New York City's First Hometown Whiskey By Kings County Distillery

New York City finally gets its own whiskey

Although it's true that New York City may have some of the most creative cocktails to grace a coupe, its local spirits scene is still rather nascent.

Case in point: The city only just got its first hometown bourbon this year. Kings County Distillery, which launched last year with its unaged whiskey, has finally given us some brown stuff worthy of New York City's bars.

As befits the company's New York ethos, Kings County partners Colin Spoelman and David Haskell produce the liquor in a tiny studio in Brooklyn, where the stills run from morning until midnight, seven days a week. At the base of the stuff is local corn, which the pair sources from the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

In case you're questioning the legitimacy of a city-slicker-made whiskey, fear not. The bourbon ($25) coming off the stills has its roots in the spirit's birthplace, Kentucky, where distiller Spoelman was raised.

With just the right amount of spicy roundness and characteristic sugar, the small 200-milliliter bottles have become our go-to choice for old-fashioneds. And we've even broken the rules a few times, using the spirit in place of rye in our Manhattans. It seems only appropriate.