LITCHFIELD, Conn. (WTNH) — Jack and Peter Baker started the Litchfield Distillery, tucked up in the Litchfield Hills, about two years ago, along with their brother Dave.

Their family business, back some three generations was, and still is, Crystal Rock Water. A fair amount of water goes into Bourbon, so the two businesses work quite well together. Their grandfather started the water business in 1914 in Stamford and this is how things evolved.

“I think we’ve had a big effect on the local economy, using the trades, our products are being sold by Connecticut salespeople. Our agricultural impact on Litchfield county is huge, we’re going through almost a thousand pounds of grain a day in Litchfield county,” said Jack Baker.

So far they have five products they’re turning out: bourbon, whiskey, gin, and vodka, and more items are coming.

“Bourbon, by definition has to be aged in new American white oak charred barrels and that’s what those are. It starts getting a lot of nice taste and color in the first six months or so and we were selling a six month old bourbon and it was doing very well” said Jack.

Jack says that about 30 percent of the people that visit Litchfield Distillery came to Litchfield primarily to see the distillery.

The Baker brothers are working on building a Connecticut Distiller’s Guild, a kind of trail where you can drive from distiller to distiller around the state. To date, there are at least eight other companies making various kinds of spirits in our state.

You can find out more about them by visiting their website.