When he was just a teenager, New York Distilling Company and The Shanty co-founder Allen Katz knew he wanted to live in New York City. “I studied music at Trinity College in Hartford, and two weeks after graduation, I was on the Lower East Side of Manhattan to seek fame and fortune,” the Baltimore native explains. “I waited tables, bartended, foundered and floundered and loved living in the city.” It makes sense, then, that Katz’s adoration for the Big Apple served as inspiration for his own project: New York Distilling Company, a Brooklyn-based distilling company dedicated to the production of craft gins and whiskeys. Here, we chat with Katz about the current and future product lineup, the truth about rock and rye, and what whiskey cocktail he’ll be ordering on his deathbed.
BoozeMenus: What inspired you to launch New York Distilling Company?
Allen Katz: For me, the inspiration was an intensity born out of the discovery of cocktails as American gastronomy. My work with Slow Food was a culinary and cultural education and once the door had been opened to me to experience the history of cocktails in New York, the US (and other parts of the world), I was searching for an exciting place to fit in, to make something from scratch and to participate in the resurgent cocktail culture that I now felt a part of.
BM: Why the focus on gin and rye, in particular?
AK: Gin and rye are two of the great cocktail spirits and they allow us to be 'purposefully different' - to make unique and useful spirits that are wholly original.
BM: How do you suggest people drink the Perry's Tot, and how do you suggest they drink the Dorothy Parker?
AK: You can be delighted by a Tot & Tonic. My favorite drink is a 700 Songs Gimlet — a variation of the classic created by our Bar Director, Nate Dumas. The key with Perry's Tot is that 1.5 ounces goes a long way. At 57% ABV, you get all of the 'ginnyness' without being sunk by one drink. Really, the flavor is all there! As for Dorothy Parker Gin, I will take a Negroni or a Gin Sour.
BM: How did you decide to collaborate with David Wondrich for the Chief Gowanus, and what was the process like?
AK: Dave is a good friend and mentor and, most of all, one of the great drink historians of the day. The idea for Chief Gowanus is really through his research and enthusiasm. Dave told us of the story of the Dutch distilling a 'Resemblance of Holland Gin' in New Netherland as an attempt to recreate their homeland spirit: Genever. We loved the idea of working on a 'new' style of gin and that the Dutch immigrants use rye as the base of their spirit. It seemed like a perfect fit for us. We had some trial and error but we essentially base our recipe from an old distilling manual from 1809.
BM: Which spirit, thus far, are you most proud of?
AK: I truly am excited by them all. It's too soon to say if I am most proud of one in particular. I don't really play favorites.
BM: How does the physical location of your Brooklyn-based distillery influence the products you're making?
AK: Our location doesn't influence the products we are making but it does allow us to share the experience with as many people as possible.
BM: What led you to release a Rock & Rye?
AK: I love the history of Rock & Rye and that there aren't many on the market made by distiller-producers. Releasing Mister Katz's allows us to have a first Rye Whiskey product while we let our growing barrel inventory age for straight rye in the future and to share a useful and fun piece of Americana with cocktail enthusiasts.
BM: What's next on the release list?
AK: Our first release of straight rye whiskey should be out by early spring.
BM: From heading up education for Southern Wine & Spirits to hosting a radio show to overseeing the company's product development, you wear many hats. Which one of them is your favorite?
AK: I am a very lucky guy. No favorites, but it is fun to build on things you genuinely enjoy and that bridge simultaneous interests.
BM: What did you consider when building out the cocktail list for The Shanty?
AK: We really want to be a well-regarded, local bar. We don't hit anyone over the head with a “please drink our spirits!” request. We're a bar. If you want a drink with one of our brands, great. If you prefer a cocktail with rum or tequila or whatever, or perhaps a great beer, it is our pleasure. Nate, our bar director, really puts together an organized list that showcases great drinks with great spirits.
BM: Your venue is involved with the NYC Good Whiskey Passport this year, which is bound to warm up many thirsty patrons around town this winter. What's your go-to whiskey cocktail, and why?
AK: My deathbed cocktail is a Manhattan. Delicious and easy to make well.
**Bring your Good Whiskey Passport to The Shanty on December 13th between 6-9pm for a free sample of Mister Kat'z Rock & Rye along with your redemption drink.**
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By Nicole Schnitzler