Crafting Perfection One Bottle at a Time

Distilling in the state of New Jersey began in Monmouth County in 1698. On Long Beach Island, NJ, in 2026, small craft distilling has only just begun.

It started when Jake Lattanzi, master distiller and owner of L.B.I. Distilling Co. opened the island’s first and only distillery.  Since then, he’s been busy capturing the essence of LBI in every bottle of his handcrafted, artisan vodka, rum, gin and bourbon.

When asked why he’s the first to bring a distillery to the island Lattanzi said he’s not sure.

“It’s a good question,” he said. “I thought surely somebody would go for it first. But it is a big commitment. It took us so long to get here. You must find the perfect set up, the right space to fit all your equipment and then you must buy the craft distillery license.”

(A craft distillery license is what allows small scale production of spirits under federal, state, and local regulations, with specific limits on production, sales, and tasting operations.)

L.B.I. Distilling Co. officially opened in Long Beach Township, NJ in May of 2026. The decision to open it on LBI was not a difficult one for Lattanzi. “Well, I grew up here,” he said. “I went to Southern. Middle school and high school. My family has been here a long time.”

Lattanzi estimates there are approximately 30 small independent craft distilleries in NJ. “It hasn’t taken off yet like the craft beer breweries,” he said. “But it’s growing.”

He feels part of the reason for the boom in small craft distilleries statewide has to do with people’s preference for locally sourced small batch artisan products.

 “Quality over quantity using only local ingredients,” he said.  “Everything here is made by the batch. I’m not doing mass produced quantities. My ingredients come from a large family-owned farm in Lancaster, PA. I can tell you exactly where my ingredients come from.”

Some of those ingredients also come from L.B.I. Distilling Co. itself. Fresh, all natural ingredients like herbs are grown outside the distillery. Freshly squeezed fruit juices and dried fruit garnishes prepared on premise help give his cocktails that grain to glass approach.

Lattanzi said every ingredient found in a bottle of his rum, vodka, gin and bourbon is an expression of his personality and his recipes.

“Take our gin for example,” he said. “It’s got juniper, coriander, cinnamon, lime, orange peels and a single vanilla bean. Just a little bit. People may not notice it but that’s what gives it that special taste.”

All distilling is done on the premises and supervised by Lattanzi who oversees everything.  “All distilling has to be done on the premises,” he said. “It’s a state regulation. Unless I make it, it can’t be sold.”

Lattanzi readily admits he is a perfectionist. He puts in long hours keeping track of the handcrafting process necessary to produce his artisanal spirits.

 “I do a lot of record keeping,” he said. “I am very specific in documenting what I do, writing down everything. Hopefully 5 years from now I can go back and look at what I did with a recipe in 2026. There are times I’ll wonder why I couldn’t make this batch perfect. So, I play around with it until I do.”

L.B.I. Distilling Co. serves standard drinks like a vodka tonic or a rum and Coke made with his spirits. “We can do anything as long as it is made from alcohol that we make here,” he said.

But plenty of creativity gets poured into every one of their craft cocktails.

Best in glass cocktail so far this year has been the Seasonal Espresso Martini made with How You Brewing espresso beans.

“Our Ocean Berry Mojito, made with rum, blackberries, mint, fresh lime juice and club soda is also popular”, he said.” I personally like the Shark Fin Fizz. It’s got our gin that pairs nicely with fresh grapefruit juice, club soda – and a salted rim.”

If you’re not into cocktails, mocktails are also on the menu.

Inside L.B.I. Distilling Co. there’s a downstairs bar where you can sit and talk to each other or with one of their friendly bartenders.

Upstairs there’s a lounge where you can dance, sit and sip a cocktail at sunset or celebrate while listening to live local music. Since food cannot be sold on the premises patrons are welcome to bring in their own. Packaged snacks are available for purchase.

 Even though the distillery is in a shore town, Lattanzi plans to remain open all year round. For now, however, he’s in high spirits when it comes to L.B.I. Distilling Co. this summer.

“I just want people to know how much pride I take in doing what I do and how important it is for me to be part of the community,” he said. “I can’t wait for the summer crowds to come in here!”

Images: Marjorie Amon

Contact Information

L.B.I. Distilling Co.

1305 Long Beach Blvd. Long Beach Island, NJ 08008

609-661-7154

For hours of operation visit their website lbidistillingcompany.com

Products can be purchased at L.B.I. Distilling Co. For a full list of where their products are also sold check out their Instagram @lbidistillingco