Manhattan’s First Legal Whiskey Distillery Since Prohibition Is Opening This Month

Manhattan is now home to a sprawling whiskey distillery with a cocktail bar

The steadily growing popularity of whiskey reaches NYC as Manhattan will have its first legal whiskey distillery since Prohibition.

The New York Times first reported on the opening of Great Jones Distilling Company, located at 686 Broadway in Noho. The 28,000-square-foot space spans four stories and includes a cocktail bar, tasting room, shop, event area, and a restaurant from Per Se alum Adam Raksin to debut in September. The distillery itself is slated to open to the public on August 21, according to a Great Jones spokesperson.

While this is not Manhattan’s first distillery — Our/New York has been producing vodka in Chelsea since 2018 — Great Jones will draw on local talent for the debut of this groundbreaking whiskey destination. Proximo Spirits, which also owns and operates tequila producer Jose Cuervo, is tapping an experienced team: Celina Perez is the head distiller and Jelani Johnson is the assistant distiller; the duo worked with Owney’s Rum in Brooklyn, the Times reports.

In other news

— Midway through building a two-story outdoor dining structure, the Izakaya NYC put the kibosh on its plans after locals and officials complained, the New York Post reports.

— Late last week, the New York City Council passed several bills to extend an existing policy to February 17, 2022, which won’t allow food delivery apps to charge restaurants excessive commission fees. The cap, first instituted during the pandemic, is set at 15 precent for deliveries.

— The Hamptons, which already saw an influx of high-end takeout last summer, gets even more options this year. Michelin and Caviar are partnering for a limited “Weekender” special with limited delivery and a pick-up site from a food truck parked in Southampton, according to a Michelin spokesperson. Rezdôra and The Musket Room are participating the weekends of August 6 to 8 and 13 to 15, respectively. Yoon, an acclaimed Korean barbecue spot, is also jumping into the takeout game.

— Indonesian pop-up Kaki Lima is heading to Mad Tropical in Bushwick August 7 and 8. Chef Retno Pratiwi tells Eater that the menu includes two dishes not easily found in NYC: Binthebilihuta, a corn-and-coconut bisque, and karedok, a West Javanese salad with a peanut sauce using a spice called kencur.

— B Bar, a trendy nightlife destination in the early aughts when it was known as Bowery Bar, closed for good during the pandemic and now there’s a 21-story office building that will take over the lot, the blog EV Grieve reports.

— Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club near Madison Square Park is looking to hire 100 employees ahead of its August 4 reopening, according to the New York Post’s Page Six column.

— A perfect summer pizza: