Lazy Eye Distillery: Family Made Handcrafted Vodka in NJ
If you read my article about things to do in Wildwood, then you read about my visit to Lazy Eye Distillery.
Lazy Eye Distillery opened their first location in Richland back in 2014, and opened a second location in Wildwood in Summer of 2015. The Kafkalas family’s passion for distilling in their blood. Both owners Carol and Nick grew up around Rakii, the most popular spirit in Greece. Their vodka was the first craft Vodka to be distilled in the state of New Jersey, and their Rakii is the first legally distilled Rakii in the United States. Considering Atlantic and Cape May county played such a big role in prohibition, it’s amazing that NJ’s first vodka distillery started there!
The history of bringing Lazy Eye Distillery to fruition is all based on family. Carol was born in Atlantic City, but moved to Greece where she grew up around Rakii. Rakii involves men making wine, and then distilling the scraps of the grapes to make it. Nick also grew up around the spirit in a small steel town outside of Pittsburgh called Monessen. His father was a salesman, but would distill Rakii in his basement to sell to the sizeable Greek population in town to supplement his income. Eventually Carol and Nick met in the Atlantic City area where they bonded over their Greek traditions, including their history of rakii.
After a trip to Greece in 2001, nostalgia led to the family buying their own still. After about two years of distilling Rakii, the couple ventured into making vodka made from grapes. After thirteen years of trial and error, Carol and Nick along with their two sons Nick and Anthony, put plans into motion to start their own distillery. They feel their parents, who passed away in 1999, are smiling down on them for keeping their tradition alive.
One of the most unique features about the distillery is that it’s family owned, and it feels family owned. Everyone that works at the distillery is part of the family, so every single bottle that you find there and in liquor stores throughout New Jersey were made by the family from start to finish.
Another unique feature of Lazy Eye Distillery is that everything they make is made from grapes and is gluten free. I for one had never heard of a vodka made a grapes before, and I learned that it is rare. I can personally attest that their vodka is one of the smoothest vodkas, and you can drink it straight without mixers. It’s very nice over ice!
Lazy Eye Distillery has something for everyone including a vodka, a bottled cocktail, rakii, and barrel aged spirits . Plus, as a guest at the distillery you are taking a tour with someone who actually made the spirits you’re tasting. So be prepared for a fun, educational experience! Their passion for what they do is incredible, and they are genuinely interested in making the people who walk in the door feel like family. With two locations in New Jersey, they are expanding their family tradition to an entire new group of people.
Lazy Eye Distillery is a destination, not just a distillery. Not only do you get an education on the distilling process, but you get to know the Kafkalas. When I was in Wildwood, we were there for an hour talking and time flew by! Plus, we saw plenty of people aka repeat business, walking in and buying spirits by the CASE because it’s that amazing.
Their quality products speak for themselves! I highly recommend visiting there to enjoy a tasting and tour yourself!
More info on Lazy Eye Distillery:
Address: 1328 Harding Highway, Richland, NJ
135 E Spicer Ave, Wildwood, NJ
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