Our second run in less than a year, Bush Terminal is back on the shelves! It’s a badass bourbon brand created in Brooklyn by yours truly in collaboration with Fort Hamilton Distillery.
It started a little more than a year ago when Moishe Mayer came to me with the opportunity to develop a new bourbon based on the barrels that we would personally taste and select.
More of a Scotch girl, I still have the skills to select a balanced sip that pleases my customers’ palates. I accepted the challenge.
The US bourbon and whiskey industry is interesting in that a decent chunk of brands work through a contract distiller. The contractor gets things started, aging whiskies to then offer to clients around the United States. Of course, you purchase from a reliable distiller that you respect. That part remains our secret 🙂 From there, we create the blends and bottle with our look and feel.
Buying barrels is a game of chance because you are never guaranteed an exact amount. It could be that the five years have evaporated some, only 3/4 full upon arrival. That’s why blending is essential, to create consistency and meet volume needs. We also produced a small run of cask-strength versions. Woof.
I wanted our brand to represent where it was blended and bottled. Brooklyn, baby! So I began to research Industry City, where the distillery is located. Back in the day, it was called Bush Terminal, an essential intermodal shipping, warehousing, and manufacturing complex that was the largest multi-tenant industrial property in the United States. During World War I, Bush Terminal also served as a US Navy base. By the 1970s, the surroundings were in decline and they rebranded as Industry City. Sections were destroyed and rebuilt with shopping complexes and even a federal prison.
Industry City is now a very cool complex, a “bustling business hub for entrepreneurs, artists, makers, and creative companies. Avant-Garde Flexible offices for a modern workforce. 550+ Companies and 50+ Eateries.” I highly recommend an afternoon there! Japan Village is a must! And of course, the vibes and drinks at Fort Hamilton Distillery are delightful.
So then I began to look for a graphic designer who could give a fresh take on a Brooklyn relic. Enter the talented Daniel Birch, who had designed the packaging for several beers that I regularly drank before knowing him. At the same time, I was also working with a trademark specialist to make sure everything was legal and en route to becoming a successful, long-lived brand.
Moishe Mayer, Daniel Birch and Kendal Montgomery
People have already flocked to the shelves for the new run, and we couldn’t be happier! We selected a very similar profile to the first run while elevating the elegance a bit. I’m very impressed with this bourbon!
Here’s to a beautiful project that I hope to see grow and fill shelves throughout the United States. For now, you can grab a bottle at Liquors Galore, The Wine Cave or Moshke’s Spirits in Brooklyn. Soon, Liquors Galore will have a new website up and running and will be able to ship across the US! In the meantime, if you’re dying to have a bottle, write me and I’ll get you hooked up!
