Great Jones Distilling Co sits right in the heart of NoHo at 686 Broadway, making it the first legal whiskey distillery to operate in Manhattan since Prohibition ended. Founded by Juan Domingo Beckmann (whose family owns Jose Cuervo) and master distiller Spencer McMinn in 2021, this isn’t your typical craft distillery startup story. The operation takes up 28,000 square feet across multiple floors of a restored 1920s industrial building, complete with copper pot stills imported from Scotland and a street-level tasting room that feels more like an upscale cocktail bar than a traditional distillery. Beckmann brought serious resources and decades of spirits knowledge to the project, while McMinn – who trained at some of Kentucky’s most respected distilleries – handles the technical side. Getting city approval took years of navigating regulations that hadn’t been tested since the 1920s, but they persisted because they wanted to prove you could make world-class whiskey in Manhattan. The team sources New York grains when possible and ages their bourbon and rye in charred American oak barrels right there in the building, despite the premium Manhattan real estate costs. You’ll find a polished operation that doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be rustic or folksy – this is Manhattan whiskey-making with Manhattan sophistication. The tasting room serves cocktails made with their spirits alongside samples of their bourbon and rye, and the guided tours actually show you large-scale production happening in real time. It’s expensive to operate here, but they’re committed to proving that New York can produce whiskey that stands alongside Kentucky’s best.