About Us

War Cannon Spirits is a boutique New York farm distillery that harnesses the state's rich agricultural diversity to produce exceptional small-batch spirits. Our innovative, niche products are tailored for those expecting superior quality, craftsmanship, and authenticity in their bottles.

 

We were founded in 2016 by Paul Besignano, a New Yorker living in the United Kingdom. He sought to extend New York's agricultural influence to a broader audience through London's cocktail-centric hospitality scene. This mission led him to a 19th-century mill nestled in the fertile Champlain Valley, near the historic shores of Lake Champlain, where he drew inspiration from two 18th-century British and French forts for the name War Cannon Spirits.

Our Chief Distiller, Joel Elder, was instrumental in guiding War Cannon Spirits with our founder since the start of the project. Joel has a solid agricultural background, having grown up in Missouri. His desire to make struggling farms profitable and reinvent value-added agriculture indirectly led him to distill. Joel's extensive knowledge now helps form the core of our industry-leading processes. He was a pioneer at the forefront of New York’s broader craft beverage expansion, collaborating with the state’s legislature and agricultural community for over 15 years. Joel provided his perspective when New York was revising its farm distillery framework and to agricultural boards when reintroducing new strains of barley in the state (now commonly known as Empire Malt).​​​

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