Making Rye Whiskey at New York Distilling Co.

In a 5,000-square foot barn by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the New York Distilling Company is working on some whiskey. One thousand of the barn’s square feet belong to a bar, The Shanty, and the remaining 4,000 is a cavernous distillery. Most days, it’s a one-man show, with Bill Potter overseeing tanks, thermometers, bags of grain, empty bottles, labels, and barrels and barrels of aging whisky. At the centerpiece of the action, there’s Carl, a big, beautiful custom-built copper and stainless steel still.