Very few Whiskeys are as deeply connected to a place as Widow Jane. From Brooklyn to the legendary limestone mines of Rosendale, New York is part of every bottle.

Widow Jane’s story didn’t begin as a Whiskey distillery. Long before Bourbon filled the barrels at 218 Conover Street in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood, the building housed Cacao Prieto, a bean-to-bar chocolate factory founded by aerospace engineer Daniel Preston. Inspired by fermentation and driven by an inventor’s curiosity, Preston expanded from crafting chocolate to producing rum before acquiring exceptional Bourbon barrels. With a vision to revive the lost art of marrying the finest Whiskeys, he created Widow Jane, a craft Bourbon built around the art of blending and the unmistakable character of New York.

That vision led him to one extraordinary ingredient: the mineral-rich limestone water from the historic Widow Jane Mine.

Located nearly 100 miles north of New York City in Rosendale, the limestone mines helped build some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, including the Brooklyn Bridge, the pedestal beneath the Statue of Liberty, Grand Central Terminal, and the Empire State Building. The same rare limestone that strengthened those foundations now shapes every bottle of Widow Jane through the naturally filtered water drawn from the historic Widow Jane Mine.

That water is more than an ingredient. It’s the signature that gives Widow Jane its unmistakable character.

At the distillery in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the team hand-assembles every batch just five barrels at a time, carefully marrying exceptional Straight Bourbons before proofing each batch with this naturally filtered limestone water. Rich in calcium and magnesium, it creates a distinctive feel and allows the Whiskey’s layers of flavor to unfold from the first sip through a long, lingering finish. It’s a taste that couldn’t come from anywhere else.

That deliberate process remains at the heart of Widow Jane today. More than a blended Bourbon, Widow Jane is a true craft Whiskey, with every small batch assembled by hand to achieve balance, depth, and consistency while allowing each release to retain its own character. The New York identity runs even deeper than the water. Widow Jane embraces the creativity, grit, and craftsmanship that define the city itself. Every week, the team continues to distill with carefully selected non-GMO grains while honoring the meticulous blending philosophy that defines the brand.

That same spirit is reflected in the people behind the Whiskey.

Many members of the Widow Jane team have spent more than a decade growing alongside the brand. Michele Clark joined in 2012 as an unpaid graphic design intern and today serves as Vice President, helping guide Widow Jane through years of growth while preserving its distinctive identity. Sienna Jevremov began working weekends in the tasting room before becoming Head Distiller and Blender. Rafael Martinez, Carlos Linares, and others have helped shape production from the early days, bringing consistency, expertise, and craftsmanship to every bottling.

Their stories mirror Widow Jane’s own evolution: built through curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to continually improve while staying true to its roots.

Since joining the Heaven Hill family in 2022, Widow Jane has continued to honor its independent spirit while benefiting from the shared expertise and support that help our brands thrive. Every batch, every innovation, and every bottle reflects the passion of the people behind the brand, from the team in Brooklyn to colleagues across Heaven Hill who help bring Widow Jane to Whiskey lovers around the world. Together, we’re honoring the brand’s distinctive New York roots while helping it reach more Whiskey lovers than ever before.