About Us
About Us
The talents of two friends, a Master Distiller from the Bronx, and a Master Brewer from Huntington, merged, and in 2023 Harbor Lights Stillhouse opened its doors. Located on one of Long Island’s prettiest and vibrant coastline towns, Huntington, it is the town’s first and only distillery. Our boutique distillery is a manufacturing plant with a gorgeous tasting room that has already produced a wide variety of spirits, including its popular Gold Coast Straight Bourbon Whiskey. All spirits are of the highest quality with no additives, or preservatives.
Before entering the tasting room, you will past walls lined with bourbon barrels from our unique bourbon making classes. This dimly lit distillery has a second-floor speakeasy feel. Step inside and take in the exposed beams, the ledgestone walls and feel transformed into a most cozy and intimate setting. Enjoy a tasting flight, or a tasty cocktail, in a most comfortable chair at the hand-made live edge tasting counter, all while in clear view of the immaculate and grand stainless steel and copper still. The exciting cocktail menu revolves with the seasons and showcases every product made on site.
Purchase a bottle of our spirits to-go, book a private barrel, or plan your next event with us. We’re sure you’ll want the experience to continue in one way or another!
OUR STORY
Gus Menocal was born and raised in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx. From the age of 14, Gus spent most of his summers working for his father who was a NYC Master Plumber. Gus enjoyed working with his hands and the mechanics behind the trade by assisting his father. After years of on-the-job training, in 1985, Gus set out as a full-time Plumbing Journeyman. In 1998, Gus acquired his own Master plumbing license and opened his own plumbing business, serving clients in all five boroughs of NYC.
Both Gus and his wife, Valerie, have strong European roots. Valerie’s parents would frequently return to their homeland of Hungary. When they came back to the states, they brought with them Hungarian brandy known as Palinka, made by various family members and friends. This piqued Gus’ interest in making spirits. He began researching how to make alcohol and in the early 2000’s he built his first still in his garage. His first product was his own version of Hungarian Palinka. After refining the design and adding new attachments, eventually, his still could make other spirits like vodka, rum and moonshine.
Eventually, some friends from New Jersey approached Gus to design and build a distillery, and together, they opened Copper Kettle Spirits in Freehold where they make bourbon and two styles of vodka for wholesale distribution.
Coming up on its seventh anniversary, Six Harbors Brewing Company has become a staple for people of all ages, and their dogs too, to gather and enjoy fresh craft beer made on site. With its nautical, industrial atmosphere, some have even called it a “community center”, something many have said was a welcome addition to Long Island’s popular north shore destination, Huntington Village. Brewmaster Mark Heuwetter, has been brewing beer most of his life and since he and his wife, Karen, officially left the financial services industry and opened this popular destination in 2018, they have now made over seventy beer recipes, hosted an abundance of events, and created a destination for visitors from near and far. Six Harbor’s is still Huntington Villages only micro-brewery.
Mark and Karen have known Gus for years through a prior work connection with Valerie. Every summer, Mark, Karen, and Valerie ventured to the boardwalk in Long Beach to play in a company charity beach volleyball tournament. For fun, Mark would bring his homemade beer, and Gus would bring his limoncello and moonshine to share with their friends. In 2019, when Gus’s rock band was playing a gig at a local Huntington bar, Mark invited Gus and his bandmates to stop by the brewery. Mark took Gus up a ladder that led to the small opening into the second-floor attic of the brewery. “What do you think of this space for a small distillery and a tasting room?” he asked Gus. Designing and building a spirits production plant along with a tasting room to enjoy distilled spirits onsite excited Gus! With a firm handshake, the partnership began! After two years of blood, sweat and ‘beers’, and with much of the manual labor done by these two handy men, Harbor Lights Stillhouse opened its doors in November 2023. Today, Six Harbors Brewing Company and Harbor Lights Stillhouse are the only brewery and distillery in one location on Long Island.
