Kings County Distillery is the oldest continuously running distillery in New York City. But it is far from ancient. In fact, it isn't even old! The distillery has only been around since 2010, when Spoelman and David Haskell, friends and former college roommates decided to take advantage of the lift of Prohibition-era regulations and became the city's first distillers. The lift meant licenses were now easily obtainable.
Spoelman first came across real moonshine (the illegally produced corn whiskey made primarily in Appalachia and the Southern part of the country), while he was growing up in Kentucky. When he realized how few New Yorkers have ever tried moonshine, he began experimenting with making his own on his porch and kitchen counter top.
Spoelman and Haskell decided to turn distilling into a business in 2009 and they distilled in a small studio space in East Williamsburg for about two years. In 2011 the city invited the Kings County Distillery to move into the Paymaster Building. The building was recently renovated. Except for standard moonshine and bourbon, Kings County Distillery also produces chocolate "flavored" whiskey, which made its debut in February 2012. It is flavored with ground-up cacoa husks. The result is a very dark cocoa-infused spirit that is not sweet at all.
