Widow Jane, the Red Hook, Brooklyn-based distillery, announced 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.

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. 

Widow Jane Head Distiller Sienna Jevremov, who led the session, said in a news release, “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.”

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: New York-only release

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.

Read more: Widow Jane Introduces Bourbon Finished in Tequila Ocho Casks

About Widow Jane Distillery

Widow Jane is an award-winning artisanal distillery located in the New York City neighborhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn. 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. The facility in Red Hook includes mashing, fermentation, distillation, barreling, aging, blending, warehousing and bottling. Widow Jane Distillery is also open for tours and tastings. For more information, visit www.widowjane.com.