It appears we are in the homestretch of a nasty Finger Lakes winter. Thanks to all of you who have braved the elements to come visit during these cold months.

Things are still busy at the distillery from a production standpoint. Thomas Earl and Brian, our new Assistant Distiller, have been building stocks of our standard products and putting up lots of whiskey for the future.

We've scheduled a number of great events for the next few months, including seminars at Prestige and Prime Wines in Buffalo and Century-Pittsford Wines in Rochester. These seminars go beyond the regular tastings typically held in liquor stores. We'll cover the basics of distillation, some background on our company, and delve deeper into how our products are made.

I'll also be in NYC later this month for a Whisk(e)y Monday at Ward III and an event held by the Village Voice, Choice Eats. We'll be partnering with our friends at Brooklyn Brine to offer picklebacks and provide McKenzie Whiskey tastings.

We're also starting to plan for our 2nd Annual Kentucky Derby party. Please mark May 7 on your calendar as you won't want to miss it.

Finally, I'm disappointed to report that one of our most knowledgeable tasting room staff members, Meryl Bursic, is going to be leaving FLD to pursue another opportunity. Meryl has been a tremendous asset to our organization from the day we opened and we'll miss her.

Meryl's departure and the upcoming tourist season will create many openings for tasting room staff positions. If you are interested in joining our team, please send me a note with your resume to brian@fingerlakesdistilling.com.

Hope to see you at the distillery soon!

Brian McKenzie
President, Finger Lakes Distilling