East End Museum Brings The Art Of Distilling To The Hamptons

“You don’t have to be a fan of “Mad Men” to know that cocktails are cool, and really fun,” noted Brian Halweil, Editor-in-Chief of Edible East End. “Even better, there are more small-batch distilleries in New York than at any time since Prohibition.”

On Friday, March 13th at 6 p.m., Halweil will moderate the Parrish Art Museum’s Distill Life, where attendees will find out about the art behind the craft of distilling, and also have the opportunity to taste small batch spirits from both local and regional producers. “We have invited three distillers and mixologists to tell you exactly what you need to know about drinking hooch in New York,” said Halweil. The event includes short presentations by Jason Laan of Sag Harbor Rum, Richard Scoffier, Food and Beverage Director of Honest Man Restaurants, and Leslie Merinoff of Owney’s NYC Rum in Brooklyn.

Happy hour at Nick & Toni’s has no shortage of options. (Photo: Facebook.com/NickandTonis/photos)

Sag Harbor native Jason Lann founded Sag Harbor Rum along with Michael McQuade and distiller Richard Stabile. Sag Harbor Rum, which was first available in May of 2014, is distilled from sugar cane juice in small pot stills, and aged for almost a year in old bourbon barrels. Inspired by the historic practice of sailors storing rum on old whaling ships in barrels previously used for coffee, spices, and fruit, the rum is infused with natural fruits and spices to create a unmatchable flavor.

Richard Scoffier is the food and beverage director of the Honest Man establishments, which include several East End eateries like Nick & Toni’s in East Hampton, La Fondita in Amagansett, Rowdy Hall in East Hampton, and Townline BBQ in Sagaponack. Scoffier has created progressive and artisan style cocktail and beverage menus at all the locations, showcasing handcrafted cocktails built with house-infused liquors and homemade shrubs, house-made bottled cocktails, cocktails on tap, and N20 infusions.

Owney’s NYC Rum pays tribute to Owne “Owney” Madden. (Photo: Facebook.com/OwneysNYC)

Owney’s NYC Rum pays homage to Owne “Owney” Madden, a rum runner in New York in the early 20th century. Owney’s is made from solely all-natural, non-GMO, grade A sugar cane molasses, wheat, and “New York City Water.”

This marks the third program Parrish Art has partnered with Edible East End for, following Hop Art and How Do you Bottle Creativity?. Distill Life is supported by Think Local, an initiative created by the Southampton Town Business Advisory Council, the Southampton Business Alliance, and the Hamptons Visitors Council that encourages local residents to support small neighborhood businesses by shopping local.

Admission is $20 for non-members and $10 for members. Attendees must be at least 21 years of age.

Parrish Art Museum is located at 279 Montauk Highway in Water Mill. For more information, call 631-283-2118 or visit parrishart.org.