Revolutionary History, Rebellious Spirits.
War Cannon Spirits is a boutique New York farm distillery based in the Champlain Valley. We chose the location for its unique climate and access to high-quality cereal grains and other agricultural products, often unique to the state and crucial to making exceptional small-batch spirits. Most of our aged spirits rest in Northeastern Oak barrels unique to the region, which pair exceptionally well with the regional cereal grains in our products.
We have a passion for history and preservation, which we express through our products. We completed a challenging nine-year restoration of a circa 1820 sawmill in Crown Point, New York - now known as Defiance Hall. We combine our signature products with state-specific offerings that highlight each market's history. We frequently partner with non-profit organizations, collaborating on offerings and donating a portion of sales to support their efforts, typically focused on historical education, preservation, and encouraging heritage tourism of historic sites.
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 B founded the company in 2016 to share New York’s elevated agriculture and rich history with a broader audience. He bought an abandoned early 19th-century mill near Lake Champlain, now known as Defiance Hall, and spent nine years on restorations.
Paul named the brand War Cannon Spirits because the area is home to 18th-century British and French forts along Lake Champlain, including Fort Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga, as well as the British-built Fort William Henry on Lake George. Paul has since expanded War Cannon Spirits through various partnerships to three states and the United Kingdom, with additional markets pending.
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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.
