A story appearing in the Wall Street Journal reports that two New York entrepreneurs plan to open a distillery on the site formerly occupied by a notorious bootlegging operation shut down in 1932. One unique feature of the site selected is a series of underground tunnels that served as potential escape routes for the bootleggers. Aside from offering tastings, the new owners will age their moonshine in the main bunker and open a small museum.
Ariel Schlein, one of the owners, indicates that the distillery will be ready for tours and tastings in the late fall and fully operational at the beginning of 2014. Its moonshine will be made with as many farmed-source ingredients as possible. Corn and barley are being grown on the surrounding farmland this season and they expect to add wheat and rye in the future.
The distillery would join a growing number of small-batch distilleries in New York, where a state license introduced in 2002 cut fees for start-ups producing less than 35,000 gallons a year. The Farm Distillery Law enacted in 2007 encouraged production of alcohol with ingredients made in New York. The 72 distilleries located throughout the state can host tastings and sell their products on-site and, as of this year; the 36 classified as farm distilleries can also sell at farmers’ markets and fairs.
