Tuthilltown House at the Mill Archives - The Hudson Valley Story

More then 5 years ago I did a story on Tuthill House at the Mill for a local tourism publication and it was too long since I visited. This past Saturday, I enjoyed a delightful late lunch and cocktails while speaking with Lucia Civile; the Front House Manager and George Gorsky the General Manager.

We knew that Ralph Erenzo and Brian Lee founders of Tuthilltown Spirits had purchased the restaurant. We have featured Tuthill Distillery on THEHVStory last year. But, this was the first chance we had to actually experience the restaurant for ourselves. Here’s a word of advice, if you have not been to the restaurant make sure you get here soon, because it will become a fast favorite! Locals and tourists flock here for some of the freshest and unique cocktails made from spirits right here at the distillery! Unique, fresh cocktails, local farm to table dishes and great service is what you’ll experience.

Grist Mill History

This rustic, historic restaurant makes fantastic food and cocktails using local products and infuses their signature line of spirits in the cocktails and dishes they serve. Tuthilltown Spirits produces the Hudson Whiskey, Gin, Vodka and bitters.

The Tuthilltown Gristmill has a history as the oldest continuously operated water powered gristmill and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The original gristmill structure was constructed in 1788, by 18 year old Selah Tuthill. It was one of three gristmills that operated on the Shawangunk over the past 300 years. In the early 1980’s, the mill began grinding kosher matzoh flour which continued through 2003. The grist mill also produces it’s own Cacao Liqueur, Triple Sec and Cassis.

Today

We had heard about the good food and fantastic cocktails served weekly to locals and tourists and couldn’t wait to find out for ourselves! The Tuthill House team filled us in. Lucia and George are excited to announce that Jeremy Berlin a graduate of The French Culinary Institute in New York City will be the new Executive Chef. He is well seasoned chef that has worked in restaurants in New York City, Colorado and California. In addition, Tuthill House will launch a new menu this spring and will be working with many more local farms and companies as possible. The restaurant changes it’s menu seasonally.

Cocktails

Our barman; Sean Davis recommended we try a Fresh Blackberry & Plum Gimlet. It included Half Moon Gin, fresh blackberries, plum bitters, fresh lime, simple syrup and egg white. It had a very unique berry taste that was very complimentary to the dishes I ordered. As I sipped my drink and watched Sean and my server Rachel make cocktails for other patrons, I knew I was in the presence of great mixologists. I’ve never had such fresh tasting cocktails and that’s because they are made fresh with the Tuthill Spirits brand. Patrick Pierpoint, the bar manager created all the cocktails on the menu.

Let’s Lunch

For lunch, I had the Roasted Mushroom Cakes and Roasted Apple Flat-bread. Both were incredibly delicious! The flavors were all so different but yet blended together so well with my cocktail!

Lunch is served from noon – 5pm on Saturday and Sundays and starting April 1st, they will be open every day except Wednesday. Other customer favorites include are classic and chorizo burgers, baked jalapeno bacon and mac n’ cheese. Menu’s change seasonally, so we look forward to visiting again in Spring and Summer when the outdoor deck will also be open.

Dinner

The evening really showcases the mood of this restaurant. The lighting, the music…their is a vibe to this restaurant that the customers enjoy. Even if it’s your first visit the friendly staff is known for making people feel welcomed and the ambiance is homey and comforting. Whether your sitting at the long copper bar or dining under beautiful crystal chandeliers with candles on the table. This restaurant exudes ambiance! Popular favorite dishes for dinner are Cauliflower Gratin for an appetizer, Braised Bison Short Ribs and Seared Salmon.

The restaurant will also be serving Sunday Brunch starting Easter Sunday. It is an al a cart menu with breakfast and lunch items, burgers, flat-breads and smoked items that feature an infusion with Tuthill brand liquors.

Tasting Flights + Events + Weddings

Tasting Flights are available and they can be ordered different ways. You can choose a beer or wine flight or a Tuthill Spirits flight. This is where you can taste a selection of four different Tuthill spirits distilled from right here at the distillery.

Customers and tourists both like the rustic historic decor, the post and beams, the old staircase and the decor and the history of what was the original grist mill. Tuthill is also known as a place to celebrate events and weddings. This year they will be bringing more events to the restaurant and the grounds that house the distillery. One popular event is the Sunflower Festival. Tuthill also accommodates banquets, weddings, luncheons, town and business meetings and more. You can also inquiry to rent out the restaurant for an event. With over 30 acres to walk around no wonder this is a destination place in Gardiner!

A variety of events are offered and more are coming this year including live music, arts, sip and paint events and more!

THEHVStory advises you to experience this restaurant for the first time or all over again!

We might just be sitting at the bar next to you!

Photos By Melissa Tyler

Hudson Whiskey celebrates their 10^th Anniversary, this Saturday, June 13^th at Tuthilltown Spirits in Gardiner from 11am – 9pm.

They’ll be Free Tours and Tastings, Amazing cocktails, local vendors, food trucks and a Barbecue!

There’s Magic In Those Bottles!

This is the story of how a historic grist mill, some old pharmacy bottles and two men with vision became business partners and created an empire!

Ralph Erenzo and Brian Lee are business partners and the driving force behind the Whiskey craze in New York and beyond and certainly here in the Hudson Valley.

How do I Know? It’s not because The New York Times, Artisan Spirit, Huff Post or Forbes writes articles about them and their Hudson Whiskey brand or Tuthilltown Spirits. It’s because I live in the Hudson Valley and did a tasting about five years ago! I’ve been a fan ever since! I’ve even brought friends for tastings…and they’ve been fans…and I think you will be too!

Tuthilltown Spirits Farm Distillery was New York’s FIRST Whiskey distillery since prohibition, distilling some of America’s most prized spirits from right here in the Hudson Valley.

Before Prohibition there were more than 1,000 farm distilleries that produced alcohol from New York grains and fruits. Tuthilltown Gristmill in Gardiner is a landmark listed on the National Register of Historic places. The mill was water powered to render grains to flour with a history dating back more than 220 years.

In 2001, RalphErenzo and Vicki Morgan acquired the riverfront property. In 2003, Ralph and Brian Lee created TuthilltownSpirits LLC. They converted one of the mill granaries to a MICRO DISTILLERY. Two and a half years later in 2005, Tuthilltown Spirits produced batches of VODKA from scraps they collected at a local apple slicing plant and the tradition of small batch spirits production back to the Hudson Valley.

Today, Tuthilltown Spirits distills vodka from apples grown at orchards less than 5 miles away and highly awarded whiskey line using grain harvested by farms less than 10 miles away.

THE BOTTLE

Brian Lee’s father was a Pharmacist. There were a lot of old pharmacy bottles that were around…..and that was how the FIRST batch of HUDSON BABY BOURBON WHISKEY was bottled and transported to New York City and at LeNell Smothers shop in the Red Hook section.

The rest as they say his history! Ralph and Brian agreed that the APOTHECARY look was well suited to the spirits Tuthilltown was intending on introducing.

After some research, Ralph designed a glass bottle by beefing up the glass to make it more sustainable and less likely to break if dropped.

At the start, everyone in the industry told us the bottle in the small size (375ml) would not work. Retailers would not put it on the shelf and bars would not use it! But, the OPPOSITE actually happened! Now everyone tells us “Don’t change the bottle”. IT HAS BECOME ICONIC CRAFT WHISKEY!

Recently, Tuthill just released their first 750 ml full sized bottles for Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey and Manhattan Rye to world Acclaim.

Smaller Barrel…Tastes Great!

Smaller barrels were used because of a cost factor. Turns out the smaller size barrels used to store the whiskey actually sped up the maturation process substantially due to the increased wood to whiskey ratio. It gave it a wonderful characteristic of bourbon!

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Be sure to include a visit to Tuthilltown Spirits for a tasting of their TUTHILL COLLECTION of Whiskeys, Vodkas, Gins, Liqueurs and other unique handmade spirits. They’ve won more awards than we can mention here you can check their website for that but here are a couple of highlights.

*2014 – Outstanding Packaging Design Planned & Executed by O. Berek Company

*2011 Craft Whiskey Distillery of the Year by Whiskey Magazine

*2010 Best US Artisian Distiller – American Distilling Institute

*2010 Best New American Whiskey – Food & Wine Magazine

*2008 & 2009 – Best Whiskey Distillery – Hudson Valley Magazine

Be sure to plan on having lunch or dinner in the newly acquired restaurant Tuthill House at the Mill that serves homemade American Cuisine featuring prime steaks, grass fed beef, seafood and locally grown produce. The menu is inspired by modern American cooking, showcasing fresh, local artisan products and ingredients of the Hudson Valley. We hear Darren their Mixologist makes perfect cocktails!