French Distillers & Alchemists
Posted by Dustin Horton // December 3, 2018 // Local Business
We recently discovered that many people celebrate Repeal Day. On December 5th, 1933 Prohibition came to an end in the United States with the passage of the 21st Amendment to the US Constitution. Enough history for now. So how does one celebrate Repeal Day?
We’re always looking for ways to have fun and, stay warm this time of the year. We decided to visit French Distillers & Alchemists, our local distillery in Lisle. It turns out they are the first and only legal distillery in Broome County since Prohibition. Contrary to popular belief, it is illegal to distill without a Federal License.
This is a NY Farm Distillery, meaning they use 75% or more NY State ingredients. All of their grains are sourced from local farms. They also age in NY oak barrels.
The name, French Distillers & Alchemists (FDA), does not refer to any type of French method to make their spirits. The name actually comes from the founder and owner Phil French, who one might say has simply expanded a family legacy. Published in 1651, “The Art of Distillation” was authored by a distant relative. This was the first how-to book on the subject available in the English language. Today, Phil’s son and brother are key crew members.
Dedicated to making small batch, hand-crafted whiskeys, FDA uses corn, rye, wheat and malted barley. We were excited to see that the entire small batch process of mashing, distilling, aging, and bottling is done on-site unlike many distillers who purchase their spirits from factory distilleries. These guys are the real deal, and it’s clear they take pride in their craft.
They have a variety of whiskeys, the NY Rye, was our favorite. Their NY Bourbon is their most popular. FDA products are increasingly available in a growing number of area liquor stores, as well. Different size bottles make for great gifts. All in all they make a nice pour, from the mashing and distilling to bottling their own whiskey rather than relying on wholesale liquor bottles.
Open every day of the week, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.. You can visit, sample, purchase, and view the art of the process at the French Distillers & Alchemists Still-House and Tasting Room, 10 Walker Ave, Lisle, NY.
