You can drink well and supporting Hudson Valley agriculture by sampling a line of meticulously crafted spirits from Columbia County’s Hillrock Estate Distillery, who will also be sampling their wares at next month’s Westchester Magazine Wine & Food Festival, taking place June 8-12. The company’s first product, solera-aged bourbon, was released six years ago and is made from homegrown organic grains. (Solera refers to the technique of blending young and old bourbon in seven different wood casks.) The result is a spirit with caramel-edged roundness and touch of spice.
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“Hillrock bourbon, particularly the solera cask, is great on it’s own—super smooth with some sweet notes to it,” confirms Justin Montgomery of Harper’s Restaurant & Bar in Dobbs Ferry. “When thinking cocktails, I wouldn’t muddy this one up too much with various liqueurs or syrups. Maybe try it as an old fashioned with some quality bitters.”
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Left to right: Hillrock owner Jeff Baker, master distiller Dave Pickerell, and head of operations and distiller Tim Welly.Hillrock’s other whiskeys, crafted by former Maker’s Mark master distiller Dave Pickerell, will be available for tasting at the festival, including: a smooth and complex double cask rye; port cask-finished double cask rye (sweet and smoky); Madeira cask-finished double cask rye (fragrant and complex); and an elegant single malt. In addition, the company will preview its Pedro Ximénez cask-finished double cask rye.
Hillrock Distillery whiskeys are featured in restaurants and bars across Westchester, including Red Hat in Irvington, Moderne Barn in Armonk, and Rye House in Port Chester. They’re also widely available in Westchester-area spirit shops.
