How Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton Distillery Revived 18th-Century Rye Whiskey in the Heart of New York

When we imagine a distillation destination, there are a handful of usual suspects that typically come to mind. Tequila from the valleys and highlands of Mexico; bourbon born and raised in the great state of Kentucky; cognac ripped straight from the vineyards of France. Historic as these locales may be, the truth is a little more complex.

As a native New Yorker, I’m still coming to terms with the idea that spirits are being made mere minutes from my doorstep. And nowhere embodies that abundance of options quite like Industry City. A self-proclaimed “business park” located along the Brooklyn waterfront, the area comprises 16 converted warehouses that have been reimagined as a Gen-Z-inflected mishmash of a mall and a neighborhood. Within, you can find everything from art installations to workspaces, a fully fledged Japanese food hall, a comic book store and even a chocolate factory. Add to that a handful of distilleries and breweries.

Among the most famous is Fort Hamilton, a spirits maker that prides itself on reviving the distillation traditions of America’s founding era. Enticed by our love of rye whiskey and the fascinating prospect of a gin distilled with watermelons, we made the trek to Brooklyn in search of a deep dive.

Fort Hamilton was conceived in 2016 by Alex Clark and Amy Grindeland, a husband-and-wife team with an unabashedly nerdy passion for all things history. The first clue that leaps out on the wall is an 18th-century map of New York City, drawn a full century before Brooklyn was incorporated into “Greater New York” alongside the borough of Queens. Clark motioned to winding streets with a glimmer in his eye. This, he told us as his finger touched down on the southern end of the map, was where Phillip Hanover distilled rye whiskey in the 1760s. And that, he explained with the sweep of his hands, was the recipe that Fort Hamilton set out to recreate.

In practice, it means that Fort Hamilton Rye is produced without a smidge of corn in the mashbill. Though the brand does offer a duo of bourbons to appease fans, Clark stressed that the original style of American whiskey was not made with that most iconic of starchy yellow vegetables. But that doesn’t mean rye, usually known for its dry and spicy profile, can’t be sweet in its finer details. I was especially impressed by the brand’s Single Barrel expression, which popped with stone fruit undertones of peach and apricot more reminiscent of Georgia than New England.

The day I toured the facility, Fort Hamilton was processing its Fortress Vodka. Clear liquid was funneled from a massive square tank into a machine that dispensed liquor three bottles at a time. It was a neat scene to behold as hundreds of vodkas passed through the line, and it led into another story in and of itself.

“We’re trying to make old whiskey here, which means we’re making whiskey, putting it in a barrel and deliberately not selling it. So if the landlord is banging on your door asking for rent, you’re going to have a problem,” Clark said. “In order to increase the age statements of our whiskey without going bankrupt, we’ve decided to focus on some white spirits as well.”

Far from an afterthought, the crown jewel of Fort Hamilton’s unaged liquor catalog is inarguably its Dry Gin. Sold at a budget-friendly $35, the spirit is distilled on site using a medley of botanicals including orange, lime, lemon and, most prominently, at least in terms of flavor, fresh watermelon and cucumber.

Why watermelon? Unsurprisingly, the answer lies in the history books. Clark explained that the Battle of Brooklyn — the largest clash in the Revolutionary War — began in a watermelon patch located within a mile of the Fort Hamilton Distillery. On this front, the brand’s gin serves more as tribute than recreation (however possible it may be that British troops were distilling liquor inside their wedge tents).

It was love at first sip. Unlike the vast majority of bubblegum-sweet watermelon spirits I’ve tried in my day, the Dry Gin burst with a decidedly vegetal profile reminiscent of rinds and greenery. Juniper lurked under the surface, no doubt, but the overall impression leaned on a cooling balance of cucumber and summertime fruit. Excellent stuff, and the perfect end to a 75-degree day spent in the heart of Brooklyn.

If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to check out our full video tour linked above. The Fort Hamilton Distillery and Tasting Room is open seven days a week at 68 34th St, Building 6, 2nd Floor.