Dragonfyre Distillery came to be when husband and wife team Vince and Donna Pedini began looking for a business they could tart in retirement to stay busy and have fun. Having made their own beer and wine for years, whiskey become the next logical conquest. However, Vince and Donna didn't want just another run of the mill distillery, they wanted to make it a destination whiskey (and dragon) lovers from all over could come to enjoy the atmosphere and of course the whiskey. Almost everything in the distillery is handcrafted by either Vince or Donna which makes for a truly one of a kind experience.
Donna loves crafting and did all of the paintings inside while Vince did the interior work, including building the bars as well as making the copper still and mash tuns. The handmade bar, still and whiskey give the distillery a truly handcrafted spirit.
Dragonfyre's target market is "anybody that enjoyed a good, smooth, quality whiskey," which is exactly what they produce in their Gradon Moon shine and their darker Dragon Moon Shadow. As Vince says, "I like to drink produces that can be consumed without dilution or alteration," and as such recommends drinking these whiskeys neat. However, their website also contains drink recipes which make great use of their whiskey.
Dragonfyre Distillery is a New York State Farm Distillery and uses 100 percent locally grown corn from a nearby farmer. The 25-gallon still Vince crafted makes about 60 bottles at a time. Vince likes the smaller setup for now but has plans to expand to a larger still and a wider variety of whiskies.
The Pedini's held their grand opening in November 2016. The small distillery, which is a little off the beaten path, was flooded with people looking to show support for the new distillery and enjoy a great whiskey.
Making a great whiskey is a great start, but putting in the time and effort to make it a special destination will surely keep customers coming back time and time again.
Article by Michael Wren, Progressive Grocer, June 2017
