7/26/2019 Quest for Cocktails

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GREENE

ULSTER

ORANGE

COLUMBIA

DUTCHESS

PUTNAM

WESTCHESTER

54 HUDSON VALLEY WINE Summer 2016

Quest for Cocktails

www.hvwinemag.com Summer 2016 55

WINECOUNTRYTRAVEL

The Hudson Valley is a craft beverage mecca. So

whats better than an assignment to set out in

search of unique cocktails made with Hudson

Valley wine and/or spirits? One weekend I decided

to explore the craft cocktail scene around the

region with my friend Jen to see how (and where) local

beverages are being served and how they express the terroir

to its fullest. And, to find the cocktail that would knock my

proverbial socks off.

From Field to Cocktail Glass

With so many choices I almost didnt know where to begin.

The former travel agent in me decided to work from south

to north, and so I began in Goshen, NY, at Orange County

Distillery founded by John Glebocki and Bryan Ensall. John,

the farmer of the two, grows sugar beets among other things.

After a surplus crop one year he decided to try his hand at

distilling vodka from them a fine idea that then expanded

to whiskey. As a farmer John is also able to grow grains for

whiskey production. Together he and Bryan do all the malting,mashing, fermenting, distilling, bottling, and just about

everything else to produce a full line of distinct spirits.

We visited John and Bryan at their Brown Barn Farms tasting

room, just a short distance from the distillery. At the distillery

you can see the production area, learn about the operation,

and taste their complete line. For a full experience where you

can enjoy a cocktail and a small bite and listen to some music,

visit them at Brown Barn Farms where you can choose from

a variety of cocktails made with their own products and other

New York craft beverages.

Depending on your spirit of choice, cocktails range from the

Courkat made with their Sugar Beet Vodka; Not by the Hair

of My Ginny, Gin, Gin, obviously gin-based; and Field 47

which has a corn whiskey base. And this is just a small sample

of the unique and creative cocktails on their menu.

A tough choice, but we settled on the Courkat, named after

Bryans cousin, and made from their vodka, muddled jalapeno,and sparkling lemonade. I admit I was concerned at first with

having jalapeno in my drink, but it definitely proved to be

a refreshing cocktail, and a perfect example of their

field-to-glass craft approach.

On the Kill

A drive up the road to the next county (Ulster County)

we found ourselves at Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery

in Gardiner, NY. We stopped in at the Tuthill House

at the Mill Restaurant which is located next to the

distillery on the banks of Shawangunk Kill.

Tuthilltown Spirits is New Yorks first whiskey distiller since

Prohibition and their Hudson Baby Bourbon was the first

bourbon made in New York since that era. Among their many

spirits they also produce vodka from local apples, gin (from

wheat and apples) and both corn and rye whiskeys.

At Tuthill House my favorite mixologist, Patrick, spoiled us with

three cocktails. Patrick who admits he has a passion for wine

is responsible for making all of the Tuthill House tinctures that

go into their drinks.

Patrick crafted us an As You Wish, made with aged

balsamic, demerara syrup (a brown sugar syrup), and their

strawberry-infused Half Moon Orchard Gin, topped with an

elderflower foam made with egg whites, lime juice, and

St. Germaine. Jen tried the Femme Fatale which had

rhubarb bitters, Tuthilltowns Indigenous Wheat Vodka, Pimms

No.6, Lillet Rouge, demerara syrup, and fresh squeezed lime

juice. Both drinks were exceptional, but the Femme Fatale

stood out as a great combination of both regional products

and well-known brands.

Then it was on to the wine cocktail called Spring Slumber.This cocktail is stirred, not shaken, and uses Tuthilltowns Half

Moon Gin and neighboring Whitecliff Vineyards Riesling. It

was herbaceous, soothing, and so delicately delicious! It really

captured the essence of springtime in Gardiner.

In the GroveHeading across the river and further north to Columbia

County, our quest for cocktails continued at Hudson Valley

Distillers in Germantown, NY, where we met Tom and Jen

Yozzo. The distillery sits on a 15-acre apple farm that was

once owned by The Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, an American

patriot who helped draft the Declaration of Independence and who

administered the oath of office to George Washington. The

170-year-old barn on the property was converted into the distillery,

and an outbuilding next door houses their Cocktail Grove. Tom

and co-owner Chris Moyer produce applejack, vodka, gin, and

whiskey using 99% locally-sourced ingredients from within five to

ten miles of the distillery. A tour of the distillery is a must when you

visit. After ours, we headed to The Grove where Trisha made us

a Cherry Blossom using Hardscrabble Applejack and Hudson-

Chatham Winerys 2012 Empire red wine. This is an ideal drink for

a cool summer evening so warming and vibrant that it was hard

to put down. A perfect pairing of regional beverages!

Coming Full CircleOur quest also took us to a few local restaurants around the region

where we explored the crafted cocktails on their menus. We headed

south to Beacon, NY (Dutchess County), which has really come

alive on the beverage scene lately. Our first stop was The Hop,

located on the eastern part of Main Street. Although its known for

being a beer-centric destination, we were successful in finding local

spirits there as well. The gin and vodka tonics we ordered took on a

unique twist made with Tuthilltowns Half Moon Gin and Indigenous

Apple Vodka, respectively, with Tomrs Tonic (an artisanal quinine

syrup) and sparkling water. An amazing take on your standard G&T

and V&T! Up the road on the other side of town, we stopped in to

Maxs on Main and had a Moon Over Beacon. Made with Dutchs

Spirits Sugar Wash Moonshine, maple syrup, apple cider, and a

dash of bitters, this cocktail, served in a Mason jar, is perfect for a

chilly evening around a fire pit.

So at the end of the weekend, what knocked my socks off most?The fact that there are so many options around the region for

outstanding creative cocktails made from unique combinations of

hand-crafted artisanal products that are grown, produced, and

bottled right here in the Hudson Valley. Its nice having a craft

beverage mecca in your own backyard!

Orange County Distillery

Courkat

1 oz Sugar Beet Vodka

chopped jalapeno (to taste)

sparkling lemonade

HOW TO:

Muddle chopped

jalapeno in bottom ofglass. Add vodka and

ice. Fill glass withsparkling lemonade.

Tuthill House at the Mill

As You Wish

1 oz Half Moon Gin, strawberry-infused

oz aged balsamic

oz demerara syrup

HOW TO:

Shake with ice and pour into glass. Top with

elderflower foam (beaten egg whites, limejuice and St. Germaine).

Femme Fatale

1 oz Indigenous Wheat Vodka

1 oz Pimms No.6

1 oz Lillet Rouge

1 oz demerara syrup

2 dashes of rhubarb bitters

Fresh squeezed lime juice

HOW TO:

Combine, shake with ice, and pour into glass.

Spring Slumber

1 oz Half Moon Gin

oz Whitecliff Riesling

oz honey and black peppercorn syrup

oz fennel and chamomile tincture

HOW TO:

Combine inredients and pour over a

single ice cube, garnish with basil.

Hudson Valley Distillers

Cherry Blossom

1 oz Hardscrabble Applejack

2 oz Hudson-ChathamEmpire red wine

oz simple syrup

2 cherries

slice orange and lemon

HOW TO:

Muddle fruit, add liquidingredients to shaker withice and strain into ice-filledwine glass.

Maxs on Main

Moon Over Beacon

1 oz Dutchs Spirits Moonshine

2 oz apple cider

dash of maple syrup

3 drops of bitters

HOW TO:

Pour Moonshine, cider, and maplesyrup into a shaker, add ice and

shake to combine. Pour into Masonjar, add bitters, a nd garnish with a

cinnamon stick and orange slice.

Traveling the Region Seeking Well-Crafted Quenchers

Debbie Gioquindo, CTC, CSW, WLS

PHOTOS:Courtesyoftheauthor