Great Jones Distilling Co — Restaurant in New York

Review: VIP Tour at Great Jones Distillery – A Must-Visit NYC Experience

Yesterday, my fiancée, twin brother, and I had the pleasure of experiencing the VIP Tour at Great Jones Distillery, and let me just say—what an incredible experience!

First Impressions & Atmosphere

From the moment we stepped inside, we were shocked and excited by the stunning 1920s-inspired decor that immediately transported us to the Prohibition era. The lobby area is breathtaking, with a luxurious, vintage ambiance and a massive copper distillation machine serving as an eye-catching centerpiece. It was a great introduction to the craftsmanship and care that goes into making their bourbon.

Before the tour began, we got a quick look at their restaurant space, which, while currently not serving regular meals, does accommodate private events with curated menus—a pleasant surprise for those looking to host a special gathering.

Pre-Tour Drinks & Bites

While waiting for our full party, we grabbed drinks at the dimly lit, roaring ‘20s-style bar before heading to our reserved table. Since bourbon on an empty stomach can be tricky, we ordered a few light bites: wings, prawns, and fresh bread, along with cocktails from their happy hour (3-6 PM, an absolute steal!).

One standout moment was the bartender’s attentiveness—right before happy hour ended, they checked in to see if we wanted to grab another round before prices changed. Gold star service! I went with the Paper Plane cocktail, which was perfectly balanced and served in an elegant glass. Highly recommend.

The Tour – An Educational & Fun Experience

Once our tour began, we were led by Jaxson, our guide, who was an absolute pro. He was knowledgeable, personable, and had a great sense of humor. No matter how many excited questions we threw at him (or how often we cut him off in our enthusiasm), he handled it effortlessly. Elite-level guide.

We learned about the bourbon-making process, starting in the distillery on the second floor (a requirement due to outdated NY laws), and got a deep dive into what makes bourbon legally bourbon (the “ABCDE” rules—I won’t spoil them for future guests). As a history buff, I loved learning about the industry’s evolution pre- and post-Prohibition and how NY laws have changed in recent years to allow distilleries like this to thrive.

The Tasting – A Bourbon Lover’s Dream

Then came the tasting experience, which was an absolute 10/10. Jaxson took us on a sensory journey through four distinct bourbons, guiding us through their aroma, taste, and how adding drops of water (“blooming”) brings out complexities.

I typically don’t like rye whiskey, but this tasting may have changed my mind. Each bourbon had distinct layers, and Jaxson did an excellent job explaining the differences in a way that was engaging and easy to understand.

Final Thoughts – Highly Recommended!

The entire experience was top-notch, from the service to the tasting and even the unexpectedly great food. Whether you’re a couple, a small group, or a large party, I highly recommend visiting.

The building itself is a maze of surprises, including a small speakeasy-style space for private parties. You might even hear an MTA train zooming by, adding to the authentic NYC charm.

Huge thanks to the team at Great Jones Distillery—you’re doing an amazing job! I’ll...

Take the tour, skip the food

The tour of the distillery is nice. The guide had a great amount of knowledge and was enthusiastic for the tour, she was great. You get a discount if you live in the city and you also get $10 off a bottle purchase at the end of the tour.

However, the food was disappointing. We sat down, was told we couldn’t put in an appetizer without putting in our entrees all at once - ok, sure, give us a minute. We select our entrees and put in our appetizers (bbq wings and oysters). The oysters were subpar and over priced at $52/dozen. They don’t give you any vinegar or horseradish, and half the oysters were lacking any sustenance. If you’re charging over $4/oyster the waiter should know where they’re from and they should be flavorful.

The so-call BBQ wings were good, but they had no BBQ flavor or smokiness to them, they may as well had been wings with a sweet glaze. Ask for hot sauce if you want them, and ask for extra cause they’re stingy with it.

For my entree I ordered their burger (med. rare) and old fashioned special for $25, who doesn’t like a deal. I asked if it would be possible to use their rye whiskey instead of the bourbon for the old fashioned and was told no substitutions are allowed, never mind they cost the same per pour and it’s a mixed drink not some food item.

The burger took almost an hour to come out and when it did it was as if a hockey puck had been placed between two pieces of bread. I’ve never had a more well done burger in my life and I didn’t bother to finish it because I had chewed all I could. Their fries are good, I’ll let that be known. But the burger was a disgrace to burgers and should be off their menu. If I wasn’t so hungry after waiting for an hour I would have sent it back and eaten elsewhere. For the record I had some of their chicken from the chicken and waffles dish and it too was dry, but tasted better than my burger I will say.

The final nail and the truly upsetting part of this experience though came from asking for the check. Besides taking a while to flag the waitress down, the check was brought to me with over $120 of additional costs that we didn’t order. The burger without the old fashioned special costs $31 btw, and I can assure you that burger wasn’t worth that much. Burger King puts out a better burger than this place. It took them 2 attempts to fix the check.

All said and done, go for the tour of the distillery, stick around for an old fashioned, and skip their food. You won’t be let down by their service and quality of the restaurant if you stick to their spirits.

A truly disappointing meal and dining experience all around. Service was awful and the food while being prepared with effort was such a miss I’m not sure they know what they’re doing. This is a tourist trap and an embarrassment to the city I call home. Close the kitchen and open a dive bar back there.

I would not recommend this restaurant to any of my friends if they came into visit. It’s a sham.

The whiskey is good, the...

I stumbled upon Great Jones Distillery some time late last year . It is the perfect place to celebrate an intimate or group dinner, have drinks at the bar , experience jazz night , enjoy brunch, take a tour to see their amazing distillery and visit the speak easy . The food is always made with love not to mention they have an open kitchen to see the chefs at work. I think it adds a nice touch. Service is always great ! Shout out bartender Jack and Chef Lulu. I loved the place so much that I make it my business to come here often if not once a month once every two months only because I don’t live in NY. Now ! Although I love this place I would say a few minor changes won’t hurt . There is a young lady that greets you at the front counter ( a brown skin female ) as soon as you walk in and arrive to the front desk . She could be a lot more welcoming to new and curious customers that walk in and also to the familiar faces that already enjoy coming there. A smile , welcoming body language and a warm tone of voice makes all the difference . The music selection is cool in the bar upstairs however the music in the main dining area on the main floor could use a more variety of music or more of an upbeat tone to accommodate different backgrounds of customers that come to experience Great Jones . Finally your whiskey is top tier It speaks for itself !!! Love love love it here at Great Jones !

Sept 2, 2023 We are here again at one of our favorite restaurants . This time we came to celebrate one of our close friends birthday and enjoy the speakeasy by Basquiat . When we arrived we saw our favorite bartenders Jack , Mia and now Spencer ! The manager or the bar Collin also thanked us for coming and being regulars at Great Jones . After the speak easy we went upstairs on the main floor to enjoy dinner and cake to celebrate our friend on her birthday . Chef Lulu came over to greet us, thank us for returning as wish our friend a happy birthday . The night was amazing until we noticed to floor manager Monica (the dark skin lady mentioned above ) followed us from the speak easy to the main floor. She grilled us thee entire time. By this time it’s late night, there was only one other party besides us whom was seated on the opposite side of the resturant at a distance of course and after we paid the bill, we noticed she charged us for the complimentary birthday cake. Not only did she make us feel uncomfortable but we no longer feel welcomed at a place we once enjoyed. As Monica is a manger I’m sure she read my review that I posted prior . Today would have been the perfect opportunity for her to make things right by simply speaking us and apologize for her behavior even if it wasn’t intentional . Instead she proved me right about her unwelcoming behavior and I believe she is a poor representation to the fairly new Resturant Great Jones...