Unexpected Pairings: Gin & Oysters

21+ event. Includes Museum admission.

Savor the long forgotten combination of two Old New York delicacies: gin and oysters. 

Gin has been crafted in New York City ever since its founding as a Dutch colony four centuries ago. The light, bright spirit sunk to debaucherous depths during the Prohibition era (synonymous with undrinkable “bathtub gin”), only to rise once again, splashed in martinis as a sign of sophistication. Oysters were another ubiquitous delicacy for New Yorkers, who at one time collectively consumed as many as a million a day. Join Tom Potter, the mastermind behind Brooklyn Brewery, and, now, New York Distilling Company, and Murray Fisher, founder of Billion Oyster Project, as they delve into the fascinating histories of these two supremely local products — including their efforts to reinvent them — with Lauren Wilson, editor of Edible Manhattan.

This conversation takes place outside on the Museum’s Terrace and includes a tasting of a flight of New York Distilling Company gins and oysters from Fishers Island Oyster Farm as well as a special live performance by The Jazz Park Rangers, a trio of bassist Josh Levine, drummer Will Terrill, and trumpet player Ryo Sasaki.

Part of our new series Unexpected Pairings, in which New York’s most adventurous brewers and distillers share their craft and pair their drinks with distinctive local bites. To view all of the programs in the series, click here.

About the Speakers:
Tom Potter co-founded the Brooklyn Brewery in 1987 and, more recently, New York Distilling Company, which specializes in gin and rye whiskey. He is the co-author of Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery (2007). He formerly served as executive director of the American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF) and is currently chairman of the AIWF Foundation.

Murray Fisher is the creator of Billion Oyster Project as well as the founder of New York Harbor School. He has spent his entire professional career working to make the waters surrounding New York City cleaner, better-known, well-loved, and accessible to every young person. Murray previously worked at Hudson Riverkeeper through AmeriCops and at Waterkeeper Alliance.

Lauren Wilson (moderator) is the editor of Edible Manhattan, a magazine and website that tells the story of how the city eats. She grew up on her family’s farm in western North Carolina and before moving to Brooklyn, studied agriculture policy and made cheese in the Burgundy region of France. She is also a volunteer citizen scientist with the Billion Oyster Project.