Great Jones Distillery Review: Tour, Bars/Food & Live Music

New York City is a city with a rich history. Buildings, businesses, and people all around have amazing stories to tell. Great Jones Distilling Co., aka Great Jones Distillery, is no exception.

Great Jones Distillery is the first whiskey distillery in Manhattan since Prohibition in the 1920s.

The space in NoHo is a massive 28,000-square-foot area with four levels, 3+ bars, a restaurant, and, of course, a fully functioning distillery.

Here’s what we’ll cover about the Great Jones Distillery in NYC:

• Who owns Great Jones?
• Whiskey tour review
• Bars & food options

Let’s look at each one below. 👇

Quick Links:

• Reserve a table at The Restaurant at Great Jones Distilling Co.
• Book a tour of the Great Jones Distillery

Note: This article was written by a real human who lives in NYC, not artificial intelligence. 🥸

Great Jones Distillery Review Podcast Episode

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Who Owns Great Jones Distillery?

Great Jones is the dream of Juan Domingo Beckmann, an 11th-generation spirits maker and chief executive who is the founder of Proximo Spirits, a liquor company based in Jersey City, N.J., that owns the new distillery, and whose family owns and operates the tequila giant Jose Cuervo.

Great Jones Distillery Tour Review

For around $40, you can tour this historic distillery and learn all about the whiskey distillation process. The tour also allows you to try all 4 of their whiskeys, learn about tasting, and even see pieces of prohibition-era history, including a hidden area used by bootleggers to run alcohol between buildings.

We have experienced the tour a few times with different guests, and have loved each experience. It is professional, the perfect length, and it helps you learn all about whiskey and its creation.

The tour guides are extremely knowledgable, friendly, and are eager to answer questions throughout the tour.

We highly recommend taking the Great Jones Distillery tour if you want to sample their whiskeys and tour the beautiful space.

When you take a tour, you also get a discount (I believe 10%) on items in their store, including their bottles of whiskey.

Do You Need to Book the Great Jones Tour in Advance?

While you can sometimes get lucky with a walk in, reserving a tour in advance is the best choice.

They have a wide variety of times throughout the week, so there is likely a time that works for your needs.

Check available times and book in advance here.

How Much Whiskey Do You Get to Try on the Great Jones Tour?

While it has slightly varied during our tours, you typically get to try four whiskeys. They are about 1-1.5 oz pours of whiskey, so you’re getting a great amount of liquor as part of the tour.

Our favorite is their Empire Rye. While we usually don’t opt for ryes, it has a wonderful flavor.

Great Jones Distilling Co Bars & Restaurant Review

While the tour is phenomenal, you can also go to one of the bars or restaurants within the space. They often have live music nights and events throughout the week.

Great Jones Distillery has happy hour every Tuesday-Friday from 3:30-6 pm and all day Sunday. It includes $11 cocktails, $2 oysters, $3 wings, and plenty more options.

Here are some of our favorite cocktails from The Bar at Great Jones:

• Mr. Jones — bourbon, ginger liquor, lemon juice situation
• Third Street Sour — bourbon, pear puree, lemon juice, red wine float
• Empire State Cobbler — bourbon, apple cider, lemon juice, orgeat

The food is a bit expensive but solid. Most entrees and appetizers are in the $15-$40 range. We’ve loved their burger, oysters during happy hour, and the BBQ wings.

Great Jones Distilling Co Recap & Next Steps

Great Jones Distillery and its associated tour and restaurant are a phenomenal option for a fun activity in New York City that also gets you a little buzzed!

If you want to do the tour, be sure to book in advance.

Have questions about Great Jones? Ask in the comments.

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