Inside Klocke Estate, a Rare Upstate New York Brandy Distillery | Eater NY
"Perched on a hilltop above 160 acres of farmland, orchards, and vineyards in Claverack, this hilltop distillery-restaurant pairs a luxurious, chandelier-lit dining room with a mission-driven brandy program. The seasonal American menu from chef Becky Kempter showcases dishes like leek croquettes, a spring cavatelli with ramps, asparagus and peas, and mains such as roast chicken and lamb shank, while a custom glass cabinet displays the co-owner’s library of brandies, Armagnacs, and Calvados. The space—with crushed velvet and William Morris–style florals, a marble fireplace topped by a Victorian tapestry, exposed wood beams, and sweeping west-facing views of the sage-colored Catskills—feels like the most luxurious of the mid-Hudson Valley destination restaurants. Behind the dining room is a long-term plan to establish regional brandy: the founders and production team, led by Caleb Gregg, planted 43 varieties of organic cider apples and nine white grapes using a permaculture, sustainability-focused approach; they monitor conditions with modern tech, counter pests with biological methods and raptor-friendly posts, and ferment and distill in a copper Alembic Charentais still imported from Cognac. Early harvests have been distilled and moved into aged French oak barrels for maturations ranging from three to thirty years, and the estate already bottles related products—white and sweet red vermouths under the Brevis label, three ready-to-drink cocktails and other brandy expressions including eaux de vie and an unoaked “00”—as it patiently builds infrastructure and a living legacy. Evenings often pause for a communal ritual: diners, staff, and cooks spill onto the west patio to watch spectacular sunsets toward the mountains, reinforcing the slow-time ethos that defines the project." - Mike Diago
