Kings County Grapefruit & Jalapeno Whiskey
Kings County Grapefruit & Jalapeno Whiskey starts with the distillery's signature moonshine — unaged corn whiskey from 80% New York organic corn and 20% malted barley — then infuses it with dried grapefruit peel and jalapeño peppers in independent cheesecloth-bag infusions that are married later for balance. No artificial ingredients, no added sugars. Bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) in a 750mL bottle, it is the warm-weather whiskey the distillery calls a great substitute for tequila in cocktails — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL (also sold in 200mL elsewhere)
- Base: Unaged corn whiskey — 80% NY organic corn, 20% malted barley
- Infusion: Dried grapefruit peel + jalapeño, infused separately, married after
- Additives: None — no artificial ingredients or added sugars
- Style: Seasonal-release flavored whiskey (distillery: "moonshine")
- Origin: Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York, USA
Brooklyn's Summer Whiskey
Kings County Distillery is New York City's oldest operating whiskey distillery — the first since Prohibition — founded in 2010 in the c.1899 Paymaster Building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where every drop is mashed, fermented and distilled on-site in Scottish copper pot stills from New York grain. The distillery's "Cocktail Whiskeys" line takes its moonshine and infuses it with real ingredients; for this seasonal release, grapefruit peels and whole and crushed jalapeños go into separate cheesecloth bags so each infusion can be balanced before they're married. The distillery's own Gatehouses bar builds a "Kings County Margarita" on it. Explore the Kings County collection, more whiskey, and the American whiskey shelf at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
The balance the distillery aims for is citrus, bitterness and heat. Retailer notes describe a fresh, citrusy-vegetal nose of grapefruit and jalapeño with spice; a bittersweet palate where jalapeño heat meets grapefruit acidity; and a lingering, tingling warmth on the finish. Unaged corn whiskey keeps the frame clean so the fruit and pepper do the talking.
How to Enjoy
Mix it like a tequila: the distillery's own suggestion is a margarita riff — grapefruit, lime, agave, salt. It also works in a highball with soda and grapefruit, or simply over ice when you want citrus and heat without sweetness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a bourbon? No — despite the old listing type, it is an unaged flavored whiskey built on the distillery's corn-whiskey moonshine. It never sees a barrel, so it can't be bourbon; the distillery itself calls the line moonshine.
What is the proof? 80 proof / 40% ABV — confirmed by trade press and five retailers. One listing's 45% figure is wrong.
Does it have added sugar? No — the distillery states no artificial ingredients and no added sugars; the flavor comes entirely from the grapefruit and jalapeño infusions.
What cocktails work with grapefruit-jalapeño whiskey? Anything you'd build on blanco tequila: margaritas, palomas, and highballs with citrus and soda. The distillery's bar serves a Kings County Margarita on it.
Whiskey built for summer — order Kings County Grapefruit & Jalapeno Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.