Vintage Vodka Vertical

Robert Simonson has an article in today's Diner's Journal about the 2009 vintage of Karlsson's Vodka.  The company launched in 2007 and is the first ever distillery to produce vintage vodka.  Karlsson's used a potato known as Old Swedish Red to produced the 2008 vintage.  Not only were the potatoes all harvested in the same year, they were sourced from a singular plot of land on a single farm.  For this year's 2009 vintage, Simonson explains Karlsson's chose a potato varietal known as Solist.  The resulting vodka "has a softer, more mellow flavor" than the 2008 vodka.

Digest NY founder Craig Cavallo wrote an article about the '08 vintage for Tom Ran's website The Scout Mag back in March.  We thought we'd link you to that article now so you can taste read your way through the first two years of vodka's first ever vintage product.  Head over to thescoutmag for a taste of the Old Swedish Red.

Colin Spoelman and Kings County Distillery

Kings County Distillery got a license to make moonshine and bourbon whiskey in 2010.  When that happened, co-founder Colin Spoelman, a native of Harlan, Kentucky, moved the operation from his apartment to East Williamsburg.  His compassion for the booze that has long been a part of his Appalachian heritage fed the public's loyalty to his brand and Kings County Distillery quickly outgrew the 35 Meadow Street space.  In April of this year, the distillery signed a 20-year lease in the Paymaster Building in Brooklyn's historic Navy Yard.

Clay Risen wrote an article for the Times last week about the two domineering sides to whiskey distilling; traditionalists that age their moonshine in 53-gallon oak barrels for upwards of 20 years, and distilleries like Kings County who are achieving similar (often superior) results aging their product for nine to fifteen months in five-gallon barrels.

Digest NY founder Craig Cavallo recently took a tour of the new Kings County Distillery space and had a chance to chat with Colin about the state of small batch spirits in today's market and how the public graciously accepts his product as an alternative to big brand bourbons.

Read the article over at our friend Tom Ran's website The Scout Mag.

Haven's Kitchen

A native New Yorker, mother of five, and practitioner of sustainability, Alison Schneider opened Haven's Kitchen in January to teach the community about local, sustainable food.  She chose an old, three-story carriage house two blocks from the farmers' market at Union Square as her school.  Her message is delivered through a recreational kitchen, event space, and specialty food shop.

Digest NY founder Craig Cavallo conducted an interview with Alison for The Scout Mag, a lifestyle and design-conscious site launched by Tom Ran in 2008 that highlights unique events, retail and dining experiences in New York City. 

Read the article here.