Tuthilltown Spirits: A Field Trip

Tuthilltown's Spirits

The first distillery in New York state since prohibition looks a lot like a converted garage where some mad scientist has rigged up all sorts of contraptions for his experiments. And in fact, that might not be too far off the mark.

the garage

Ralph Erenzo started Tuthilltown Spirits back in 2001, the year New York finally amended its Prohibition era regulations on small distilleries, taking the annual permit fee down from $10,000 to $1,250.  Completely self taught, and with a background in rock climbing, he partnered with a former-television-tech-whiz-turned-aspiring-bread-baker (after all, whiskey is a lot like bread, just without the oven) and together they started distilling vodka from the apples grown nearby.  Soon, thank goodness, they added grain to their repertoire, and have recently launched a cassis liqueur, rum and their own line of bitters.  (Read more about the team and their history.)

I visited Tuthilltown on a sunny, crisp Saturday in December. After brunching at Main Street Bistro in nearby New Paltz, a good local spot for all manner of eggs, sandwiches and chili, we drove off towards what looked increasing like nowhere. In fact we were still a little unsure we were in the right place even when we pulled into the gravel driveway.

aging bourbon

We were greeted by Cordell, an actor-turned-chicken-farmer-turned-whiskey-tour-guide, and, along with some other Manhattan types, were soon being lectured on the history of Tuthilltown and the fermentation process of grain.  One of the first things we covered was that, contrary to popular belief, bourbon does not have to be made in Kentucky or Tennessee.  In fact there are six criteria that must be met in order for a spirit to be classified as bourbon, and the only geographical one is that it be made in the United States.  That’s right, any one of the fifty. (Sorry Guam and Puerto Rico).

The other five are:

1. It must be at least 51% corn
2. It must be aged in a first-use white oak barrel
3. Nothing else may be added to the barrel (such as extra wood chips or flavorings)
4. It must be at least 80% alcohol coming off the still
5. and 62.5% going into the barrel

The second of these at first posed rather a challenge to the aspiring distillers, since they didn’t have the resources to carry a large quantity of liquor through a lengthy aging process.  The solution?  Use smaller barrels so the spirits age faster and are ready sooner.  From whence Tuthilltown’s first aged spirit, the Baby Bourbon, a beautiful, smooth and lighter whiskey which was my first encounter with the brand.  The Baby is still one of my favorites, but I am also a fan of the Manhattan Rye and the Four-Grain Bourbon, which is made from corn, rye, wheat and malted barley and is spicier and stronger than Baby. (See their full product line here.)

Then it was time to see the process in action.  Upon entering the glorified garage, we were first faced with a large vat that was busily churning corn with yeast before being transferred to big plastic buckets for fermentation. We were invited to sample the liquid with our fingers – and as promised it did in fact taste kind of sweet and like bread. We did not try the brew in the fermentation buckets in the next room, but if smell is any indicator it was pretty rancid.

the vat of corn & yeast

corn fermenting in a plastic bucket

Upstairs they have just installed a brand new beautiful copper still. It’s so tall they they had to build a cupola on the roof to accommodate it (see picture of garage above).  Here, we were instructed in some of the basics of the distilling process.

the still

The raw liquor is heated and as it evaporates the steam rises through a pipe with various metal discs. The first liquids to evaporate are known as the “heads” – basically acetone aka nail polish remover – you don’t want to drink it. Next come the “hearts”, which is the good stuff. As the liquor pours off the still, an alcohol monitor (like a weight buoy that measures the density of the liquid) tells the staff what stage they are at.  After the hearts come the “tails” which are likewise toxic and not to be consumed. The tails get tipped back into the still with the next batch, which allows Tuthilltown to extract more good stuff from them, and also serves to develop the signature taste of their whiskeys over time.

bottles ready for labeling

Next up was the bottling room.  It looked like something out of the I Love Lucy episode when Lucy works in a chocolate factory.  Old school conveyor belt contraption and everything, including a hand dipping station for the wax that coats the tops of the bottles.  And if I worked there for a day I’d probably end up just like Lucy, but drunk and covered in booze instead of chocolates.

 

Thank the Lord

 

Apparently they are due for an upgrade in the bottling room, in part due to a new partnership with William Grant & Sons, who own, among other brands, Glenfiddich and Hendrick’s.  Also a result of their agreement, Tuthilltown spirits will soon be making their way across the pond: Europe, get ready, Prohibition is over!

 

And finally, the highlight of the trip: the tasting.  We were strictly admonished that we were to have only three samples each, and no sharing.  I sampled the rum – not bad – but settled on a bottle of Manhattan Rye to add to my Baby Bourbon at home, as well as some bourbon barrel aged maple syrup.  By far the best find of the trip, however, is their cocktail aging bottle.  That’s right, a cocktail aging bottle.  In case you are not up on your cocktail trends, this is the latest fad (I heard it here first, last summer).  And now, instead of coughing up for a large barrel, you can buy a small bottle with a piece of barrel inside it, and age your own small batches of Manhattans, Negronis, etc at home.  Stay tuned for adventures on this score coming soon….

 

a whiskey barrel is an excellent place for a nap

Vital Statistics:
Location: 14 Grist Mill Lane, Gardiner, NY 12525
Website: www.tuthilltown.com
Prices: $15 per person for a tour and tasting.  Whiskeys are $40 each onsite, and average $45 at retail locations in New York City.  Cocktail Aging Bottle is $10.