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The Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining: How to Make and Drink Whiskey
The whiskey companion from Brooklyn’s premier craft distillery—with a how-to guide to home distilling, history, recipes, and more.A new generation of urban bootleggers is distilling whiskey at home, and cocktail enthusiasts have embraced the nuances of brown liquors. Written by the founders of Kings County Distillery, New York City’s first distillery since Prohibition, this spirited illustrated book explores America’s age-old love affair with whiskey. It begins with chapters on whiskey’s history and culture from 1640 to today, when the DIY trend and the classic cocktail craze have conspired to make it the next big thing. For those thirsty for practical information, the book next provides a detailed, easy-to-follow guide to safe home distilling, complete with a list of supplies, step-by-step instructions, and helpful pictures, anecdotes, and tips. The final section focuses on the contemporary whiskey scene, featuring a list of microdistillers, cocktail and food recipes from the country’s hottest mixologists and chefs, and an opinionated guide to building your own whiskey collection.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2013
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355 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 3, 2013
This ended up being a great little reference book about mostly American whiskey. It was more readable in some parts than others, but was a very enlightening read for the most part. It does have a lot of information presented for *cough cough* the home distiller and while I won't be starting up that bootlegging moonshine business anytime soon the information seemed very well presented and easy to follow if one was going to travel down that road. ( of course, making your own hard liquor at home is illegal in every state and this book makes sure you know that) A lot of the information presented did shatter some of the fun mythology and mystique about bourbon and other American whiskies but all the information was presented well and worth reading, if you are a whiskey enthusiast like I am. It also has some nice tips for building a home bar, and fun cocktail recipes. This book should spark some good conversations about whiskey.Buy one for a whiskey loving friend. I will be.
January 9, 2014
A good read and particularly valuable for the historical background about whiskey and details of how it's made. It ends with some enticing recipes for various cocktails and whiskey drinks, though some are ridiculously complex and I doubt I'll be making them any time soon (as much as I would enjoy trying to make my own absinthe, for example). I skipped the chapter about how to make whiskey because I doubt I'll be able to take it up in the near future, not having a suitable outdoor area to try it in. But maybe someday!
I especially liked that the book included some notes comparing various brands, and also had particular recommendations from whiskey makers and enthusiasts about bottles to have around. My other cocktail books have lots of recipes but stop short of recommending particular brands, so I'll be turning to this one when I empty my current bottle of Evan Williams Black Label and want to try something new.
I especially liked that the book included some notes comparing various brands, and also had particular recommendations from whiskey makers and enthusiasts about bottles to have around. My other cocktail books have lots of recipes but stop short of recommending particular brands, so I'll be turning to this one when I empty my current bottle of Evan Williams Black Label and want to try something new.
January 31, 2019
A great read about the Whisky blenders/distillers and moonshiners of the US. The level of history about each of the distilleries is exciting and lends to the stories of each of the distilleries. An excellent book for anyone just getting into Whiskey.
February 6, 2014
I mean, I really like whiskey, so from the Table of Contents I knew I'd enjoy this. Great information on the history of American whiskeys, and some nice background on what exactly whiskey is and how it is distilled. The book is approachable even if you know zilch about spirits, and the narration is fun. At times the voice seems a tad pretentious, but I guess that comes with the territory of penning a book on craft-distilling and recommending that people might want to brush up on their metallurgy skills to craft their own still.
Also, some baller recipes for whiskey-based food and drink recipes in the back. Be warned, Haskell and Spoelman put American whiskey on a pedestal, prop Scotch up a little bit lower, and then make every effort to drag Vodka through the mud and dirty it up like some sort of Victorian-era street urchin. Which I'm cool with, because I like my Vodka dirty anyways.
Also, some baller recipes for whiskey-based food and drink recipes in the back. Be warned, Haskell and Spoelman put American whiskey on a pedestal, prop Scotch up a little bit lower, and then make every effort to drag Vodka through the mud and dirty it up like some sort of Victorian-era street urchin. Which I'm cool with, because I like my Vodka dirty anyways.
January 4, 2014
I'm trying to get smarter about whiskey. Basically all I knew about it before I read this little history/recipe book was that it's delicious and makes all warm drinks 84 percent better. It also teaches you how to brew hard liquors at home while reminding you about one hundred times that it is totally illegal to brew hard liquors at home.
January 7, 2015
To be honest, I had low expectations--was expecting something more coffee-table like. The book is impressively well-written and brings a great mixture of history, storytelling, and interesting background and facts. Super interesting.
July 8, 2018
In 2010, a former Kentucky rooftop moonshiner joined forces with the great-grandson of a Prohibition-era bootlegger. Kings County Distillery was born; the first of its kind in New York City since the national alcohol ban of the 1920s. Kings County produces highly awarded, small-batch moonshine, bourbon and other whiskeys at the Brooklyn Navy Yard's Paymaster Building—where naval officers once picked up their paychecks. Now, co-founders Colin Spoelman and David Haskell have applied their knowledge, passion and precision to a new project: A book.
"The Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining: How to Make and Drink Whiskey" published by Abrams Book is a multi-faceted ode to whiskey love and a handbook on the history of whiskey from 1640 to today, with a focus upon its role and reputation in America. It's also an easy how-to guide for making your own moonshine, complete with a cocktail recipe section for when your homemade spirits are ready for enjoying. Illustrated and also containing 55 black and white photographs, it's ideal for any enthusiast, historian or potential moonshiner.
As the book calls to attention, whiskey is one of the most challenging, personal spirits to make. "There is a reason why so many bourbons are named after people, and so few other spirits are," it notes. From speakeasies to George Washington's stills, it's deeply embedded in American culture. With the contemporary whiskey scene bustling and a new, emerging class of bourbon drinkers always growing, this book is a great guide.
"The Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining: How to Make and Drink Whiskey" published by Abrams Book is a multi-faceted ode to whiskey love and a handbook on the history of whiskey from 1640 to today, with a focus upon its role and reputation in America. It's also an easy how-to guide for making your own moonshine, complete with a cocktail recipe section for when your homemade spirits are ready for enjoying. Illustrated and also containing 55 black and white photographs, it's ideal for any enthusiast, historian or potential moonshiner.
As the book calls to attention, whiskey is one of the most challenging, personal spirits to make. "There is a reason why so many bourbons are named after people, and so few other spirits are," it notes. From speakeasies to George Washington's stills, it's deeply embedded in American culture. With the contemporary whiskey scene bustling and a new, emerging class of bourbon drinkers always growing, this book is a great guide.
October 2, 2022
Overall the book is a quick read and and provides an approachable introduction to distilling that will leave you excited to get started rather than feeling intimidated by the proxies!
The first part of the book provides a quick history lesson on whiskey in America and concludes with a rundown of the state of distilling today. I especially appreciated that the authors took the time to explain the the various branding that goes on today. It’s a huge help when navigating the shelves of the local liquor store.
The second part dives into the business of the distilling. Again, I think the authors nailed it. They get right to the point of explaining how to make good distillates without going overboard or being pretentious.
The final section is more of a recipe book and includes everything from recipes for absinthe to how to make bread with your leftover grains. A fun amalgamation of recipes!
The first part of the book provides a quick history lesson on whiskey in America and concludes with a rundown of the state of distilling today. I especially appreciated that the authors took the time to explain the the various branding that goes on today. It’s a huge help when navigating the shelves of the local liquor store.
The second part dives into the business of the distilling. Again, I think the authors nailed it. They get right to the point of explaining how to make good distillates without going overboard or being pretentious.
The final section is more of a recipe book and includes everything from recipes for absinthe to how to make bread with your leftover grains. A fun amalgamation of recipes!
February 9, 2021
I was lucky enough to find this book in Little Free Library! This was a great introduction to both the history of whiskey in the United States and the basics of distilling. Chapters with short distiller bios and an overview of the large and small craft distillers provided a good overview on the rapidly growing world of distillings although much more has happened since it was written in 2013. The final pages on how to drink whiskey have some great cocktail and a few food recipes as well.
March 29, 2021
Makes me want to participate in a libation, but cured me of a desire to distill my own. The cure was the potential toxicity and the ever present danger of fire; not to mention my age precludes drinking my product, though most distillers distill for future generations, their children or grandchildren.
September 11, 2020
This book was a joy to read
April 22, 2021
Written well, interesting history of whiskey and overview of distillery as of 2013, and great insightful chapter on actually making whiskey. The best homedistilling book I came across.
April 12, 2016
I consider myself a whiskey drinker - and by no means a connoisseur. I'll admit I've been interested in the distillation process, but not curious enough to actually do any research.
But, like many of the books in my ever expanding library, I bought this one on a whim. My wife won tickets to see Collective Soul unplugged at a small venue recently. While waiting, I saw this book displayed in the gift shop and decided to give it a go.
I'm the first to say that if you like the taste of something, that's all that really matters. There are those pretentious people who think that if you aren't drinking Johnny Walker Blue, then you must be drinking tap water - and those people, I say, "Get a life".
This book - written by two distillers - starts out with a history of whiskey (or whisky, bourbon, Tennessee Sour Mash, or the any other name you may know it by). They get into the bootlegging, the different kinds, the reason for the many names, and what happened during Prohibition.
They then move on to extremely detailed instructions on how to create and distill your own batch of "moonshine". Pay close attention to the laws in your state - just owning a still in mine (VA) is a punishable offense; even if it's just a water still.
After that, they move on to some tips on opening a legitimate distillery.
The book finishes up with some recipes for - what else - cocktails that have whiskey as an ingredient.
If you're even remotely curious as to how that amber "nectar of the gods" is created, along with the many different characteristics it's made up of, then this book is for you.
Cheers!
But, like many of the books in my ever expanding library, I bought this one on a whim. My wife won tickets to see Collective Soul unplugged at a small venue recently. While waiting, I saw this book displayed in the gift shop and decided to give it a go.
I'm the first to say that if you like the taste of something, that's all that really matters. There are those pretentious people who think that if you aren't drinking Johnny Walker Blue, then you must be drinking tap water - and those people, I say, "Get a life".
This book - written by two distillers - starts out with a history of whiskey (or whisky, bourbon, Tennessee Sour Mash, or the any other name you may know it by). They get into the bootlegging, the different kinds, the reason for the many names, and what happened during Prohibition.
They then move on to extremely detailed instructions on how to create and distill your own batch of "moonshine". Pay close attention to the laws in your state - just owning a still in mine (VA) is a punishable offense; even if it's just a water still.
After that, they move on to some tips on opening a legitimate distillery.
The book finishes up with some recipes for - what else - cocktails that have whiskey as an ingredient.
If you're even remotely curious as to how that amber "nectar of the gods" is created, along with the many different characteristics it's made up of, then this book is for you.
Cheers!
February 7, 2014
The Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining:How to Make and Drink Whiskey is not really a technical manual on how to make whiskey, although a primer on home distilling/micro-distilling is part of this short book. Instead, this is really more of a memoir by the proprietors of Kings County Distillery, David Haskell and Colin Spoelman, a collection of stories and observations drawn from the journey of two men who made the transition from casual whiskey drinkers to the owners of the only active distillery in Brooklyn.
Some have complained that the title is misleading, since so little of the book dwells on the process of making moonshine. Such complaints are justifiable, although they ignore the “and Drink” part of the title, and that is an important part. As a primer for a nascent whiskey fan, who wants to make the move from casual drinking to serious interest in the stuff, the book is first-rate. One walks away from this engaging little work with a good sense of what whiskey is, who makes it, how it is made, and why that is important.
Those who want to build a still from scratch and start making whiskey in their back shed will need another book, but even so, Guide to Urban Moonshining is the sort of work that belongs on the bookshelves of most who like American whiskey and enjoy a pleasant read. Diehard whiskey enthusiasts might enjoy comparing their collections against those of Haskell, Spoelman, and Allison Patel of Brenne French Whisky, and I for one look forward to trying the shrimp and grits recipe tucked into the back.
Some have complained that the title is misleading, since so little of the book dwells on the process of making moonshine. Such complaints are justifiable, although they ignore the “and Drink” part of the title, and that is an important part. As a primer for a nascent whiskey fan, who wants to make the move from casual drinking to serious interest in the stuff, the book is first-rate. One walks away from this engaging little work with a good sense of what whiskey is, who makes it, how it is made, and why that is important.
Those who want to build a still from scratch and start making whiskey in their back shed will need another book, but even so, Guide to Urban Moonshining is the sort of work that belongs on the bookshelves of most who like American whiskey and enjoy a pleasant read. Diehard whiskey enthusiasts might enjoy comparing their collections against those of Haskell, Spoelman, and Allison Patel of Brenne French Whisky, and I for one look forward to trying the shrimp and grits recipe tucked into the back.
March 26, 2016
Here's what the Kings County boys are doing for you with this book:
They are clearing up a ton of bullshit that's been poured over the top of bourbon and liquor culture for decades. There's a lot of myth-busting in this book, and you will be thankful for the straight dope. Like that "small batch" rye you like to drink (I fell for the Templeton "Capone" pitch also), all that rye is being drawn from the inventory of a major distillery in Indiana. There's a handy-dandy flow chart that shows you what major distillery is producing what brands. All of this showing that bourbon culture and the industry is perhaps better at marketing than they are at fire prevention (read it, and you'll know what I'm saying). Also, as you've long suspected, that top shelf vodka you like in your martini doesn't taste any different than the booze in the plastic bottles on the bottom shelf.
If you're looking for a more in depth recipe book, or a home/craft distillers handbook, there are better sources (and the Kings County boys list them for you in the back of their book). But if you want a good history of moonshining, the industry of booze, and the rise of craft distilling, this is a worthy read.
They are clearing up a ton of bullshit that's been poured over the top of bourbon and liquor culture for decades. There's a lot of myth-busting in this book, and you will be thankful for the straight dope. Like that "small batch" rye you like to drink (I fell for the Templeton "Capone" pitch also), all that rye is being drawn from the inventory of a major distillery in Indiana. There's a handy-dandy flow chart that shows you what major distillery is producing what brands. All of this showing that bourbon culture and the industry is perhaps better at marketing than they are at fire prevention (read it, and you'll know what I'm saying). Also, as you've long suspected, that top shelf vodka you like in your martini doesn't taste any different than the booze in the plastic bottles on the bottom shelf.
If you're looking for a more in depth recipe book, or a home/craft distillers handbook, there are better sources (and the Kings County boys list them for you in the back of their book). But if you want a good history of moonshining, the industry of booze, and the rise of craft distilling, this is a worthy read.
February 13, 2017
I seriously considered buying a still after reading this book. Probably would've blown up my apartment.
January 5, 2014
O.k. So the title and other sources led me to interest in this book.
I read the kindle edition.
There's no freaking TOC.. So you can't skip around effectively.
Which matters because...
The first 1/3 of the book is about the history of whiskey/etc.
Then about 1/4 on how to produce your own whiskey.
Then the rest is a bunch of drink recipes and how to stock your whiskey bar.
If you're o.k. with that then buy the book.
The writing was well done.
I was most interested in just the 1/3rd of the book about the process,etc.
I read the kindle edition.
There's no freaking TOC.. So you can't skip around effectively.
Which matters because...
The first 1/3 of the book is about the history of whiskey/etc.
Then about 1/4 on how to produce your own whiskey.
Then the rest is a bunch of drink recipes and how to stock your whiskey bar.
If you're o.k. with that then buy the book.
The writing was well done.
I was most interested in just the 1/3rd of the book about the process,etc.
March 31, 2014
This is a great book on the history of whiskey and moonshining here in America. There are suggestions for starting your own distillery, recipes for whiskey based cocktails and even diagrams of all the American distilleries and how they all fit together. After finishing it, I almost want to try my hand at moonshining ( but I wouldn't of course since it's illegal). This book is a valuable resource for both the novice whiskey drinker like myself and seasoned pros who are looking for suggestions on what to drink next!
April 4, 2014
Though I enjoy whiskey (in moderation, of course, except when not in moderation), I'd never given any thought to how it's made. This book was a terrific introduction to the topic. Favorite quote: "Every vodka order is a wasted opportunity." I will now be able to authoritatively explain how scotch, bourbon and rye differ from each other. (When asked in the past, I'd simply make stuff up.)
That said, I don't think I'll start brewing my own, as the likelihood of accidental death or dismemberment seems high...
That said, I don't think I'll start brewing my own, as the likelihood of accidental death or dismemberment seems high...
April 18, 2015
This book is an in depth look for both novice and expert on all things whiskey; both from the history to the process (not to mention the invaluable "whiskey tree" that uncovers similar mash recipes of certain bottles). A much needed addition to the home library and an "eye-opener" for shopping for whiskey diversity. Can not stress again the importance of Spoelman and Haskells book to clarify and allow transparency among the plethora of whiskey (craft and larger scale).
January 21, 2017
For a book I picked up at a Little Free Library, this was surprisingly really good. Starts with a general introduction to spirits and their differences, does a survey of various whiskeys and the various companies involved, covers how to distill, provides some ideas of how to build a whiskey bar, then gives some fascinating cocktail and food recipes. A relatively quick, light read, but as someone who knew very little about whiskey, I felt like I learned a lot.
May 31, 2014
I picked this up wanting to know about what goes into making whiskey but got a whole lot more. The folk law, history, infographics and story laced recipes make for great reading. I was inspired to have a go myself and am glad I did. It's also taught me to be less precious about my whiskey. Which in itself has opened up a whole new world of whisky enjoyment.
September 29, 2016
Great information on making your own Whiskey and very interesting back story on the history of moonshine on the east coast....especially since I have watched all seasons of "Justified" which is based on some of the people that are in the book. A great read for any Whiskey lover I would say....or any "Justified" fan.
June 6, 2016
I hear some people are disappointed in the how-to aspect of this book, but I read it for the history and survey of American whiskeys, which I thought was very well done. For me it was a nice follow-up to the recent book "Drink More Whiskey!"
November 30, 2013
I really enjoyed reading this book. You can read my full review at
http://www.ezdrinking.com/ezdrinking/...
http://www.ezdrinking.com/ezdrinking/...
December 11, 2013
Mostly partisan opinion cloaked as gospel, still gems to fished out.
February 23, 2014
A lot of good information about distilling... if you're considering trying it yourself :)
March 25, 2014
Quick Read about Whiskey. Shows how industrial many Whiskeys are and how false their image is. Good Stuff.
August 8, 2014
Not a bad book. Definitely great that a small scale business can grow. A little one sided about whiskey, but the author admits his bias.
March 28, 2015
There are other books better to learn how to distill spirits but this is a great book to build the mystique and encourage folks to break the law and become a moonshiner.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews