Once the site of the “Dutch” gangster smuggling operation Schultz Prohibition, the Dutch liquor distillery brings alcohol to the Pine Plains site.
But more than an illegal operation, the distillery highlights New York’s agricultural breweries, vineyards and distilleries with its bar.
Dutch’s Spirits opened on Saturday with a tasting room and craft cocktails.
Owner Brendan McAlpine took over Dutch’s Spirits in 2018 and, although he hoped to open as soon as possible, it took him years to obtain state licenses.
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And while COVID-19 presents unique demanding situations for a company to open, it felt that the company could continue to attract consumers amid the pandemic.
“I have no idea twice, ” said McAlpine. ” The logo was so popular and other people had been waiting for us to open for years. “
Of course, there are some drawbacks.
Due to the requirement that alcohol be served with food in New York under coronavirus restrictions, consumers will need to order a deli kit with their first glasses. Although food trucks like Embers Hudson Valley are a normal component of the distillery, food purchased from them will not meet state criteria.
“We strive to keep things reasonable,” McAlpine said. ” But we have to sell food with our drinks. Most people have been understanding. “
True to its smuggling roots, Dutch’s Spirits will soon offer its Sugar Wash Shine. The 80-test liquor can eventually be taken at the bar, as well as in some locations in the three-state area.
The distillery is “99% complete,” McAlpine said, so the first circular of spirits is distilled at the Adirondack Distilling Company in Utica. Dutch’s Spirits will offer other concocenies, adding rye whiskey.
And in spring, McAlpine hopes to open a place to eat from farm to table on the property.
“Some other people might think it’s a cliché, yet I think American cuisine, from the farm to the table, fits into place,” he said.
Meanwhile, the distillery will offer a rotation of food trucks, adding McAlpine’s other company, Hudson Valley Marshmallow Company in Beacon.
Arthur Flegenheimer, better known as “Dutch” Schultz, hid a smuggling program developed at a turkey farm in Pine Plains. Local police raided the farm because of the number of trucks coming and going, but they didn’t discover anything.
Federal agents attacked the site, finding the distillation operation in bunkers and tunnels beneath the property.
Although now more unlikely due to COVID-19, McAlpine said he hoped to restart site visits and even build a museum exhibiting Schultz and banning smuggling.
Geoffrey Wilson: gwilson@poughkeepsiejournal. com; 845-437-4882; Twitter: @GeoffWilson_