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Family, friends, and a few local dignitaries came together last weekend to celebrate the official grand opening of the state’s first commercial downtown distillery, located at the Jersey Shore.

Asbury Park Distilling, an over 3,500 square foot vodka, gin, and soon to be whiskey and bourbon distillery, opened its adjacent Tasting Room doors on Memorial Day weekend.

Located on Lake Avenue in Asbury Park, it is the brainchild of Andy Karas, a Paramus-based attorney who has handled several development applications for city developer Carter Sackman.

Karas said it was a passing conversation with a distiller that sowed the seeds some years back, and after the state laws relaxed in 2013, he formed an LLC with five partners [including his brother-in-law Phil Simpson].

“I put a group together, got the zone amendment [allowing for a distillery at the corner of Emory Street and Lake Avenue next to the popular Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten],” he has said. “It just took off. I started doing a significant amount of research on it; learning about gin, the equipment, the entire process, the [federal, state, and local] licensing, and the legal aspects of it. It’s been a journey.”  

That journey led to Karas’ recent appointment as president of the newly formed New Jersey Distiller’s Guild, comprised of 13 of the 15 alcohol distilleries, most of them formed following the 2013 change in the law.

And, like the writers, musicians, visual artists and chefs who have settled in the 1.6 square mile community, the Asbury Park Distilling team are focused on producing an artform to be enjoyed by the mass.

“This is an extension of the arts and culture in Asbury Park,” said partner and spokesman Zack Ohebshalom.  “We have now added another element of cultural and artistic diversity here. Distilling is an art in and of itself; from selecting the right components agriculturally to the actual blending, the running of the still, the botanical selection of our gin, everything that goes into this finished product is art.”

The Brand:

Designed by local mural artist Porkchop [Michael LaVallee], the logo represents the team’s brand.

“We took inspiration from a number of different components,” Ohebshalom said of the logo [at right]. “We took inspiration from the rye stalks and juniper berries; from local architecture with the plate that her head is placed on from the Casino building; some elements of the sea being her crown with the sea shell and octopus tentacles in her hair; and then the final component of this is that her eyes are closed. The reason we chose to have her eyes closed is because we view Asbury Park as one of the most tolerant communities there is across the nation and arguably the world. So, she is free of judgement and free of intolerance. She is truly blind to all things whether it’s your sexual orientation, your race, your religion whatever it may be. We want this place to be all inclusive.”

The Team:

Behind the brand are few key figures, including Ohebshalom, who spent 10 years in the alcohol beverage industry as national director for a large winery that distributes to 39 states and Puerto Rico.

“I was very fortunate to gain that experience just before embarking on this business,” Ohebshalom said. “I do believe and expect to take this brand national.”

Another is the man behind the still, 33-year-old Bill Tambussi, who received his Master’s of Science in Brewing and Distilling in Scotland before going to work for a Philadelphia-based distillery for over three years. The Haddon Heights native, who moved to Asbury Park in February to head production, said he got his start doing home brewing.

“I come from a pretty strong science background and a lot of the principals of what I was doing in work were similar to making beer and so I wanted to do that full time,” he said. “I applied to be a brewer but a couple places told me I needed more experience. So then I looked up schools.”

Tambussi is currently producing 80 percent proof vodka and 86 proof gin, the latter for the year Ohebshalom was born. The runs takes an average of 8 hours and produce close to 550 bottles, he said. His first whiskey offering, a curated blend, should be available in 6 months, with a signature line coming to fruition within 18 months.  

In the ilk of a traditional London gin, Tambussi has developed what he calls a New World Dry Gin.

“It’s rooted in a traditional London-dry style with a sweet citrus peel blend and fresh lemongrass so it gives it a bit sweeter characteristic,” he said.

Another key figure is the front of house manager John Peet, a recent Nashville transplant who was discovered by partner Rob Wile while on a trip to the music city. And although he’d just purchased a home in Nashville he moved to Asbury Park in May.

“I was excited about the project because I have a distilling background and was working for a small liquor label, so I have experience being a brand ambassador,” said Peet, the master behind the drink menu.

And while the 28-year-old’s University of Cincinnati degree is in urban planning, working closely with a master distiller on a new distribution venture was something he could not pass up.

“Having a unique access to the distiller is huge,” the Ohio native said. “I’m able to pick up on flavors that let the spirits shine.”

Peet’s launch menu includes twists on the traditional, like the array of Asbury Gin & Tonics , Old Fashions and Vodka Collins. But there’s also the unique NO. 64, an Asbury Gin, orange juice, lemongrass and sumac concoction; and The Bartender’s Breakfast, made with Asbury Vodka, a cold brew, and Orange Poblano syrup.

The drink menu will constantly change, Peet said, allowing for seasonal iterations.

The Tours:

A part of the Asbury Park Distilling experience is the tour experience. Mandated by state law, patrons must be given a tour before they can purchase a drink. But there most likely will be no shortage of new information.

There’s lots to glean from the process and the equipment, which includes a custom-built hammer mill and handcrafted, brass-accented still from Eislingen, Germany to the grain auger, mash tun, and cooling tanks.

In describing the Gin distilling process, Tambussi said, “We start with our 190 proof vodka and our [filtered] water filled to 600 liters, add the botanicals, let them macerate for a while, and then start heating the still – slowly but steadily. The distillation is the separation process and it works based on the volatility of your components. So I’m trying to separate the ethanol from the water. As the botanicals soak in, their oils and other contents are extracted and put into a solution with the alcohol.”

His botanicals include juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, star flower, and cardamom.

Sustainability:

A large part of the Asbury Distilling business model includes sustainability. Once the alcohol has been removed, the waste is collected for distributed back to a farm for use  as feed and/or fertilizer, Tambussi said.  

“If as a consumer, you care about organic and non GMO components, you should also care about where your spirits come from,” Ohebshalom said. “If you can source things locally, just as you do with your food, you should do the same with your spirits.”

Alcohol distilling is one of the most inefficient processes, with the finished product yield being  miniscule compared to the amount of material that goes into its creation.

“We’re not wasting the oranges, spent grain or botanicals,” Ohebshalom said. “We try not to throw anything away. “It’s all about being as sustainable as possible.”

Asbury Park Distilling is located at 527 Lake Avenue.

“It’s amazing that one of the true remaining dry communities in New Jersey has a footbridge that leads to the doorstep of a distillery, that’s a story in itself,” Ohebshalom said.  

And since its opening, there has been no shortage in interest. There are sundry products for sale as well, including t-shirts and candles.

“I’m tremendously humbled by how the community has embraced us,” Ohebshalom said. “This is an almost three year project. People have been incredibly patient with us and we are looking to reward that patience with an amazing and unique experience – something where they can not only learn and enjoy but then can go tell their friends about.”

The Tasting Room hours are currently 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Sunday. Patrons can purchase up to 5 liters of alcohol to take offsite.

They are hiring; looking for a knowledgeable host/hostess and tour guide, Tambussi said. Those interested in can e-mail, info@apdistilling.com.

For more about Asbury Park Distilling, visit their website, Facebook and Instagram pages.

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