Video Field Trip: Van Brunt Stillhouse

Editor-in-Chief Amanda Schuster chats with distillery co-founder Daric Schlesselman in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

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In 2012, Daric Schlesselman and his wife Sarah Ludington opened Van Brunt Stillhouse in a remote space in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, where it took its place in what was then emerging as a bonafide Brooklyn distillery trail. Since then, the Stillhouse has gone on to produce award-winning spirits, including a silver medal for their American Whiskey in the 2014 NY International Spirits Competition, and opened a tasting room with its own cocktail bar, attracting a local following as well as crowds of spirits enthusiasts from around the world.

On a chilly January morning, Editor-in-Chief Amanda Schuster chatted with Schlesselman about making whiskey and other spirits in Brooklyn, and the local history and other inspirations that help shape the operation into such a successful and unique one.

Huge thanks to the talented Kiwi Callahan of Digital Limit Agency (the outfit that did such a stunning job making over our website last year) for her directorial skills, especially difficult to navigate on such a frigid day when I was still recovering from a wretched respiratory illness (hence why you mostly see Daric and not me!).

Enjoy the video and hope to see you on the Brooklyn Distillery Trail!

Amanda Schuster, Editor in Chief of Alcohol Professor, interviews Daric Schlesselman of Van Brunt Stillhouse. Van Brunt Stillhouse is a craft whiskey distillery located in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Founded in 2011, Van Brunt Stillhouse produces award winning American whiskeys, including bourbon, single malt, rye, and moonshine.