Corgi Spirits WRITTEN BY BENJA MIN PEIM
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he first thing you should know about distiller Robert Hagemann is that he loves dogs. He named Corgi Spirits after his favorite breed: the corgi. It’s a breed long associated with the British royal family and was the breed of Hagemann’s childhood pup. But he didn’t choose the name just for nostalgia, he wants the spirits the distillery produces to exemplify what he thinks of as the corgi spirit: fun and enjoyable, with a rich pedigree. Hagemann, 34, opened the distillery last year in a working class but gentrifying section of Jersey City, a diverse city of 250,000 that stretches along the Hudson River opposite Manhattan and the State of Liberty. The distillery currently makes gin and vodka and will start producing whiskey in October. It’s located in a 10,000 square foot warehouse with a private office, a bar, and a spacious tasting room that evokes a British country lodge. “We’re British inspired, and proudly made in America,” Hagemann says. Hagemann entered into the spirits business after a seven-year career in corporate marketing. His goal was always to do something with food and drink, which he had long been attracted to for its convivial nature and sharing spirit. “It’s something real that you can bond over with others, it offers people a way to connect on a deeper level,” he says.
Photo provided by Corgi Spirits
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Photograph by Benjamin Peim Hagemann began his journey into the distillery business by devoting himself to education. In 2014 he trained at Moonshine University in Kentucky, followed by a stint in the Netherlands. In November 2016 he found a suitable location for a distillery. Eleven months later, after maneuvering through local, state and federal regulations, Corgi Spirits opened for business with a huge party in which over 100 people attended. “I was nervous as hell but also really excited,” Hagemann says. The distillery is Jersey City’s first and so-far only distillery. Hagemann grew up in a suburb 30 minutes away and is a current resident of the city. He says he always intended to open up his business in Jersey City. “Why would I not want to start a business here?” He says rhetorically. “It’s the most diverse city in the country, with a Brooklyn type of feel.” He found a 10,000-square-foot space so that, when Corgi Spirits grows, he can expand his business without having to go hunting for another warehouse. Hagemann and his seven employees operate two stills, a Vendome and an iStill. The Vendome holds 100 gallons and is used to make the whiskey. The iStill holds 500 liters. It was made in the Netherlands, and it has an iPad on its side from which the inside is controlled via software. According to Hagemann, the software controls the internal temperature and ensures consistency over every single batch. “You don’t have to stand here all night observing,” Hagemann says. The British influence extends to the actual spirits, as well. The distillery’s signature is the Earl Grey gin, in which gin is combined with what might be Britain’s other favorite drink: tea. In fact, Corgi Spirits is one of the only distilleries in the country to sell Earl Greyinfused gin. The Earl Grey-infused gin was inspired by a famous New York City mixologist, Audrey Saunders, who mixes drinks at WWW.ARTISANSPIRITMAG.COM