Brooklyn Distiller Enters Base Spirits Market Atheras Spirits, known for its wild-foraged amari and liqueurs, is moving into base spirits for the first time with the launch of Monks Line: a triple-distilled vodka and two gins produced at the brand's micro-distillery inside Bitter Monk cocktail bar in Brooklyn's Industry City. The lineup includes Monks Vodka (40% ABV, $33), Monks Gin West (40% ABV, $37), and Monks Gin East (45% ABV, $41). With base spirits now joining its existing portfolio, Atheras says it makes nearly every essential cocktail ingredient in-house.

Foraged Botanicals and Heritage Monks Line draws on Atheras' library of more than 300 wild-foraged and sourced botanicals, gathered by forager partners Elizabeth Kontou and Tama Matsuoka Wong and sourced from Indigenous communities in Peru and organic growers in Europe. The name honors the monastic tradition of distillation and co-founder Ektoras Binikos' great-great-grandfather, Ilias Binikos, an Orthodox monk on the Greek island of Ikaria who made wine and raki more than a century ago. "My great-great-grandfather, Ilias, made wine and distilled raki (grappa) in Ikaria more than a century ago, so this feels like coming full circle," says Binikos. "Gin and vodka are the backbone of the world's great classic cocktails, and rare, foraged botanicals give ours an unmistakable Atheras character. Seeing bartenders light up when they taste them has been incredibly humbling, and I can't wait to see what they create."

Production Method Each expression starts with a 192-proof, corn-based neutral spirit that is charcoal-filtered to remove corn flavor. For the gins, Binikos and team skip the traditional gin basket, instead macerating every botanical in the spirit at 150 proof for 48 hours before straining, filtering, and distilling in a traditional copper still. Monks Vodka is triple-distilled and naturally gluten-free. Monks Gin West is a London Dry–style gin with juniper and coriander, brightened by Seville orange, mountain sage, lemon verbena, and coconut, finishing with vetiver and saffron. Monks Gin East opens with galangal and ginger, moves into bright citrus from grains of paradise, and adds green cardamom and patchouli for earthy depth.

Distribution and Availability The line will be distributed through Massanois, beginning in New York and New Jersey later this year, followed by Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Illinois in 2027. Consumers can purchase directly via the Atheras Spirits e-commerce site in 44 states. Atheras Spirits was founded in 2024 by Ektoras Binikos, designer Simon Jutras, and financier Jon Brayshaw. The portfolio has earned Gold at the 2025 American Distillers Institute awards and the 2025 New York International Spirits Competition, as well as Gold and Silver at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Why It Matters

For bar operators and retailers, Monks Line represents a shift in premiumization strategy—moving from amari and liqueurs into the higher-volume base spirits category. The emphasis on foraged botanicals and in-house distillation differentiates the product in a crowded gin and vodka market, while the direct-to-consumer e-commerce model and multi-state rollout signal aggressive expansion for a 2024-founded brand.

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Written by FBM Publications Editors

Frequently Asked Questions

What's Atheras Spirits' pricing on the new Monks Line?

Monks Vodka runs $33 at 40% ABV, Monks Gin West is $37 at 40% ABV, and Monks Gin East tops out at $41 for 45% ABV. Those price points position them as premium craft spirits for on-premise programs and high-end retail.

Where is Monks Line actually produced?

Everything's made in-house at Atheras' micro-distillery inside Bitter Monk cocktail bar in Brooklyn's Industry City. This isn't contract-distilled—Binikos and his team control the entire process from neutral spirit production through botanical maceration.

What makes Atheras' botanical sourcing different from competitors?

They're pulling from a library of over 300 wild-foraged and sourced botanicals, with foragers Elizabeth Kontou and Tama Matsuoka Wong sourcing from Indigenous communities in Peru and organic growers across Europe. That depth gives them unique flavor profiles you won't find in mass-market gin and vodka brands.

How does their gin production method differ from traditional approaches?

They skip the traditional gin basket entirely, instead macerating every botanical in 150-proof spirit for 48 hours before straining and filtering. That extended maceration pulls more complex flavor extraction than basket-infusion methods, which is why bartenders are responding positively.

Does this launch mean Atheras is now positioned as a full-line spirits distributor?

Yes. With vodka and gin now joining their existing amari and liqueur portfolio, Atheras claims they're making nearly every essential cocktail ingredient in-house. That's a significant competitive advantage for on-premise accounts that want to build programs around a single artisanal producer.