NYC EXCLUSIVE: Widow Jane Borough Blend is a 91-Proof Love Letter to NYC, Selected by Bartenders From Across 5 Boroughs

Available only in New York, Borough Blend was created in collaboration with Widow Jane Head Distiller Sienna Jevremov

RED HOOK, BROOKLYN, NY - Widow Jane, the Red Hook, Brooklyn-based distillery, announces today the second release of Borough Blend Bourbon, created by some of the best bartenders from across New York’s five boroughs in collaboration with Widow Jane Head Distiller Sienna Jevremov. The new release will be available only in New York, across the City, beginning in June.

How it happened:

A hand-picked collection of bartenders, each representing one of New York’s iconic five boroughs, gathered at Widow Jane Distillery in Red Hook, just off the breezy banks of the East River and among the gritty, hundred-year-old cobblestone streets, light industrial buildings, and mom-and-pop storefronts, to taste through a range of barrels, keeping in mind notes that best represent New York City through its distinct flavors, aromas, and intensity - corner slice pizza crust, cannoli from Vinieros, Cracker Jacks from the Big Apple Circus.

Participating bartenders were Edgar Hernandez, Freeman’s (Manhattan); Beatriz Almeida, Banzabar (Manhattan); Jason Kilgore, Dutch Kills (Queens); Nate Ulsh, Mr. Melo (Brooklyn); Dave Lindsay and Armando Rodrigo, Kingsbridge Social Club (Bronx); Maureen O'Brien, The Basement (Staten Island).

Working side by side with Jevremov, the group, comprising some of the most sophisticated palates in the bar industry, dove into the finer points of the blending process, harmonizing flavor profiles of bourbons, only ever five barrels at a time, each aged a minimum of ten years inside Widow Jane’s rick house in new American oak barrels. The result is a singular blend that simultaneously reflects the unique tastes of the participating bartenders and the intensity of flavor that has become a calling card for Widow Jane’s whiskeys through the years. With Borough Blend, whatever borough you call home, this is your whiskey.

Widow Jane Head Distiller Sienna Jevremov, who led the session, said, “New York City is a one-of-one place on earth, and our hope with Borough Blend is that, along with some of our city’s best bartenders, we’ve created a one-of-a-kind expression of our signature 10 year old bourbon that is representative of New York in its uncompromising richness and intensity.”

Tasting notes:

• Nose: Corner Slice Pizza Crust, Raspberry Rugelach, Peter Pan Cake Donut, Bryant Park Library Stacks, Central Park Ramble
• Palate: Chili Mango, Sesame Brittle, Pumpernickel Bagel, Roasted Chestnuts in the Park, Chinatown Egg Tart, Cannoli from Vinieros, Cherry Cola, Macaroons
• Finish: Vanilla Latte, White Chocolate Cheesecake, Cracker Jacks from the Big Apple Circus, Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Orange Blossom and Honey Baklava, Chocolate Babka

Said Edgar Hernandez, of Freemans on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, “Being a part of the team of New York bartenders to create Borough Blend was such a privilege. I can’t wait to drink it next to a fire pit looking at the stars somewhere by upstate New York’s Bear Mountain.”

Widow Jane Borough Blend By The Numbers:

• Aged a minimum of 10 years in new American oak
• MSRP: $69.99/750ml
• 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.