Saint Lawrence Spirits Distillery

Short overview of the distillery

Saint Lawrence Spirits is located in Clayton, New York and is a family-owned distillery with a wide range of small-batch spirits — from vodka and gin to moonshine, whiskey and bourbon. The distillery has gained recognition with several awards and is noted for using water from the Saint Lawrence River to proof all its bottles, as well as sourcing grain and botanicals locally from its own and regional farms.

History

The distillery was established in 2015 by father- and son-distillers Jody and Bill Garrett. From the outset, the company has emphasized local roots: raw materials and native botanicals are harvested, among others, at Lucky Star Ranch, and grain for moonshine, whiskey and bourbon comes exclusively from New York State farms, of which 90% originate from Jefferson County. In 2018 production capacity grew with the installation of a vodka column, and the facility now houses a 500-gallon Vendome copper pot still, eight fermenters and a mash cooker as well as its own bottling and packaging line. In the following years, this marked the beginning of a series of professional recognitions; in 2019, 2020 and 2021 Saint Lawrence Spirits was named New York State Distillery of the Year, and in 2020 platinum medals at a major international competition helped secure the Governor's Cup for the state.

Raw materials and production

Production combines traditional elements with local raw materials. The distillery uses a 500-gallon Vendome copper pot still for spirit production and has supplemented with a vodka column for clear spirits. The machinery includes eight fermenters and a mash cooker, and bottling takes place in-house at its own bottling and packaging facility. Grain for Moonshine, Whiskey and Bourbon is 100% sourced from New York State farms (of which 90% come from Jefferson County), and the distillery also harvests native botanicals at Lucky Star Ranch for their gin and other products. A distinctive production choice is that they proof all spirits with water from the Saint Lawrence River, a recurring part of their identity. The distillery's maximum capacity is listed as 75,000 proof gallons annually.

Maturation and cask types

Saint Lawrence Spirits uses different types of casks and finishes for their American whiskeys. Among the documented cask types are Cognac-, Sherry- and Tawny Port-finish, which are particularly mentioned in connection with Admiral's Collection and other barrel-aged releases. The distillery also uses barrel-aging for gin and experiments with various previous contents as part of their portfolio of cask-aged products.

Whiskeys

The whiskey lineup spans bourbon, rye, straight American whiskey, and moonshine-based bottles. Names in the portfolio include Captain’s Flask Bourbon, Flagship Whiskey, Rye Knot (both rye whiskey and moonshine variants), Ryesing Tide, Wheelhouse, Icebreaker, Kentucky Son Straight Bourbon, Empire Cream Whiskey and Admiral's Collection with several barrel-aged variants. Several of these releases have received national and international medals, reflecting the distillery's focus on both traditional American whiskey types and barrel experiments.

Visit the distillery

The distillery runs a downtown tasting room at 514 Riverside Drive in Clayton with set opening hours throughout the week; addresses and details are listed in their contact section. At the distillery address (38289 NYS Route 12E) there is a tasting tent with special summer hours listed for 2025. The page also notes that the site no longer operates as a restaurant. For practical inquiries, phone and e-mail can be used.

The stated opening hours are Distillery (Tasting Tent) - 38289 NY-12E: Summer 2025: Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday 11am-7pm, Sunday 11am-6pm, Monday 11am-6pm. Downtown Tasting Room - 514 Riverside Drive: Monday 11am-6pm, Tuesday 11am-6pm, Wednesday 11am-6pm, Thursday 11am-7pm, Friday 11am-8pm, Saturday 11am-8pm, Sunday 11am-6pm. Distillery address: 38289 NYS Route 12E, Clayton, NY 13624.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

Saint Lawrence Spirits highlights family-owned, small-batch production and local sourcing as core values. They prioritize ingredients from local and regional farmers, cultivate and harvest botanicals at their own Lucky Star Ranch, and consistently choose to proof their spirits with water from the Saint Lawrence River to carry a local touch.

Awards and recognitions

• New York State Distillery of the Year (2019)

• New York State Distillery of the Year (2020)

• New York State Distillery of the Year (2021)