Co-Founder, CEO - Barking Irons Spirits
Barking Irons Spirits brings to life one of America’s great lost treasures - Applejack. Often known as the original American spirit, Applejack has been made for over 300 years in America and was even distilled by a few U.S. Presidents.
Applejack is a legendary spirit - at one point it was consumed by most of the US - yet, when we discovered the category, very few people were making or drinking it. Partly due to prohibition, Applejack had a dormant period throughout the 20th century. However, with the world’s renewed interest in quality, local products, and the growing appreciation of craft spirits amongst Bartenders, Beverage Managers and consumers alike, Applejack was ripe for a renaissance.
The central New York region has some of the finest apples in the world, and after working with local farms to develop their spirit, Barking Irons Applejack was brought to market in 2016. In the next few years, we became known as New York's finest Applejack, growing our account footprint to over 200 accounts across New York. We became beloved by the bartending community, craft liquor store owners, restaurateurs and anyone who enjoys a great cocktail. In the six years of our existence, I led the company as CEO, overseeing all functions of the company, hiring of staff and business planning. In that time, we doubled sales year over year and received high praise from the San Francisco spirits awards and many industry and trade publications.
“What everyone should be drinking”
- Food & Wine Magazine