You’ll find Woodlawn Distilling tucked into a renovated 1920s warehouse on York Road West in Linwood, about 30 minutes southwest of Rochester. Founded in 2019 by husband-and-wife team Mike and Sarah Chen, this craft operation started after Mike’s 15-year career as a chemical engineer and Sarah’s background in hospitality management converged into a shared obsession with small-batch spirits. They spent three years converting the 4,000-square-foot former grain storage facility, installing a custom 500-gallon copper pot still from Louisville and retrofitting the space with concrete floors and reclaimed barn wood tasting bars. The distillery focuses on bourbon, rye whiskey, and seasonal gin, with production capped at around 200 barrels annually to maintain their hands-on approach. Mike handles the distillation while Sarah manages the tasting room and special events, creating what locals describe as one of the Finger Lakes region’s most authentic craft distillery experiences. The Chens didn’t just want to make spirits—they wanted to prove that New York grain could compete with Kentucky bourbon, sourcing corn and wheat from farms within 50 miles of the distillery.