Revolutionary History, Rebellious Spirits.
We are a boutique New York farm distillery with a passion for history and preservation. We often partner with regional non-profit organizations by creating collaborative products and donate a portion of each bottle sold to support our partner’s efforts.
War Cannon Spirits interview with Chief Distiller Joel Elder. Filmed at our tasting room, Defiance Hall, in Crown Point, NY.
Leadership
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Paul founded the company in 2016 to share the agricultural products and rich history of New York and the Champlain Valley with a wider audience. This goal led him to a former 19th-century mill near the historic shores of Lake Champlain, where he spent nine years restoring it. Paul was inspired to name War Cannon Spirits when the project became based in the towns of Crown Point and Ticonderoga. Both towns are home to 18th-century British and French forts built along the lake's shores, Fort Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga.
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Our Chief Distiller, Joel, played a vital role in guiding War Cannon Spirits alongside Paul since the project's inception. With a rich agricultural background stemming from his upbringing on Missouri farms, Joel aims to make struggling farms profitable and innovate in value-added agriculture, naturally leading him to distill. His extensive knowledge now serves as the foundation of our industry-leading processes. He was instrumental in New York’s broader craft beverage expansion, working alongside the state’s legislature and agricultural community for over 15 years. Joel provided valuable insights during the revision of New York's farm distillery framework and contributed to agricultural boards for the reintroduction of new barley strains in the state, now widely recognized as ‘Empire Malt.’
Local History
The Adirondack Park and Champlain Valley are rich in history that is relevant to the story of the region and North America.
Paleo-Indian sites have been discovered in the region dating back to 9000 B.C. The name Ticonderoga comes from an Iroquois word meaning "the land between two waters,” as Lake George connects to Lake Champlain via the 3.5-mile-long La Chute River (also called Ticonderoga Creek).
The area is home to the original US Navy fleet formed during the Revolutionary Era, the furthest north George Washington ever traveled, the start of the Knox Cannon Trail that ended the Siege of Boston, and the birthplace of the electric age - just a few of the notable events that occurred on our doorstep.
Restoration
A restored landmark built in 1820.
Our tasting room, Defiance Hall, was originally built as a sawmill when a dammed creek formed a pond behind the site. Many changes have occurred over the past 200 years, but the structure still remains one of the oldest of its kind, as noted in ‘A Guide to Architecture in the Adirondacks.’
Numerous ownership changes took place since 1820. In the 20th century, Crown Point Cooperative G.L.F. Service (GLF) produced lumber and wood products on the property. The oldest photographs we have are from this period.
The GLF was sold to a former employee in 1957 and became a grain and feed store. It then sold in 2000 and reopened as a hardware store and feed business until 2008.
War Cannon Spirits acquired the site in 2016. Due to over two centuries of heavy use, the building was in dire structural condition. Most engineers believed it could not or should not be saved and that it should be demolished. We ignored this advice.
We value authenticity, creativity, and history. Demolishing the structure would lead to a significant regional loss. We partnered with noted regional architect Nils Luderowski to preserve the building and transform this landmark.
Eight years passed, during which time the early 19th-century mill was restored to a respectful version of its original architectural vernacular. This comprehensive effort included site cleanup, hazmat abatement, demolition, new underground utilities, structural repairs, and full renovation work. A substantial amount of material was recycled during the restoration. All tables in Defiance Hall are made from reclaimed oak floorboards salvaged by Larry Koller during demolition.
The renovated building now dominates the streetscape as a notable regional landmark.