The Albany Distilling Company Bar and Bottle Shop

A very cute spot! We came here after attending a show at the Palace- it's within walking distance but there is also lots of street parking around. They have a great selection of liquor, beers, ciders, and more. When we arrived there was live music happening in the back, which I always love! They don't have food but right next door is a pizza spot that you can order from and eat it here. The bartender was very friendly and gave excellent recommendations. Would love to check this place out again!

This gets 5 stars for so many reasons, primarily ambience, vibe and the DRINKS. Oh and then there is the addition of Defazios pizza. This was a great way to kill 2 food n drink "to visit" trips into a great evening. Both of these establishments have been on my list since moving here. Worth the wait. The space is phenomenal, I want to hang out here for drinks all the time and probably will. The drinks are well created and creative but not in the trying too hard way. Not in the mood for something stiff (mine was stiff!), then try a cider, beer, wine, hard seltzer or just a soda. Love the access to regular H20 throughout the place. Bar service is fast and friendly even on a Friday.

The pizza.... It's not my favorite food group but it was good. You pop outside (literally) to order. About 7-8 minutes later a fresh, hot pie is delivered. 3 of us tried the regular, fresh mozzarella and cacio e pepe. They were satisfying. Shared a large salad as well.
First of many trips, Absolutely coming back.

This is hands-down one of my favorite places in the Capital District to hang out on a summer night. Its location is very walkable from downtown or the Warehouse district, but it's set apart enough to feel like you've made a discovery -- though the new Capital Rep theater and Defazio's Pizza locations seem like they're going to make this quiet little street more of a destination. The drinks are tasty and always big, generous pours, and the staff are always friendly and chatty in a way that makes you feel like a regular. The real draw here, though, is the recently redone and truly amazing courtyard/patio, which is well-lit and comfortable while still having preserved the crumbling industrial vibes (though I do think that some big plants would be an awesome addition to the atmosphere!). There are heaters for cool nights, and during hot days there's plenty of shade.

Right now the most substantial food option is a very cute -- and tasty! -- graze box by Grate Expectations, but once DeFazio's opens you'll be able to eat all of the pizza you want in the patio. I also learned that they're perfectly fine with people bringing in their own food to eat in their space (as long as you order drinks, obviously). I'm so happy that they've managed to return from their COVID break better than ever, and with the weather warming up I'm definitely looking forward to spending a lot of time here again.

Great ambiance, killer drinks, clean bathrooms. Looking forward to coming back in the summer. Last call was just after 9 pm even though open til 10.

Perfect Friday evening in a hidden gem of a place. Caity Gallagher's performance was the icing on the cake, great band! Love the ambience of this unique joint, featuring a large and spacious patio complete with natural lighting. I requested the Cranberry Grapefruit Cobbler that was absolutely delicious (just asked them to leave out the alcohol to make for a yummy mocktail)

The ADC Bar and Bottle shop is a great place to hang out and have a drink, but I was not happy with my two cocktails.

The cocktail list is long, there's something like twenty cocktails on the menu, and many are very creative and reading the descriptions they appear to be delicious​.

My two cocktails were too sweet.

A great cocktail​ should be balanced and nuanced, and in my opinion,​ it should be barely sweet. B-A-R-E-L-Y sweet. Maybe it was the bartender​ that was there that night, and other bartenders there use a lighter hand with the simple syrup, but both my cocktails had too much simple syrup. He used a heavy hand and one of my drinks bordered on cloying.

I'd go back again for sure, but I'll also make sure any cocktails I order aren't too sweet. Sugar should never be the primary thing one tastes when drinking a good cocktail​ made with good spirits.

I like a distillery that finds a blend of drink and atmosphere that works, and for me, Albany Distilling has found that blend. First, I enjoy their products, and second, I really enjoy the cocktails they make that showcase their products. That begins with their cinnamon old fashioned, which is kind of my umami of cocktails, if that can be such a thing. And you can sip it in quiet comfort upstairs in a booth or at the bar chatting.

But wait, there's that patio out back and down the stairs. For some bizarre reason, when I'm there in the evening, it reminds me a tiny bit of the point in the Mexico ride at EPCOT where you're sailing through the little village at sunset, minus the boats and music, of course. It's nothing fancy, it's just an atmosphere that works. And of course they've got cornhole too, another plus for my gang. Albany Distilling is definitely a place I would bring friends for drinks and socializing.

Distillery is closed for remodeling. No where did it say anything about this except for a tiny sign on the door. Parking is atrocious unless you're there at a dead time. Attempted 2 different times to go to the pace and couldn't find anywhere to park for multiple blocks and then the second time they're closed for remodeling. With no notice on their website or any social media alerting of being closed.

The back patio is INCREDIBLE. The night we went had live music & it was a vibe! The bartenders were extremely nice and helpful! Highly recommend!!

This is truly a Capital Region hidden gem! The distillery has been around sometime but the bar was opened this year. The service is excellent! Randy, the bar manager, was very helpful and knowledgeable. He made delicious drinks. I ordered the Knickerbocker Tea...it was so good I had two! The owner, Rick, ended up showing up after a tour and was very friendly and helpful when we wanted to use our Yelp coupons. My husband loved the sampling as well. The ambiance is very relaxed and chill. Highly recommend this spot if you're looking for great drinks and excellent customer service!! Do note that the parking is quite limited and the neighborhood isn't the best in Albany, although you can definitely see that there is effort being put into changing that.
p.s if you need more convincing- the outside patio is an awesome space with a second bar AND you can bring your 4 legged best friend too!!!