New York Distilling Company, Brooklyn

Leave it to Brooklyn to house a fully functioning gin distillery attached to a neighborhood bar. Owner Allen Katz, a renowned cocktail and spirits expert, uses a pot-and-column still custom made in Germany to make his signature gins: the 114-proof Perry’s Tot Navy Strength (named for Matthew Calbraith Perry, who was commandant of the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the mid-1800s), and Dorothy Parker American, a lighter offering featuring botanicals like juniper, cinnamon and hibiscus. “There is a current gin craze among professionals and cocktail enthusiasts,” says Katz, who also makes a rye whiskey. “It is enticing to be able to add something new to the category.” Everything in the operation is done by hand, and the Shanty—the distillery’s in-house bar—shows off the end product in a variety of delicious cocktails. 79 Richardson St.; 718-412-0874; nydistilling.com.