High-End Spirits from the Garden State? Yes.

By Robin Meredith, Cocktail Columnist

Even those of us with a relatively enlightened, cliché-free view of New Jersey may be surprised to find out that one of the nation's most intriguing spirits hails from the Garden State. The most densely populated state in the country seems pretty far removed from the dark hollows of Kentucky and Tennessee or all those wacky mavericks distilling brandy and eau-de-vie in the mountains out west.

Laird and Company of Scobeyville, NJ (not far from Red Bank) produces an impressive range of apple-based spirits and has a truly fascinating history. Billing itself as “America's oldest family of brandy distillers,” Laird was founded in 1780 and its Scobeyville facility holds the very first bonded warehouse license issued by the Internal Revenue Service. Laird survived Prohibition by producing non-alcoholic apple products such as cider and applesauce. The Laird family still controls the company — the president and senior market executives are all eighth and ninth generation family members.