Prohibition lifted
Inside Manhattan’s first (legal) spirits distiller y in nearly a century — where locally made vodka is ser ved
SMALL-BATCH vodka maker Our/New York, the first spirits distillery to open in Manhattan since Prohibition, insists it isn’t peddling “hipster” vodka.
“Sure, we could have opened in The Bronx . . . or Brooklyn, but we would have been hipster vodka, you know what I’m saying?” says Dave Ortiz, the skatewear entrepreneur and artist who’s partnered with the Swedish parent company Our/Vodka for the Chelsea distillery and bar. “At the end of the day, do you want to be one among many,” he says, referring to the increasing number of distilleries in the outer boroughs, “or do you want to be the only one?”
Getting approval to build the facility — which processes many gallons of highly flammable ethanol — took five years and about 300 meetings with city officials — and entailed a change in the zoning law.
“Running a distillery in NYC is in direct conflict with the NYC Fire Code,” says Ortiz, who worked with the FDNY on proper safety measures to get permission to open. Visitors to the bar get a view of the distillery through a window.
Our/Vodka — which has six other outposts around the world — makes vodka that is noted for its floral and fruity qualities. Each of the brand’s distilleries, from Berlin to Los Angeles, uses the region’s neutral alcohol — highly concentrated ethanol — plus each city’s own tap water. “Everybody’s vodka tastes a little bit different based on those two ingredients we sought locally,” Ortiz says. Ortiz often personally leads free tours through the distillery Wednesday through Sunday. Before and after the tour, visitors who are 21 or older can sit at the bar or lounge area and sip cocktails, or just try the vodka straight up. Sign up for tours ahead of time online. “Vodka is the forgotten spirit ’cause it’s kind of basic,” the 48-year-old Ortiz says. A lifelong New Yorker who lives in the East Village, Ortiz attributes his brand’s subtly distinctive flavor to the water New York City is famous for — the secret behind the best bagels and pizza dough in the world. “I always say we have the best vodka [of our sister distilleries],” he says, quipping to his colleagues, “If you had good water, you’d make good pizzas!”