Bringing Rum Back To NYC
A story almost a century in the making; from Prohibition Era Manhattan to Modern day Brooklyn.
Meet Our Founder & Head Distiller
Bridget Firtle is a native New Yorker descended from a long line of Brooklyn-based small business owners. Raised in a home in Rockaway Beach, Queens, with a once bustling speakeasy for a basement, the allure and craft of spirits culture ran in Bridget’s family
How Owney's got its name
Our rum is named after famous New York City hustler, Owen “Owney” Madden. An entrepreneur who dabbled in everything from backing boxers to opening speakeasies, Owney made his biggest mark in bootlegging and rum running up the east coast throughout Prohibition. Bridget drew inspiration from his legacy and decided to pay homage to Owney when crafting her unique rums.
Owning the hustle
In 2012, inspired by history and a vision to bring rum distilling back to New York City, Bridget left her job on Wall Street to found The Noble Experiment, the first exclusive rum distillery in almost a century. After years of planning and build out and countless trial and error on the still, Bridget finalized her recipe. With the help of friends and family, a 4-spout bottler and a batch of stick on labels, she began knocking on doors and spreading the word about Owney’s Rum, bringing her hustle to rum lovers everywhere.
