Flagship Tuthilltown spirits bought by Scots

The Grants are Scots!

On behalf of the Tuthilltown staff, and my partner Brian Lee, we are happy to confirm our new relationship with W GRANT AND SON, a Dublin based whisky company, the sixth largest in the world.

Our original intent was to build a small agricultural distillery in the Hudson Valley and make fine spirits from the agricultural materials at hand, mainly apples and grains. It was intended to be Regional in nature and availability. What we discovered was a World eagerly awaiting something new and different from the whiskey makers. It was an unlikely and fortunate turn of events. 

GRANT's purchase of our HUDSON WHISKEYS line of fine aged grain spirits is a semaphore to the 200+ micro distillers in the US, size matters.....small is good and is no impediment to creating quality goods, attracting recognition and gaining success. If you make something different and good the consumers will welcome your invention; this is not news, it is the way of the marketplace providing no artificial barriers are in the way. And "hype" has nothing to do with it. Honesty in promotion is what the consumer seeks. All the "Big Whiskey" advertising money could not have made HUDSON whiskeys any better or brought them to market any more effectively.

In New York as in other States the most intransigent barriers have always been the patchwork quilt of alcohol law, different in every State. and mainly revolving around "temperance", without consideration for the economic benefits. This is changing. Partly in response to the economic needs of the States, excise and sales taxes are increasingly important. Bolstering the growth is the "locavore movement". The hunger for regional consumer products is both emotional and practical. The alarming speed with which small farms are being lost to developers makes imperative the need for better more lucrative markets for small growers nationwide.

In 2009 Governor Patterson amended the Farm Distillery Law (established by the Spitzer administration, with flaws), clearing the way for a proliferation of small farm based agricultural distillers and a return of the traditional relationship among growers, millers and distillers that was obliterated at the onset of Prohibition.

Farm distillers use local agricultural products, they hire locally, the money paid for their goods is paid to local farmers and spent seven more times before it leaves the area. Producers pay multiple excise and sales taxes at the State and Federal level. Growers get premium prices for their goods. And it takes a whole lot less fuel (and money) to move grain three miles from the farm to the distillery than from a grain elevator in Iowa to Gardiner, NY. Distilleries are "destinations" drawing visitors who spend money in the area then go home to tell the tale and pour our spirits for their friends, it's called "Agri-Tourism" and it increases revenue to farmers directly.

We hope the recognition of HUDSON WHISKEYS by such an august, indeed legendary company as GRANT will increase awareness among consumers. The world of whiskey is growing, evolving, as it always has.  Old world "Traditionalists" will argue the only true whisky is Scotch or Irish Whisky; some American "Traditionalists" will argue there is only one American whiskey: Bourbon, and it can only be made in Kentucky. We see it differently. We believe the only restrictions on the making of any fine legally produced beverage spirit is the imagination of the distillery crew. 

The fact GRANT one of the most venerable brands in the whiskey universe recognizes innovation and embraces it is best expressed by one of the (family) shareholders during his recent visit to Tuthilltown Spirits, Charlie Gordon who told Tuthilltown staff, "Innovation never comes from inside the industry. It always comes from the newcomers." We agree. We're pleased to continue to make HUDSON whiskeys and very fortunate to have the GRANT team to help us reintroduce New York made whiskeys to the World. 

Ralph Erenzo
Tuthilltown Spirits
Gardiner, NY