They Started a Whiskey Brand in Their Montclair Kitchens. Now They’re Winning Over Drinkers Across NJ and Beyond

When J.D. Recobs and Chris Buglisi were growing up in Montclair, they loved to start small businesses—everything from lemonade stands as kids to DJing and house painting as teens. 

The now 36-year-olds—who met at age 7 when they lived just a block apart—stayed friends through high school and, in college, discovered a shared love for whiskey. But while they enjoyed popular brands like Jack Daniels, they were looking for something smoother that was well balanced, but not too sweet. 

So they decided to try their hands at making their own—and that’s how, in 2017, Misunderstood Whiskey was born. 

“Whiskey has been our passion since college,” says Recobs. “We were fascinated by the delicate process that goes into making every bottle, but we realized that many folks don’t share the same appreciation because they find whiskey is too harsh for them.”

They set out to create whiskey for everyone—for their friends, for their moms, for anyone who wasn’t a whiskey fan. They thought, Who better to take a risk on a business with than your best friend? The worst that could happen was they would have a bunch of whiskey to drink.

While they kept their corporate day jobs in the finance world, they worked on their whiskey business on the side, staying up late at night testing and blending. They wanted to develop a unique, high-quality whiskey that balanced complexity and drinkability. 

“After college, we really got into the whole whiskey world. The craft boom was happening, and all these small craft distilleries were starting to gain notoriety, and at the same time, some of these flavored whiskeys were picking up steam,” says Recobs. “But a lot of them were packed full of sugar and a lot of artificial ingredients. Our goal was to bridge the gap between flavored whiskeys and bourbon without sacrificing quality for flavor.”

They spent four years creating homemade infusions. They began by experimenting with various flavors in their kitchens. “We went through all the mason jars in our kitchens, just infusing the whiskey and trying it. I’ll tell you right now, avocado whiskey does not taste good!”

In 2017, they finally hit on the right combination, which became Misunderstood Ginger Spiced whiskey. The whiskey is blended and infused at Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky, a highly acclaimed distillery. It’s sourced from Bardstown, Ross and Squibb, a distillery in Indiana, and Green River Distilling in Kentucky. The idea was to use natural ingredients to flavor the spirit, so they used a white butterfly ginger, which has more of a tropical, sweet flavor, Recobs says. 

“We’re still a small brand, and everyone is drinking this and supporting us, so it’s really important that we use good ingredients and make great stuff,” he says. “My mom still drinks all of my products. As we grow as a company, it’s important that we do the right thing.”

This past spring, they came up with an orange-blossom flavored bourbon, using orange-blossom honey from Pennsylvania. 

They named the brand Misunderstood Whiskey because they felt like whiskey can be misunderstood by those who mistakenly think they don’t like the spirit. 

“We wanted to break whiskey out of its bottle and change people’s perceptions about the category by developing a high-quality and versatile spirit that can be enjoyed by anyone,” says Recobs. 

The first few months, they spent every day going door-to-door on their bicycles, trying to get bar managers to try Misunderstood Whiskey, while learning the industry.

They found that bartenders were using their whiskey for cocktails that were normally made with gin or vodka. During those few months, they realized Misunderstood’s true potential in breaking through traditional whiskey barriers. After three months of hard work, they sold out their first batch, began partnering with distributors, and stopped delivering their own orders. 

Since then, Misunderstood’s whiskey and bourbon have caught on, and purchasers of their  products are now 54 percent female. 

“I think that’s pretty cool, because that was our whole thesis—making it approachable for people when we don’t do a pink bottle. It’s not about that. It’s about welcoming new folks who may not have gotten into whiskey before,” says Recobs.

The whiskey is 80 proof, unlike most flavored whiskeys, which are 60 or 70 proof, says Recobs.

In 2024, they launched a cream liqueur line called Oatrageous. It’s dairy-free and gluten-free, made with oat milk and natural ingredients, and has less sugar than similar brands. 

The flavors include bourbon cream, coconut and espresso. Recobs says that Jet Blue is going to be serving Oatrageous espresso cream liqueur on all its flights.  

Their latest project is creating blended mini-cans of espresso martinis, piña coladas and old fashioneds using their whiskey and bourbon. Misunderstood Whiskey and the Oatrageous cream line are available at various local bars and restaurants, including the MC Hotel, Egan & Sons and Porta pizza in Montclair; Taka in Asbury Park; and Dock’s Oyster Bar in Atlantic City. Bottles are available for purchase at Wegman’s, Stew Leonard’s and ShopRite. Bottles can also be purchased at misunderstoodwhiskey.com.