In honor of National Bourbon Heritage Month, we’re highlighting some of our favorite local bourbons! Like sports, music, and dogs, people are extremely passionate when it comes to their booze. And who can blame them? A distinctly American whiskey, bourbon is considered America’s "native spirit" with its historical, cultural, economic, and social influence. What better way to represent that spirit than with some local whiskies! Read on to discover whiskey distilleries right in your backyard.

Black Button Distilling

Established in 2012 by Jason Barrett, who was 24 years old at the time, Black Button Distilling was Rochester’s first grain-to-glass distillery since Prohibition. By staying true to their vision and following their own path, making adventurous craft spirits with locally sourced ingredients, Black Button is a leader in the Empire State's craft spirits movement. 

Four Grain Straight Bourbon 375 ml

Celebrated in Forbes, Town & Country, and by whiskey lovers across the country, it opens with aromas of fresh oak, toffee and leather, flecked with subtle caramel and vanilla flavors. The finish is dry, clean and easy, with slight hints of charred oak and vanilla.

Kings County Distillery

Kings County Distillery is New York City's oldest, largest, and premier whiskey distillery, the first since Prohibition. Founded in 2010, Kings County makes handmade moonshine, bourbon, and other whiskeys out of the 120-year-old Paymaster Building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Straight Bourbon Whiskey 200 ml

A bourbon made like a Scotch, the mash bill is comprised of 80% New York organic corn and 20% English Golden Promise barley for a high-malt recipe that forgoes the wheat or rye typical of Kentucky bourbons. This mash is then double pot distilled for a rich and flavorful white spirit. After aging in a variety of new charred oak barrels for anywhere between 3 and 6 years, the bourbon is carefully blended to ensure quality and complexity. With prominent notes of caramel and vanilla, as well as undertones of dark berries, this bottle is cited frequently in lists of best craft bourbons.

Tuthilltown Spirits

Over 230 years ago, the story of this distillery began with the construction of the Tuthilltown Gristmill, a testament to New York ingenuity. Their 36 acres are situated on the outer fringe of the New York metropolitan area, at the foot of the Shawangunk Mountains, in the heart of the Hudson Valley that inspires Tuthilltown Spirits' craft. 

Bright Lights, Big Bourbon 375 ml

Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Bright Lights, Big Bourbon is a bold, grain-forward, no-holds-barred straight bourbon whiskey. Distilled from New York corn and aged in new charred American oak barrels, with notes of rich vanilla and lightly salted caramel on the finish, it shines brighter than the rest.