Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining

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.

Colin Spoelman, a former rooftop moonshiner from Kentucky, and David Haskell, the great-grandson of a prohibition-era bootlegger from New York, founded Brooklyn’s Kings County Distillery in 2010 to make small-scale batches of moonshine, bourbon, and other whiskeys. Spoelman is a full-time distiller and writer; Haskell is deputy editor at New York magazine.