Kings County celebrates one-millionth bottle sale

New York distillery Kings County is celebrating the sale of its one-millionth bottle of whiskey this month (March) with the release of an ‘ultra-limited’ commemorative release.

Yesterday (18 March), Kings County Distillery in Brooklyn, New York, announced the sale of its one-millionth bottle of whiskey. Kings County, which is said to be New York’s oldest and largest whiskey distillery, opened in 2012 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It started by selling in small 200ml and 375ml bottles, which “connected the brand to a wide audience with a small production,” said co-founder and distiller Colin Spoelman. “Kings County has always produced the whiskey under its own name from New York grain, mashing, distilling, and ageing in-house – a rarity for whiskey brands, including some that purport to be local. “To hit one million bottles is more than a sales figure; it’s a mandate from a new generation of drinkers who demand creativity and excellence over industrial products cloaked in legacy marketing.” To immortalise the moment, the whiskey distillery has revealed that a symbolic millionth bottle will be permanently installed in its ‘Boozeum’, joining other artefacts in New York City’s distilling history. The milestone will be officially marked on 27 March with an exclusive party that will take place at The Gatehouse from 7pm-9pm, local time. While the event is primarily for the friends and family of the brand, as well as its bar, restaurant, and retail accounts, a limited number of public tickets have been released via its website for those wishing to toast 'to a million more'. Kings County will also announce a significant new programme at the event, and attendees will be the first to learn of the project. Event partners include Vita Coco, Just Ice Tea, and IQBar. Furthermore, as part of the celebration of the milestone, Kings County will release a limited edition bottle of its straight Bourbon. Only 500 bottles will be available, each individually numbered. Priced at US$85 per 750ml bottle, the 45% ABV Bourbon will be available to purchase at the distillery’s commemorative party. It will also be available online on Monday 30 March from 2pm EST. The distillery noted that the commemorative Bourbon has been ‘made like a Scotch whisky’, using 80% New York organic corn and 20% English Golden Promise barley for a high-malt recipe that forgoes the wheat or rye typical of Kentucky Bourbons. The mash is then distilled twice in a pot still for a 'rich and flavourful' new make spirit. Carrying a four-year age statement, the release is said to represent the ‘everyday excellence’ of the distillery’s mashing, distilling, and ageing processes. The Bourbon has been ‘carefully blended’ to ensure quality and complexity, achieving prominent notes of caramel and vanilla, as well as undertones of dark berries. Since its inception, Kings County said it has operated ‘at the intersection of tradition and subversion’. By blending pre-Prohibition techniques with an international perspective and a New York City ethos, the distillery has created a portfolio that ranges from peated Bourbon to Irish-style whiskey and American single malt. “As the spirits landscape shifts, Kings County stands as the definitive standard for craft spirits,” added Spoelman. “We aim to embody the dynamic, creative excellence of New York City in our whiskeys and share them widely with the broader world. One million bottles in only the beginning.”