Bushwick distiller Môtô Spirits to close, celebrate 7 years of community

At a farewell event on Friday, one of the few U.S. distilleries to make rice whiskey, will close for good — but not without a party

By Andrew Tobia

Courtesy Instagram/@motospirits

Bushwick’s Môtô Spirits announced in a recent Instagram post that they’re closing up shop, and now they’re throwing a party to celebrate.

“We’re so proud of the community we’ve built,” say co-founders Marie Estrada and Hagai Yardeny in the post. “And the wonderful friends and fellow distillers and brewers and partners and collaborators and customers and pups we’ve met along our crazy seven year journey.”

Môtô — one of few U.S. distilleries to make rice whiskey, and the only one that produced Jabuka — began as a friendship between Estrada and Yardeny, which over time became the distillery.

The spirits they produced were based on motorcycling adventures they had taken together: The rice whiskey was inspired by their trip through Vietnam, where the beverage was ubiquitous, and Jabuka, an apple-based spirit, by their adventures in Croatia.

“Jabuka” is the Croatian word for “apple.” Môtô was the only distillery in the world that made it, as they created it. “We had a farm distillery license,” says Estrada. “To keep it, we needed to produce something made with at least 85 percent New York-grown ingredients.” One thing that New York and Croatia have in common are an abundance of apples, and Jabuka was born.

Though it was nominally about spirits, community was Môtô’s true driving force. “It’s the idea of community and hospitality and bringing people together with what we’re eating and drinking,” says Estrada. “That’s how it all comes together for us.”

They put their money where their mouth is in that regard. Môtô was known as much for the events they put on — concerts, drink & draw nights, art shows, karaoke and quiz nights, you name it — as for their spirits.

“Nobody ever wants to close down something they’ve worked so hard on,” says Estrada of the decision. Unfortunately, one of their primary markets was hotels, which are still struggling from the pandemic.

When asked about what’s next, Estrada, who recently completed treatment for breast cancer, says “My priority now is to rest up for a little bit. But no matter what’s next, the Môtô community is always going to be with me.”

With the sale of their still — to Brough Brothers Distillery, Kentucky’s first Black-owned distillery — Môtô’s closure is complete. Join them Friday night, starting at 6 p.m., to catch up and celebrate.