Enjoying the wonders of nature can be a challenge in the middle of a bitter New York winter, but vintners and distillers have found a way to utilize the previous season's harvest well into this mean season of snow drifts and ice fields. And, much to my delight, I find myself enjoying the fruits of their labor--literally.
A recent trip to the Albany Distillery--billed as Albany's first distillery since Prohibition--yielded a bevy of tasty cocktails, prepared right on site by the husband-wife team of John and Brooke Curtin, and their partner, Rick Sicari. Utilizing the bourbon and rye they distill right behind the bar, they whip up delicious concoctions like the Moss Coal Mule: Coal Yard Bourban, Adirondack ginger ale, lime and fresh ginger served in a traditional copper mug; and the Ironweed Old Fashioned: their own award-winning "Ironweed" Rye ( a name which cleverly evokes not only the New York Ironweed plant, Vernonia noveboracensis, with its gorgeous purple flowers, but the Pulitzer-prize winning William Kennedy novel of the same name, which, not co-incidentally is set in Albany) mixed with "Luxardo Maraschino cherry muddled with orange, orange bitters and soda."
In addition, John gives guided tours of the process which I found incredibly informative. For instance, I didn't know that "whiskey" is the blanket terms for bourbon and rye. I was also surprised to see clear liquid emerging from the faucet of the final doohickey in the process (as you can see, my terms are very scientific): it was clear! But whiskey has an amber hue, doesn't it? It sure does, and that's due to the aging process in oaken barrels, which transforms the clear fluid into the rich hue we all love to see shimmering in our cocktail glasses.
Of course my explanation of the distilling process is sophomoric, at best. For a much better description, check out a tour. The information gleaned, as well as a few laughs (some of which are provided by the on-site cat, Cooper, who tried to climb into my handbag), is well worth your time. Tours run on Thursdays and Saturdays. Call (518)621-7191 or visit Albanydistilling.com for more information.
Yet wine lovers (a group of which I am a proud member) should not feel left out! There are dozens of wonderful wineries in our region, not the least of which is Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville, New York. It's America's oldest continuously running winery, dating back to the 1700's. The proprietors cleverly skirted the Prohibition law in the early 20th-century by creating "church" wine for sacramental purposes.
The business has come a long way since those days, adding new buildings to the original stone structures (some of which burned to the ground a number of years back). Today, visitors can expect guided tours, a gift shop, fine dining at the on-site restaurant, and even event-hosting for special occasions, including fine touches, like hand-made wine labels for individual events, like weddings or anniversary parties.
I recently enjoyed an afternoon with a group of girlfriends, learning a bit about the wine-making process, including the time-consuming challenge of making champagne. It's a lovely way to enjoy time with friends while learning. And let's face it, what's not to love about sampling a nice array of the "fruit of the vines" in good company? For tour information, call: 845-496-3661, or visit them on the web: brotherhoodwinery.net.
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