Only in New York: Widow Jane Releases Borough Blend, exclusive marriage of 10-year-old straight bourbons selected by NYC bartenders

Available only in New York, the expression is an homage to the Big Apple’s creative spirit, calls to mind flavors familiar to New Yorkers

RED HOOK, BROOKLYN, NY - Widow Jane, the Red Hook, Brooklyn born-and-bred distillery, announces today the release of Borough Blend Bourbon, an exclusive marriage of Widow Jane’s signature 10 year old bourbons selected by bartenders from across New York’s iconic boroughs that will be available only in New York.

A group of seven of New York’s best bartenders gathered at Widow Jane Distillery to taste through a range of blends and select the one that best represented New York City with its distinct flavors, aromas, and intensity. The final Borough Blend is highlighted by bright floral notes that push fruit flavors into new territories. Salinity amplifies the nuttiness, warm spice, and dark coffee.

Widow Jane Head Distiller Sienna Jevremov, who led the session, said, “For the 23 years I've been living in New York, I’ve never tired of the city. It is addictively full of potential; full of art to experience, new tastes and smells to perceive, and stories to live and learn. I feel much the same about the realm of whiskey. It’s only right to bring together these two complex, complicated and beautiful worlds with the help of some incredibly talented bartenders. After all, these are the people who make both communities the true wonders they are."

The Whiskey

Widow Jane Borough Blend Bourbon marries straight bourbons from five barrels, a nod to New York City’s five boroughs. Each is aged for a minimum of 10 years in new American oak barrels and feature the intensity of flavor that has become a calling card for the distillery’s whiskeys through the years. In keeping with Widow Jane tradition, the liquid is non-chill filtered and proofed with Widow Jane’s own mineral water, which is transported regularly from the legendary Rosendale mines of New York located just 100 miles north of the distillery and yields a round mouthfeel and long finish.

Aroma: Cinnamon raisin bagel, Caramel popcorn at a baseball game, Smoke from a warm pretzel cart in Soho, Cherry blossoms in spring at the Botanical Gardens, Sweet salty scent of mandarins on Mott St. during Chinese New Year

Taste: Caramel apple dipped in peanuts, Maraschino cherries, Vanilla cherry dip in Coney Island, Coffee from that one great bodega

Finish: Peppermint stick in front of the Rockefeller tree, Black & White cookie, Plum sauce from your go-to takeout spot, Chocolate egg cream at Eddie's sweet shop

“So much of Widow Jane is quintessentially New York,” commented Brenton Land, owner of Madeline’s in Brooklyn. “Take the block the distillery is on - love em or hate em, cobblestone streets are such a tried and true New York thing that reflects history. Every time you encounter cobblestone, you are forced to think about why they're there. That leads me to think about the rich history of the city. Nowadays, every time I hit cobblestone I think of Widow Jane. Happy to have this distillery as a part of my city and excited to be part of this project.”

Added Amy O’Neil, Bartender at Pier 17 in Queens, “The Statue of Liberty reminds me of Widow Jane; you can practically peek around the corner from the distillery and see her. She stands tall and is an iconic symbol of what can be achieved if you bring people together from different walks of life with the hope of making something beautiful. Widow Jane does this with their ability to recognize the small differences in each blend that complement each other.”

Widow Jane Borough Blend By The Numbers:

Aged a minimum of 10 years in new American oak

MSRP: $74.99/750ml

45.5% ABV; 91 proof

Allocation: 2400 bottles/400 physical cases (6 packs)

Availability: This is a New York-only release 

The Packaging:

Borough Blend’s label, designed in-house by Michele Clark, calls back to New York’s towering skyline when viewed at night. We see the Brooklyn Bridge and Empire State Building, each of which was built with cement from the legendary Rosendale Mines of NY, the very same place from which Widow Jane sources all of the mineral water used to proof its whiskeys.

To pay tribute to New York City’s legendary subway system, the bottle’s cork top features an inset metal token designed in the style of the historic subway token. Etched with ‘Widow Jane Distillery’, this token is reminiscent of the ‘bullseye’ subway token that was used from 1986 to 1995. 

Cocktails crafted with Widow Jane Borough Blend will be available at Botanica at Widow Jane throughout the summer.

State of Mind

By Ally Marone & Patty Dennison

Ingredients:

1 ¼ oz Widow Jane Borough Blend

¾ oz LoFi Sweet Vermouth

¼ oz Equal Parts Giffard Peach / Lazzaroni Amaretto 

¼ oz Matchbook Cinnamon Distillate 

1 dash Angostura Bitters

1 dash Absinthe

1 dash Saline

Preparation instructions:

1.  Stir all ingredients over fresh ice
2. Strain into Nick & Nora glass

New York Sour

By Jacob Melinger

 Ingredients:

1½ oz Widow Jane Borough Blend

¾ oz Freshly squeezed lemon juice

¾ oz Maple syrup

½ oz Apple brandy

½ oz Port wine

Preparation instructions:

1. Add all ingredients except the port wine to a cocktail tin and top with ice
2. Shake until chilled
3. Strain over ice in a rocks glass
4. Add a float of port wine

About Widow Jane Distillery

Widow Jane is an award-winning artisanal distillery located in the New York City neighborhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn. Our whiskeys have drawn acclaim from some of the most prestigious names in the industry, including Whiskies of the World, the San Francisco Spirits Competition, World Whiskey Awards, and the Icons of Whiskey Awards.

The company is named in homage to one of the legendary mines of Rosendale in Upstate New York, from which the brand sources its proofing water. Before becoming a natural reserve of extraordinary mineral water, the mines produced the natural cement used to construct some of the most iconic American landmarks, such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building, among others. The pure, limestone-filtered water from the mine, plus one of the country’s largest holdings of long-aged Bourbons, and a refusal to compromise the product with chill-filtration, are just three elements that make Widow Jane a stand-out whiskey company.