Hartman’s Distilling Co.

About the Distillery

Hartman’s Distilling Co. is located in the heart of Buffalo by the Buffalo River in a former cooperage. The distillery combines bourbon, rye, gin and vodka production with an open tasting room, cocktail bar and kitchen. Guests can participate in guided tours, tastings and tailor-made Barrel Pick experiences, and the building’s historic role in barrel production is a central element of the site’s identity.

History

Jen and Justin Hartman returned to Buffalo after almost a decade away and founded Hartman’s with the aim of creating a gathering place for family and friends around handmade spirits and food. Justin serves as master distiller and developed his craft through several years of study and travel in the USA. He completed the Distiller’s Course at Moonshine University in Louisville, Kentucky, where he worked with blending techniques and learned barrel science. The distillery is housed in The Cooperage, formerly part of E.B. Homes Machining Co., an industrial facility that manufactured machinery for constructing wooden barrels. The site also historically draws on the bourbon industry, for example through mention of the bonding arrangement from 1868 in connection with the club’s Bondsmen materials.

Raw Materials and Production

Hartman’s produces bourbon and rye alongside gin, vodka and specialties. Justin Hartman’s background focuses on blending and barrel science as central elements in product development, and the distillery’s public materials provide education on bourbon history and distillation facilities during tours. The building's origin as a cooperage highlights the importance of the barrel, and the distillery offers guests hands-on experiences with barrels through Barrel Pick arrangements. Production-technical details such as specific mashbills, fermentation times and distillation parameters are not described in the presented texts.

Aging and Barrel Types

Barrels and wooden casks are highlighted as crucial to flavor development; the text states that 60–70 percent of a stored spirit’s flavor comes from the wooden barrels. The distillery treats barrel science as a central discipline, and Barrel Pick experiences let guests taste directly from barrels, experiment with blending and produce a specialty bottle. There are no details on precise barrel types or previous contents in the materials shown.

Whiskies

The range includes bourbon and rye whiskey as core products alongside gin, vodka and liqueurs. On the website products such as Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Straight Rye Whiskey are presented together with American Dry Gin, vodka, a Loganberry-flavored vodka, Loganberry Vodka Seltzer 4-pack, Overwinter Coffee Liqueur and various gift sets. The products are marketed for sale both in the tasting room and via the distillery's online shop, and the tasting room serves as a place to present and convey the range directly to guests.

Visit the Distillery

Tours are by reservation only and last about 1–1.5 hours. Each tour includes a guided tasting of four spirit samples and costs $25 per person; there is usually a minimum of five people, and reservations should preferably be made at least two weeks before the visit by emailing MariJo. Barrel Pick experiences are suitable for private events and require at least 60 days’ notice, cost $100 per person and have a minimum of five people. The tasting room offers cocktails, food and weekend brunch, and seating in the room is usually managed on a first-come, first-served basis.

The stated opening hours are Tuesday: 4 PM-10 PM; Wednesday: 4 PM-10 PM; Thursday: 4 PM-10 PM; Friday: 3 PM-1 AM; Saturday: 11 AM-2 AM; Sunday: 11 AM-7 PM.

Philosophy and Craftsmanship

Hartman’s operates from a core value of slowness and community: that good spirits and cocktails create space for togetherness and memories. The craft is emphasized through a focus on blending and knowledge of barrels, and the tasting room is designed to invite guests into the process around production and enjoyment.