Topic: A Sip of Knowledge with Alex Clark of Fort Hamilton Distillery

Hosts: Liz Rhoades, Lew Bryson, & Martin Duffy

What You'll Learn: Join a trio of drink industry veterans in weekly conversation on whiskey, spirits, distilling, marketing, and the current state of the drink industry.  This week, Alex Clark, founder of Fort Hamilton Distillery, joins the group.

Alex Clark is a co-founder and CEO of Fort Hamilton Distillery in Brooklyn, New York. Originally hailing from London, England, Alex moved to New York City in 1998 and immediately fell in love with the city’s energy, its music, its cocktails, and, most importantly, his wife and Fort Hamilton Distillery co-founder, Amy Grindeland.

He discovered his passion for American Whiskey when he started bartending in the early aughts at East Side Company Bar, owned by Sasha Petraske (Milk & Honey). This hole-in-the-wall watering hole was the headquarters of the cocktail renaissance that began in early 2000 and is where Alex would discover that rye whiskey was the base for classic whiskey cocktails such as the Manhattan and Old Fashioned.

This discovery lit a fuse, and he would go on to help develop, launch, and grow Widow Jane Distillery in Red Hook Brooklyn in 2011, successfully taking the company to regional distribution as Director of Sales. Then, in 2015, Alex departed to embark on a journey to create a distillery that would focus on recreating the iconic New York Rye Whiskey style at Fort Hamilton Distillery.

Distilled from New York grains and aged in a temperature-controlled warehouse in historic Industry City Brooklyn, Alex’s process at Fort Hamilton gives the liquor its distinctive rich, round, and robust character, which is the perfect fit for cocktails and sipping alike. Fort Hamilton also offers bourbon and gin is forthcoming. The distillery is
open for tours, tastings and cocktails.

Liz Rhoades, founder of Spirit Safe Consulting, former research scientist for DIAGEO, distilling consultant, spirits writer for The Whiskey Wash & presenter.

Lew Bryson, former managing editor for Whisky Advocate Magazine for 20 years, whiskey author, beer/whiskey writer and presenter.

Martin Duffy, former DIAGEO Master of Whisky for the Midwest, DIAGEO Reserve Brand Ambassador for The Republic of Ireland, North American Brand Representative for Glencairn Crystal.