It's hard to believe that a decade ago, it was virtually impossible to find booze made in New York, unless you knew someone who was trying to make some illicit hooch in his dorm room. But in 2002, a change in licensing laws made it a whole lot easier for distillers to produce and sell their spirits in New York. The ball quickly got rolling, and it's been gathering speed ever since. Upstate and downstate, from the Finger Lakes to Bushwick, enterprising and talented distillers are now producing enough quality spirits to fill a decent-sized bar. Here are ten of our favorites, from each end of the hooch spectrum. But be aware, this is just the tip of the iceberg (or the stem of the Big Apple, as it were). For every brand mentioned here there are many others worth trying, so put on your drinking shoes and get on it.
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