As many of you have heard us say before, one of the greatest benefits of our Co-Presidency is our ability to divide and conquer. Our recent trip to New York City was a perfect example of this benefit in action.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting the unique pocket of Brooklyn called Red Hook, home to Widow Jane, Samson & Surrey’s thoughtfully and beautifully crafted whiskey.

One of the first questions I find myself asking when visiting our amazing sites across the globe is, “So, what does a typical day here look like?” Before I even asked the question on this particular trip, I soon become aware of one certain fact: There is no normal day at Widow Jane. Though it is located in the quiet, hidden gem that is Red Hook, the level of activity at Widow Jane’s artisanal whiskey distillery makes the hustle and bustle on the streets of New York look like a cakewalk! The Widow Jane team is doing INCREDIBLE work. Though the team is small, they are also mighty. Each team member is intensely kind, intelligent and above all, passionate. The brand is experiencing exponential growth, year over year. Led by VP Operations Michele Clark, the team is always on the hunt for the next best way to execute their best-in-class way of working.

On any given day, the team might receive a truck holding a shipment from across bourbon country. The barrels on the truck are crucial to Widow Jane’s five-barrel blends. When a shipment is received, a 1-2oz sample is pulled and experts including Michele and her teammates Head Bartender Botanica Jacob Melinger and Distiller/Blender Sienna Jevremov get to work assembling 100 ml blends to test how well various juices interact with each other. Sometimes they define lovely notes on their first try, other times they identify rejects and test more rounds, swapping out barrels to create the perfect product. Once it’s decided, the blend number is trusted to the warehouse team where the barrels are married together and staged. Then, the liquid is proofed for Rosendale limestone mineral water, filtered through a charcoal press and finally, goes through bottling lines. The entire process is handled with an outstanding attention to detail and that fact is unmistakable when you taste the final product.

On top of all of this, the team gives tours, industry visits and on-premise trainings. To allow production to continue while activity is happening on site, the team has exhibited incredible innovation, creating custom tours and VIP tastings that not only run parallel to what’s happening, but truly complement it, giving the attendee a deeper understanding into the artisanal distilling process.

Widow Jane’s flagship whiskey is its 10-Year Bourbon. Made up of juice from Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee, the 10-Year Bourbon allowed Widow Jane to be in the market in an extremely effective way. With each exquisite liquid that is included being a minimum of 10 years old, the recipe evolves over time and keeps consumers and bartenders alike coming back for more.

Visitors can enjoy this iconic bourbon and the rest of the Samson & Surrey portfolio at the historic bar on any given Friday-Sunday for a high-end experience along with provided education.

The next time you’re in New York, we highly recommend that you venture into the charming Red Hook neighborhood and pay the Widow Jane team a visit. We hope that many of you get to experience the wonder of Widow Jane and the rest of the Samson & Surrey portfolio as we continue to partner to spur on future growth and innovation.