Finger Lakes Distilling is pleased to offer several new opportunities for their customers to learn more about how distilled spirits are produced. Every Saturday morning at 11 am, the distillery is hosting in-depth tours of the facility. The tours last approximately one hour and consist of a brief introductory video, a walking tour of the distillery, a sampling of three spirits, and a complimentary Finger Lakes Distilling glass.
“People are fascinated by the distilling process,” said company President, Brian McKenzie. “We’ve tried to set our tasting room up in a way that people can see much of the equipment, but our guests seem to want more. We’ve designed the tour to be very comprehensive, so that people leave with a full understanding of how our spirits are crafted.”
The focus of the tour is the production of McKenzie Whiskeys – grain handling, processing, fermenting, distilling, and barrel aging – though other spirits will be covered, as well. The tours will run every Saturday through November 29, 2014, and cost $18 per person.
Additionally, the distillery has scheduled a gin-focused seminar for Wednesday, June 4 from 6-8 pm. Gin 101 will cover the history of the world’s gins, an overview of the process of creating gin, tastings along with a light dinner, and the opportunity to bottle your own bottle of gin, by hand. The gin seminar costs $30 per person.
On Saturday, June 21, the distillery will also be hosting three spirits and cheese pairing classes. NYC Cheese Educator, Dan Belmont, will introduce several wonderful cheeses while pairing them with Finger Lakes Distilling’s spirits. Participants will learn practical tips like pairing principles, the care and storage of cheese, and the basics of cheese production. Three 1-hour sessions will be offered at 12 pm, 2 pm, and 4 pm at the cost of $25 per person.
Reservations for the tours and seminars must be made by calling (607) 546-5510 between 11 am and 5 pm or visiting the Finger Lakes Distilling website at www.fingerlakesdistilling.com.
Finger Lakes Distilling is the region’s first stand-alone distillery. Located in the heart of wine country, the distillery produces a wide range of distilled spirits – vodka, gin, whiskeys, brandies, and liqueurs – from locally grown fruit and grains. The distillery’s products are now sold in over 400 retailers throughout NYS, as well as at the distillery’s tasting room, overlooking Seneca Lake. Finger Lakes Distilling has been mentioned in several national publications including the NY Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and Food & Wine. Finger Lakes Distilling’s McKenzie Rye Whiskey was recently voted Best NYS Spirit at the Food & Wine Classic.
More information about the distillery can be found at www.fingerlakesdistilling.com.
