Great Spirits Win Award for Albany Distilling!

The Albany Distilling Company has reason to be in great spirits. The distillery located next to the Albany Pump Station in Downtown Albany received top honors for several of their products judged at the American Craft Distillers Association’s convention and trade show in Denver and the American Distilling Institute’s annual Craft Spirits Conference in Seattle this past March.

The Distillery was awarded gold medal and bronze mdesl for their Ironweed Rye Whiskey. The company also recieved bronze medals for their Quackenbush Still House Original Albany Rum and Albany Amber Rum, respectively.

Check out the article from Steve Barnes' Table Hopping Blog on Timesunion.com to find out all of the details.

Nine Pin Cider Opens; New Amber Rum at Albany Distilling

There’s been quite a buzz brewing in Albany with the recent opening of New York State’s first licensed farm cidery, Nine Pin Cider Works. On Friday, the owners hosted a ribbon cutting and open house to celebrate the launch of this new facility and four varieties, including one made with blueberries and another using apples exclusively from apples grown on the owner’s property.

The four varieties of apple cider served at the Nine Pin Open House
Photo from Nine Pin's Facebook page.

One of the questions I heard throughout the open house: where did the name Nine Pin come from? The answer, from their website (and also printed on their bottles): “1770. A revolutionary spirit echoes through the Hudson Valley. But Rip Van Winkle, beloved ne’er-do-well, meanders through the Catskill mountains. He follows the distant rolling thunder, finding not a storm, but the ghosts of Henry Hudson’s sailors playing ninepins, the Dutch form of bowling. After partaking in the game and in a keg of hard cider, Rip Van Winkle falls asleep, waking years later to find he’s skipped the entire Revolution.”

You can't see it, but a copy of Rip Wan Winkle is in the background. It all makes sense now.
Photo from Nine Pin's Facebook page.

With the mystery solved, guests were free to mingle about the facility enjoying each other’s company and snacks to complement the cider. It seemed less like a ribbon cutting event and more like a gathering of friendly folks who enjoy local, quality products.

Nine Pin is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 4 – 9 pm, Saturdays from 1 – 9 pm, and by appointment.

The new Quackenbush Still House Albany Amber Rum.
You can almost taste the smooth vanilla and caramel now, can't you?
Photo from Albany Distilling's Facebook page.

If you’re in the area and feel up for a second distillery tour, feel free to stop by the Albany Distilling Company to sample their new Quackenbush Still House Albany Amber Rum. The guys (and their friendly cat, Cooper) decided to take their original Quackenbush Still House Rum recipe and age it for nine months in the oak barrels they used to age their Ironweed Bourbon. The result is an incredibly different, yet equally delicious, product as their un-aged version. From their Facebook page: “…it picked up the delicate vanilla and caramel from the oak and added a touch of smokiness to the long, creamy, butterscotch finish.”

The Albany Distilling Company is open Tuesdays from 4-8pm, Saturdays from 12 – 8 pm, and by appointment. It is located at Quackenbush Square next to the C.H. Evans Brewing Company at the Albany Pump Station, a microbrewery and restaurant that serves as a great spot to enjoy a meal after all the tastings!

Spirit of Albany: The Kennedy Sour

Editor’s note: We asked Albany's best mixologists to create an original cocktail recipe that embodies the true Spirit of Albany. Today, we highlight The Kennedy Sour, created by Robert Mack of Yono’s/dp, using product from the nearby Albany Distilling Company.

What do you get when you mix Bourbon, grapefruit juice, and some bitters? Something truly delicious, of course. Not overpowering in the least, the Kennedy Sour is a balanced and delightful concoction that is pleasing to even the non- or not-so-often bourbon drinker.

Though simple in construction, the result seems the product of hard labor and careful execution on behalf of the bartender. That’s the art of this drink.

The Kennedy Sour is a tribute to Albany native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, William Kennedy, who has written such novels as Legs, Billy Phelan’s Greatest Game, Ironweed (the namesake of the Bourbon used to create this cocktail), and O Albany!, a non-fictional account of Albany.

The Kennedy Sour

Take a tour of the Albany Distilling Company to learn how the Ironweed Bourbon is created, then walk to the nearby dp’s/Yono’s and order up the Kennedy Sour. Sip slowly, and be transported back in time to when legendary gangster Jack ‘Legs’ Diamond (also known as Gentleman Jack) was bootlegging and gambling around Albany back in the 1920s. And if you’re really getting into the story, walk up to 67 Dove Street in the Center Square neighborhood for a look at the house in which he was murdered.

When you've finished your stroll, head to www.albany.org/spiritofalbany for the full recipe and other Spirit of Albany drinks. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite recipe, which may earn the title of the 2013 Spirit of Albany.

Remember to have fun, but be smart. Designate a driver!