History

Clayton Distillery was established in 2012 and opened for business in April 2013. It is a farm-based distillery located in the Thousand Islands region in northern New York and the first of its kind in the area. The philosophy is simple: Homegrown. Handcrafted. Start with locally grown raw materials, learn from your mistakes, and improve each batch. During a visit to the distillery you can purchase a tasting flight or a drink made with our spirits (the menu may change depending on availability or season). All of our products are available in our retail shop, and some can also be found in local liquor stores and shops in Central and Western New York. Clayton Distillery is pet-friendly. The product is often described as being 'proofed' in the product.

The history continues with founder Mike Aubertine, who grew up on the family dairy farm in Cape Vincent. After being involved in architecture, he founded Aubertine and Currier Architects, Engineers & Land Surveyors, PLLC. In 2012 he sold his stake in the firm and started the distillery. The project began in July 2012 and opened in April 2013. In the early years they produced vodka and unaged corn whiskey in the summer and since have learned a lot and improved production. Distillation takes place in a Vendome copper-pot still of 250 gallons, and everything is distilled, blended and bottled on-site. The facility is designed with LEED principles and includes passive solar heating and cooling, a super-insulated structure and energy-efficient systems. Stillage from the distillation process is reused as feed for local farmers. Clayton Distillery now produces a range of products including vodka, gin, moonshine and whisky, including NY Straight Bourbon Whisky.

Production/Manufacturing

In the early years the raw materials came from the fifth-generation family farm in Cape Vincent, a 400-acre farm. Now Clayton Distillery buys corn from local farmers in the Watertown area, and malted grains are milled locally or from national suppliers as needed. Malting of barley occurs locally or is purchased externally. All products are distilled, blended and bottled on-site using a Vendome copper still. The method is based on a base of 190 proof grain alcohol. The distillery follows a sustainable approach and uses LEED principles in design and construction, including passive heating and cooling, a highly insulated building material and energy-efficient systems. Stillage is fed to local farmers for animal feed. All is distilled, blended and bottled on-site. Clayton Distillery currently produces a range of products, including vodka, gin, moonshine and whisky, and they are described as one of the region's first micro-distilleries.

Products

Whisky Series

• NY Straight Bourbon Whisky: 83% corn, 11% rye, 6% malted barley. Double-distilled to just under 160 proof and aged 4-5 years in new, medium-charred white oak barrels. Non-chill-filtered and bottled at about 92 proof. Flavor notes include butterscotch, vanilla, caramel and chocolate.
• Bottled-in-Bond Corn Whisky: Distilled from bourbon mash and aged 7 years in new, toasted white oak barrels. 100 proof. Non-chill-filtered.
• Thousand Islands Maple Whisky: Maple-flavored whisky made from only two ingredients: whisky and locally sourced pure maple syrup. Double-distilled from bourbon mash to 175 proof and aged 5-7 years in used bourbon barrels. 80 proof.
• Heatwave Cinnamon Whisky: Cinnamon-flavored whisky; double-distilled from bourbon mash to 175 proof and aged 5-6 years in used bourbon barrels, infused with cinnamon sticks and sweetened with homemade sugar syrup. 80 proof.
• Juniper Spiced Whisky (coming soon): Planned product, details not specified here.
• Two Dog Moonshine: 92 proof; made from a corn-based mash (83% corn, 11% rye, 6% malted barley); double-distilled to 155 proof and labeled as a pure white dog/white dog whisky.

Other products

• The following products include vodka, gin, limoncello and various liqueurs, but they are not elaborated here, as the focus is the Whisky Series.

Visits/Experiences

Clayton Distillery is a destination distillery that offers tastings (tasting flights) and purchases of products in their retail shop. The distillery is described as pet-friendly and offers products for sale at their own facility as well as the option to ship via Arsenal Wine & Liquor in Watertown, NY (contact them to hear about shipping to your state). Address: 40164 New York State Route 12, Clayton, New York 13624.

Philosophy

Homegrown. Handcrafted. Clayton Distillery operates from a philosophy of starting with locally grown raw materials, learning from mistakes and improving each batch. The facility is designed with LEED principles for sustainability, including passive heating and cooling, high insulation and energy-efficient systems, and waste heat from the distillation is used for heating and hot water. In addition, by-products (stillage) are recycled as animal feed through local farmers. All distillation work, blends and bottling take place on-site and reflect a close connection to the local community and region.