All Points West Distillery

All Points West is a craft distillery open in Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood. Distillery tours, popular worldwide, give rising connoisseurs a sneak peak into the production process. It’s truly exciting to physically witness Newark’s industries growing. Small businesses are popping up like springtime, making for one beautifully blossoming city.

The distillery  – trendy with industrial décor and alive with the scent of botanicals and spirits --  is open for tours, tastings, and cocktails. The proprietor, Gil Spaier opened for production in September 2017 with a grand opening shortly after in December, 2017. On the weekends, The former architect-turned-distiller heads the tour, providing excellent and personal details into his brewing process. 

I won’t spoil all the cool details of the tour, but you do get to learn about the types of grain that go into his vodka and even get to sample some of the botanicals that make up his gin. It’s a pleasure to see such passion in his brewing process.

“A love of baking, brewing, distilling – basically anything that produces flavor from cereal grain, yeast and heat” Gill says of his inspiration for getting into the spirits business.

His dedication to his craft certainly shows in the Bone Black Vodka (the origination of the name you learn on the tour) and the Cathouse gin, 104 and 92 proof, respectively After you’ve taken the quick crash course in distillery 101 – make sure to take seat in the bar area and try some of their cocktails. The liquor is smooth, and goes down easy, making for a delicious (and Instagram worthy) drink! You can also purchases bottles directly from them, on location. The hand-made, small batches make a great addition to any home’s liquor cabinet.

Shayla Castrelos is the founder of fashion and lifestyle blog, SundayShay.com. She works in New York City full time as a legal assistant as well as being in full-time pursuit of trends, restaurants, and nightlife. She has a degree in Journalism from Rutgers University Newark Campus. She is based out of Newark, where she currently resides.