Southern Tier Distilling

Born from the Experience of Brewing Great Beer

In 2002, founders Phineas and Sara DeMink and Allen “Skip” Yahn started Southern Tier Brewing Co. in Lakewood, New York, with the vision of reviving the practice of small batch brewing to a region rich in brewing tradition. Today, Southern Tier has grown into one of the largest craft brewers in the country. Their hand-crafted ales are now available in more than thirty States and points beyond.

Then, in 2015, over a few pints of Southern Tier beer, they had an idea. (Truth be told, it’s a place where lots of our great ideas begin).  What if they took the same hard work, craft attitude and innovative thinking that helped them grow Southern Tier brewery, and applied it to the distilling side of things?

Not by carting off to Kentucky, but by raising a distillery right next door to the brewery in the woods of Lakewood. They would source local materials. Experiment with recipes that shared some of their time-honored brewing traditions. And create a sister company offering craft spirits.

So in October 2015, Southern Tier Distillery was granted a New York State “Farm Distiller’s” License. Since that day they have been working to not just make one outstanding spirit, but numerous spirits to satisfy the tastes of many.

Southern Tier now distills their spirits with over 90% of our ingredients coming from right here in New York, earning them a New York State Farm Distiller’s license, allowing them to create some classic favorites and some tasty “experi-fermentations. “

Today, Southern Tier bourbons patiently age in oak barrels racked five high along the walls. In the meantime their master distiller, never one to sit still, is crafting specialty rums, vodkas, gins and whiskies that are sure to warm the soul on a cold winter’s day.

With the opening of the tasting room in August 2015, Southern Tier was able to tease their beer customers with samples of each of our spirits. After getting an incredible reaction they knew they needed to do more, and quick.