourbon, chocolate whiskey and moonshine. 5 stars no question.

The space was great but the tour guide we had could use some polishing and confidence.

this is a review of their newly opened whiskey garden — not the actually distillery itself.
first, the drinks are great and the atmosphere is very chill, but the service could not be worse. we’ve been twice and both times we waited 20 minutes just to be acknowledged by the staff. both times there were two servers and a manager working and probably 15 – 20 customers max, so it’s not exactly like they were slammed. the staff was just more interested in hanging out with their friends who were there than serving actual paying customers.
the drinks aren’t cheap — $ 10 for a miniscule glass of punch that’s mostly ice. if they’re going to charge grownup bar prices they really need to up their customer service.
we won’t be back.

This is such a random spot! Great day for good weather drinking, however it’s a bit hard to find the entrance to. Their drinks are STRONG — much more than my liking, but hey, if you like whiskey!

Booked a distillery tour through Eventbrite. The address given was 63 Flushing. Got to 63 Flushing but nothing.
Looked on the distillers website which gives a completely different part of the Navy Yard.
AND they do NOT have a phone number anywhere. So you can’t call for directions, ask for time because you’re there but late, etc.
When we finally got to the right entrance, we were told we had to provide ID and fill out a security form like we’re trying to smuggle a bomb on a plane or something.
Really?
No thanks KCD. You’re not worth it. And don’t think I’m gonna be drinking your whiskey anymore, either.

Confusing to find if you don’t know what you’re looking for, but don’t let the sketchy Navy Yard deter you! Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, and you get a full, interesting history of prohibition and distilling in New York, and the overall whiskey-​making process. Great price for a 45-​minute tour and bourbon/​moonshine tasting at the end.
You don’t even have to drink to enjoy it. I’m not a big whiskey drinker, so that part didn’t appeal to me, but they had an interesting chocolate-​infused one that did smell good… and I liked learning about the process. It’s a fun part of New York history that most people probably haven’t heard about (I hadn’t). Kind of like a tourist spot for locals.

E: «Wanna go whiskey tasting at 2:00 in the afternoon?»
Me: «Sure.»
After having my arm twisted by my buddy, on a dead snowy February Saturday in the middle of winter, I found myself at the desolate entrance of the Sands Street navy yard gate thinking, «I’m going to fight club… and I may not make it out.» Fortunately, these delusions (brought about from the cocktail of cold medicines I had previously taken in tandem with the environmental isolation at the edge of Dumbo) were unfounded, and my small group of three people deep were directed (from the nice gate guardian booth dude) to the closest red brick building, just a stone’s throw away from the gate entrance.
Walking through the door, I was slapped in the face with the smell of bread, a random thought/​fact, but it permeated the place. Not a good or bad thing, but something nevertheless. Once we reached the top floor, we were greeted by displays of flask-​sized-​bottles of whiskey, «barrels-​o-​fun», and a makeshift welcome station where my group could pay admission for our whiskey tour & tasting.
$ 8 is what the tour package will run you, and for the value, you certainly come out a winner. Our guide, hip-​glasses plaid-​wearing bushy-​beard man-​boy, was extremely knowledgeable about the the history of Kings County Distillery, as well as US distilling history in general. This joint is a fledgling operation (don’t let the centuries old brick structure which houses the distillery fool you), as it was (legitimately) started in 2010.
After rundown of the history and a tour of the facilities (the distilling room and the barrel aging area), our tour group (quite sizable… running 20+ people deep) was then invited to sample three of the whiskey products available for purchase. While the tasting space was cramped, people weren’t all @ssholes about it, instead everyone was very patient and civil, and we had an assembly line going from the sample table to the back of the room, just passing back shots of booze till everyone had one in hand. This happened for all three types of whiskey, and it was a beautiful moment in history, showing just what could be achieved with some patience and human cooperation.
And most of the sampled whiskey was definitely of the «this will grow hair on your chest» variety. First up was the «moonshine» sample… and it certainly lived up to the moniker. Clear in color, it went down like hot fire, very akin to a shot of bleach (figuratively of course)… definitely snapped me out of my cold for a hot minute. The alcohol level in it was certainly up there, and probably would pair well with a citrus-​y/​lemony mixture of some kind. Second was a more traditional bourbon, and while it was still just as harsh on the throat, it had been barrel-​aged, hence it possessed some of the nice brown color and hints of woody flavors that are acquired during the aging process. Lastly, the crowd favorite «chocolate whiskey» was served up. A bit thicker in liquid solubility, it had a great chocolaty taste and texture; definitely achieved with the additional cacao beans thrown in the barrel during the aging process.
All in all, an enjoyable time and only lasting around 45 minutes. You certainly get your bang for your buck, and can get a nice buzz going early on in the afternoon. A fine addition to the already very tradition-​rich borough of Kings County.

Amazing history and I loved the tasting at the end as well. Really interesting to learn how everything is made and the difficulties over the years with prohibition. The moonshine was a bit rough for me but the bourbon was LOVELY. There is parking but if its warm outside and you are in the neighborhood, its cool to just walk in.

Liked the distillery tour here. A lot of history given, and it’s a small facility so you see everything fairly quickly and they have a nice tasting of their moonshine, bourbon and spiced bourbon at the end. Has a nice homely feel inside, but it’s not the easiest to find the building when in a rush. I ended up buying their limited peated bourbon, which turned out to be not as smoky as I had expected, but was good nonetheless.

This place should be mandatory for all New Yorkers who drink hard liquor (aka just about everybody).
Got off the train @ Barclays & walked several blocks through some shady-​looking areas, but once we were inside the Navy Yard, the vibe really took hold. It really felt like I stepped outside of NYC for a bit. The Distillery itself is housed inside one of the original building on the pier and has a really cool vintage look. The tour was pretty cheap ($ 8 a ticket) and we learned quite a bit about NY’s history & the process of making whiskey. After the tour, we got to sample their 3 flavors (chocolate whiskey, moonshine & a standard whiskey) & purchase bottles. I bought a really nice set of all three flavors in a wooden box as a gift. I really enjoyed the trip out here & highly recommend it.

I’ve done a whiskey tour before and I figured «I just want to see if I like their whiskey and buy it or not!»
However, I’m really glad we took their tour here. They’re very clearly passionate about their work, they love what they do and they’re literally just a couple of guys figuring things out as they go. That made the tour a lot of fun and really enjoyable.
Personally, I don’t like bourbon in general that much. Their bourbon is lightly sweet but there is a bite to it; it almost tastes a little lighter than a traditional bourbon. More bight, less sweet. Still very smooth but a lot lighter on the taste of sweet and char.
Their moonshine was very smooth and you could really taste the corn in it; I actually enjoyed it quite a bit for what it was.
I didn’t like the chocolate whiskey at all; very overwhelming chocolate/​coffee mixed with strong whiskey taste on the front end but a smooth chocolate taste on the backside. My wife liked it for the chocolate but I couldn’t get past the overwhelming taste on the front end.
**FYI** You have to go into the old Navy Yard to get to this place.

Once you find this place, you won’t be disappointed. It’s in the old Navy Yard, so if you think you’re walking the wrong way, you aren’t!
Tours will run you $ 8 and include some really interesting history about whiskey making, a tour of the distillery and a sample of 3 of their products.
Although my husband is more of a rye whiskey guy and I am usually the type who doesn’t drink whiskey ever, I really enjoyed the chocolate whiskey.
Definitely a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

nice people in a really cool space. lots of cool cats running around too.
i am really not a moonshine fan, and was not surprised i did not like their moonshine. the chocolate one was different, with a cocoa aroma and dry alcoholic taste — not really pleasant to me. the whisky was young and woody, maybe some people like that. i don’t think i do. the 3 stars is mostly for the cool place and people, worth stopping in if you like to see a distillery working. maybe they will be using their real still soon and not the row of tiny stainless steel ones.

No better way to spend an hour than touring their rustic distillery on a sleepy Saturday afternoon. Worst part about it is the overwhelming sense of envy that takes hold of you as you leave knowing your hum-​drum 9-​to-​5 awaits you Monday while these people taste-​test chocolate whiskey for a living.

The few times learning and drinking at the same time is encouraged.
The debate was whiskey or gin, but our group voted on it and Kings County came out on top. A few notes before even getting to the distillery: Google Maps may lead you in the wrong direction. The distillery is in the west wing of the navy yard, not the center as I was led to believe.
A single stand alone structure, Kings County isn’t impressive until you walk into the brick building and get a whiff of that whiskey. Head upstairs to purchase an $ 8 ticket for the tour, which is well worth the money.
Combining a bit for history, chemistry, and humor, the tour not only held my attention for a full hour, but I actually learned something! Be sure to get a good pic of the barrel room on the second floor. The tasting was a perfect way to end the tour; now that I know chocolate bourbon exists, I might have to switch it up a bit.
If you’re a bourbon enthusiast or just want something fun to do on a weekend (regardless of weather), stop by Kings County!