Whisky Advocate Exclusive: A Collaborative Celebration of Brooklyn Distilling

The Empire rye style has a new feather in its cap, thanks to a collaborative effort between two Brooklyn-based mainstays: New York Distilling Co. and the Wythe Hotel. Wythe No. 80 (so named for the hotel’s location on 80 Wythe Avenue) is a 45% ABV, 6 year old single barrel rye, fragrant with notes of lemon zest, caramel, crème brûlée, and cinnamon spice, all of which transition superbly onto the palate to an enjoyably long finish.

If you’re not sure what qualifies as Empire rye, here’s a crash course: 75% of the mashbill must be New York grain (but the remaining 25% of grain can come from anywhere); it must be mashed, fermented, distilled, barreled, and aged at a single New York State distillery; it must be aged for a minimum of 2 years in charred, new oak barrels; it may not exceed a 115 entry proof; and it’s to be distilled to no more than 160 proof. Wythe No. 80 has a mashbill of 75% Pedersen field race rye (grown specifically for New York Distilling Co. by Pedersen Family Farm in Seneca Falls, New York); 13% New York-grown corn; and 12% malted barley, and it was made entirely by New York Distilling Co. at its Williamsburg distillery.

What brought these Brooklyn businesses together? The Wythe, which opened in 2012, is a high-style hotel built from a former cooperage factory near the waterfront in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. With a cutting edge vibe and spectacular views of Manhattan from its rootop bar, it has been a centerpiece of Brooklyn’s current revival. New York Distilling opened in 2011, and for more than a decade its home base was just a 10-minute walk from the Wythe, though it recently moved to a larger space in another Brookyn location. But as the hotel’s beverage director Jarrett Karlsberg tells it, the two were bound by a dedication to highlighting their neighborhood. “We want to tell our guests a story about the neighborhood, and showcase the terroir of our area,” he explains. “All the better if those same guests can then tell other people of the city and bring them into the fold.” As someone who worked at the Wythe Hotel for years before becoming its beverage director, Karlsberg had also already met New York Distilling owner and distiller Allen Katz and forged a relationship, visiting the distillery himself and bringing his staff for tours and tastings.

As far as where the whiskey can be found, The Wythe No. 80 will be available for $45/200 ml, as a minibar exclusive in-room for hotel guests, or at the front desk for those who aren’t staying there. Both of the Wythe’s dining and drinking venues—Le Crocodile, a French restaurant on the ground floor, and Bar Blondeau, a top-floor cocktail lounge with sweeping city views—will also have the whiskey on hand, where it can be poured neat, on the rocks, or served up in a special off-menu On Franklin Street cocktail. A riff on the Greenpoint cocktail first created at Milk & Honey in 2006 (which is itself a riff on the Brooklyn cocktail, which is a spin on the Manhattan), the On Franklin Street is a blend of Wythe No. 80, Method Spirits sweet vermouth, and Faccia Brutto yellow chartreuse-inspired liqueur (the latter two also being New York products). The cocktail won’t be on the menu, but is certainly available for guests in the know.

While only 800 bottles of the whiskey are available, this may very well be the start of more Wythe Hotel-centric single barrels to come from New York Distilling Co.