A rare positive note in battered Prattsville

TU photo by Phillip Kamrass

• The headline succinctly tells the tale: "Tavern's reopening raises spirits." And, the photo (left) of Kenny Cox hanging up his liquor license is an upbeat one. In Prattsville, the Greene County town that was virtually wiped out by flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene in late summer, there have been few such positive signs since the disaster. Now, Albany Times Union reporter Scott Waldman has come up with a nice story on how a town landmark has bounced back. Here's how it begins:

PRATTSVILLE -- Not even the Schoharie Creek can wash the Pabst Blue Ribbon out of town.

The Prattsville Tavern Restaurant is open for business again and so is Friday night in a place that has been stuck on Monday morning for three months.

Most people here have not stopped working since the flood brought by Tropical Storm Irene carried trucks and propane tanks down Main Street. At night, it has been so quiet it's as if the Greene County town just got folded into the dark mountain hills.

Even Kenny Cox, the owner, wondered if this day would ever come. Some customers who lost their homes and their jobs left town and will never return. Then some of the regulars came back to the Tavern Restaurant and helped rip out the bar, the wall, the floorboards, the floor joists. They worked for Coors Light and the opportunity to make something normal again.

As Cox talked on a recent day, a man stopped across the street to drop off a Dumpster into which someone will throw the pieces of a home. The man jogged across Main Street to press his face against the front window of the Tavern Restaurant, to see how it was coming along. People do it all day, Cox said.

"I hope it means a lot," he said. "I hope it shows that there are people here who want to stay."

[Go here for the complete story and photos.]

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ON THE WEB
• Prattsville Recovery Information
• Dowd's Guides main page

NYS wines successful in Missouri competition

KANSAS CITY, MO -- New York State winemakers won 87 awards at the recent Jefferson Cup competition held here.

Here's the rundown, thanks to Jim Trezise of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation.

• Jefferson Cup Awards went to Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2010 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling; Hazlitt White Cat and White Stag; and Swedish Hill Winery 2010 Finger Lakes Late Harvest Vignoles.

• Jefferson Cup Nominees (similar to Double Gold in other competitions) included Chateau Frank 2006 Finger Lakes Blanc de Blancs; Chateau LaFayette Reneau Seyval-Chardonnay and 2010 Finger Lakes Pinot Noir Blanc; Inspire Moore 2010 Wisdom; and Swedish Hill Viking Red.

• Medals of Excellence (equivalent to a Gold Medal) were awarded to Chateau Frank 2005 Finger Lakes Brut and 2006 Blanc de Noirs; Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2010 Finger Lakes Late Harvest Riesling and 2009 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay; Dr. Konstantin Frank 2010 Finger Lakes Pinot Gris, 2010 Finger Lakes Gruner Veltliner, and 2009 Finger Lakes Reserve Gewurtztraminer; Fox Run Vineyards 2010 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling; Glenora Wine Cellars 2003 Finger Lakes Brut, 2010 Finger Lakes Meritage, and 2010 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling; Goose Watch Winery Cream Sherry and 2010 Finger Lakes Diamond; Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2008 Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc, 2008 Finger Lakes Cabernet Sauvignon, and Bramble Berry; Hunt Country 2010 Finger Lakes Cayuga and Cream Sherry; Inspire Moore 2010 Finger Lakes Change and 2010 Finger Lakes Love; Knapp Winery 2010 Estate Grown Vidal Ice Wine; Lakewood Vineyards 2010 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling; Lamoreaux Landing 2010 Finger Lakes Yellow Dog Vineyard Riesling, 2010 Finger Lakes Red Oak Vineyard Riesling, 2010 Finger Lakes Semi-Dry, and 2008 Finger Lakes Chardonnay; Swedish Hill 2010 Finger Lakes Riesling, and Viking White.

Tribeca gets a touch of the Catskills

Inside Kutsher's Tribeca main dining room.

NEW YORK -- The last time I spent an extended vacation in my own state was more years ago than I like to remember. It was at Kutsher's Country Club, a Monticello resort in the "Jewish Alps," as the Catskill Mountains often were affectionately called in those days.

While I am not Jewish, I grew up in a predominantly-Jewish community in Long Island, so it seemed like old home week to go there.

Over the years, the Catskills' bloom faded as newer generations chose to vacation elsewhere, and most of the iconic resorts and country clubs in the area shut down. Kutsher's, however, refurbished, rearranged and resuscitated itself and remains a strong business.

But, New Yorkers no longer have to drive up to Kutsher's because Kutsher's has come to them.

Kutsher's Tribeca, which was scheduled to open tonight at 186 Franklin Street, is described as "a fresh take on the 1960s canteen" serving a "uniquely modern" Jewish American "Catskills cuisine."

Mark Spangenthal, who worked the kitchen at the now-defunct Tribeca Screening Room, is the chef. He has come up with some truly iconic Catskills offerings such as  mushroom and ricotta kreplach, grilled Romanian steak and flanken style short ribs.

Specialty $12 cocktails include Bug Juice, a name taken from kids' summer camps (vodka, house-made fruit punch, grapefruit butters, spash of soda over frozen punch cubes); Bungalow Bunny, a nod to the getaway bungalows many families rented (gin, muddled lime and mint, blueberry-lime cordial and smoked bitters) and the Route 17, acknowledging the Catskills' main highway (tequila, orange liqueur, lemon syrup and grapefruit bitters with an absinthe rinse).

The beverage offerings, however, do not include a single New York offering on the wines-by-the-glass menu, although the non-alcoholic drinks list includes the iconic Egg Cream and a range of natural "homemade" sodas.

You can get a look at the full menu by clicking here. Kutsher's Tribeca is dinner only at the moment, but soon will add lunch service. Phone: (212) 431-0606.

Refurbished Bear Mountain Inn re-opens

The inn and the geese that love it.

BEAR MOUNTAIN -- After six-year closure, the iconic Bear Mountain Inn is back in business.

The inn, which operated for nearly a century, has been closed since 2005 for a $15 million facelift.

The three-story stone-and-timber facility is located in the Bear Mountain State Park, and consists of the Overlook Lodge four stone cottages, although it had been heavily used as a conference and banquet hotel.

The catering service and high-ed restaurant dining will not be operational until at least spring, but the hotel itself is set to open by the new year, with rates from $189 to $500 a night.

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ON THE WEB
• Bear Mountain State Park
• Dowd's Guides main page

Finger Lakes Distilling beats the weather

Some wineries and distilleries around the state still are repairing damage from early-fall storms. Some, such as the brand-new Hillrock Estates Distillery in Ancram, Columbia County, had to push back the start of their whiskey-making for a few weeks while power companies repaired power losses in that area and that of nearby western Connecticut.

Meanwhile, things were quite different around Seneca Lake.

"Fortunately for our ongoing construction, we avoided the first storm to hit the Northeast," said Brian McKenzie, president of Finger Lakes Distilling. "Our new warehouse/production building is moving along very quickly. It is exciting to see and is much needed as we struggle to find space to operate in our existing production area.

"Our construction crew isn't the only group hard at work," he added. "Our staff continues to host visitors in the tasting room while bottling current and new products downstairs during their free time."

Among the new products is FLD's first batch of McKenzie Pure Pot Still Whiskey, scheduled for release the day after Thanksgiving, November 25. Also, a new batch of Riesling grappa, pear brandy -- now at 80 proof, in a new etched bottle -- and grape liqueur will be out soon.

Here's a look at the step-by-step progress of the expansion project:

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ON THE WEB
• Finger Lakes Travel
• Dowd's Guides home page

'Road Trip Experience' in Cayuga County

Visitors gather lakeside at Long Point Winery.

Fresh local cuisine.

Merchants and facilities in the Cayuga County area of Upstate New York have come up with an interesting marketing push to promote tourism -- a fusion of wine tasting, dining and leisure experiences reminiscent of bygone times.

Visitors to this slice of the Finger Lakes region can be involved in a wide range of wine and culinary events and experiences being promoted as an "American Road Trip Experience."

Here is a checklist of of recommended sites:

✔ Where to Wine Taste:

Heart & Hands Wine Company offers a hands-on winemaking opportunity during the harvest season. Participants discover winemaking activities including picking fruit, sorting grapes, daily punchdowns, lab analysis, pressing grapes and equipment cleaning. Their limited production, currently under 1,500 cases, allows for an intense focus on quality. Committed to producing cool climate wines which authentically express the character of the Finger Lakes, Heart & Hands Wine Company is located in a serene setting overlooking the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake.

Bet the Farm features a farm winery, regional wine shop and gourmet market. Their wines are sold alongside a premier selection of other Finger Lakes wines at their shop in the village of Aurora. In addition to wine, they offer gourmet foods produced throughout the state.

King Ferry Winery -focuses on Chardonnay and Riesling varieties. It offers "Taste the Artistry," a series of of Treleaven wines in the company of works by local artists in the Tasting Room gallery and gift shop.

Long Point Winery winemaker Gary Barletta focuses his attention on dry reds such as Merlot and Syrah.  Wife Rosemary serves up her specialty sandwiches in Amelia's Deli. Located just off scenic State Route 90 the winery overlooka Cayuga Lake.

Insider Winery Tips:

• Most wineries have a small tasting fee which often is refunded with a purchase of wine.

• Cheeses can be found between wine tastings along the Cayuga Scenic Byway. Go to the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail website for details.

• Escorted wine tours are a safe way to indulge while letting someone else do the driving. You can get information on rates and hours from Big D's Limo Service in Auburn, Experience! The Finger Lakes in Ithaca, or Quality Wine Tours in Pittsford.

✔ Where to Eat:

Aurora Inn -- Seasonal American cuisine made with fresh regional products and paired with a large list of  Finger Lakes wine. Indoor dining room as well as lakeside dining.
on their spacious veranda, perfect for taking in Finger Lakes sunsets.

Moro’s Table -- Finger Lakes ingredients are used to create American-style cuisine.

Pumpkin Hill Bistro -- Comfort food "with a twist" in a unpretentious atmosphere. Cayuga Lake wines can be paired with the dishes, and diners can take advantage of the antiques and gifts at the Country Store.

✔ Where to Pick & Buy Local:

Long Point Orchard -- Fruit enthusiasts can pick their locally grown produce or purchase it from the farm stand located at 2007 State Rte 90 in Aurora. Closed on Mondays.

Grisamore Farms -- Featuring an array of fruit crops from strawberries to sweet cherries to blueberries. Want to bypass the picking process? The farm store is located in a 19th Century dairy barn and equipped with an array of delectable items for sale.

The Produce Place -- Specializing in fresh, local produce as it ripens -- sweet corn, tomatoes, etc. -- plus pies and custards.

King Ferry Farmer's Market -- This pop-up marketplace located just off of Route 90 sells farmstead cheese, organic flour, organic vegetables, plants and flowers, fiber art, pottery and jewelry among many other locally grown and produced items.

✔ Where to Stay:

Aurora Inn, set on the shores of Cayuga Lake in a heritage village, has a pedigree dating to 1833. The original Finger Lakes inn, built in Federal style with red brick and wide columned balconies, has been restored as a bed and breakfast.

E.B. Morgan House, formerly the home of Colonel Edwin Barber Morgan, co-founder of The New York Times and American Express. The house offers seven guest rooms, living spaces, porches that overlook the lake and lawns and a collection of original modern art.

Dill’s Run Bed & Breakfast and Vineyard is located on the east side of Cayuga Lake on State  Route 90 in the Town of Ledyard. The Italianate Victorian house was built in the late 1830s and has recently been restored. It sits on a 15-acre plot four miles north of Aurora. It also has a vineyard that produces grapes for its own wines.

Cayuga Marina and Campground is located on the north end of Cayuga Lake, a short distance from Lock One, Seneca Canal, and the Montezuma Wildlife Preserve. Good for an overnight, weekend or week-long stay for outdoor sports enthusiasts and those who just appreciate the countryside and lakeside atmosphere. Seasonal guest accommodations and marina services for patrons.

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ON THE WEB
• Cayuga County Tourism
• Finger Lakes Travel
• Dowd's Guides home page

Capital Region hit by tsunami of beer, ale

Graphic by William M. Dowd

ALBANY -– There are, to be sure, some fine wine collections at restaurants in the city -- Yono’s/dp, The Ginger Man and 677 Prime, for example. But make no mistake, this is a beer-centric city and getting more-so all the time.

The latest beer joint announcement concerns The Merry Monk, a bar/restaurant featuring Belgian beer. It is projected to open within the next few weeks at North Pearl and Sheridan downtown. It will offer 16 drafts and a lineup of bottled brews. It succeeds the very short-lived Corner Bar.

This no doubt will lead to even more beer-pairing dinners on the schedule, already in a dizzying number of establishments from watering holes to lah-di-dah establishments.

True, beer has always been popular in Albany -- not unusual for a college town -- but the establishment of such grownup watering holes as Wolff’s Biergarten certainly helped create the current frenzied level of activity. Wolff's success with consumers undoubtedly helped sparked the creation of such other spots as Stout at 904 Broadway, The Barrel Saloon at 942 Broadway, The Olde English Pub & Pantry in the Quackenbush House at Clinton and Broadway, and the City Beer Hall in the former Lodge’s (and, later, Ballinger’s) restaurant at Howard and Lodge streets.

Also this year, there was a brief panic among drinkers when Mahar’s, the local beer mecca, closed briefly after a missed deadline cost it a delay in its license renewal. Many toasts when it re-opened got everyone calmed down.

Beer has gotten so popular that DeCrescente Distributing, the Mechanicville firm that is the leading Upstate beer supplier, has turned one of its websites into what the company says is “the ultimate mobile phone and internet search engine, designed to meet the newest needs of today’s beer consumer.”

A few other developments in the city this year:

• While it pursues a full liquor license, the new Capital City Gastropub at 261 New Scotland Avenue is relying on its beer list to make its mark. It has added a formal bar since its September opening, offering 12 draft brews and 20 bottled beers.

• The recent Albany Craft Beer Festival at The Armory sold out for the second straight year.

This news roundup doesn’t even count such new beer-centric establishments or programs in nearby parts of the Capital Region. Some examples:

• In Schenectady, the Van Dyke Restaurant & Lounge returned to brewing under new ownership that apparently has stabilized the establishment after years of being on a financial roller-coaster. The beer brand name: Mad Jack.

• The annual Conkling Hall fundraiser in Rensselaerville out in the Helderbergs this year added a homebrewers’ competition to its traditional chili competition.

• Power’s Irish Pub just opened at 130 Meyer Road in Clifton Park (former home of the Old Dater Tavern), offering 18 drafts.

• The Broadway Brew Pub & Grill in Troy opened with a beer-centric menu.

• Brown's Brewing Company in Troy hired chef Luca Brunelle to rework its menu and create more beer-based foods.

• In August, The Proctors entertainment complex in Schenectady lifted the curtain on the new Proctors Brews & Blues festival.

• A new Mugs & Martinis Club has been instituted at the upscale Prime at Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs.

• The initial Capital Region Craft Brewers Festival was so successful the first year, it was held again this year at Bruno Stadium in Troy.

• The in-development Martell Brothers Brew Pub project is going through the permitting process in Saratoga Springs.

• The Saratoga Race Course held its “Battle of the Brews” tasting and competition for the 14th consecutive year.

• In Columbia County, we saw the inaugural “Blues, Brews & BBQ” event as a companion activity to the first Hudson Music Festival in August.

• In Saratoga County, the Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center initiated its first homebrewers' competition.

• In Glens Falls, the Davidson Brothers Brewery renovated its restaurant to meet public demand that has made the spot such a success.

• In the same city, the Glens Falls Brewfest was held for the second year to great public acclaim.

So, while sales statistics in most countries say beer is falling slightly out of favor with consumers, the Capital Region continues to drink to a different drummer.

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ON THE WEB
• The Beer Institute
• Dowd's Guides home page

Striking liquid gold in Columbia County

Distiller Tim Welly adjusts a valve on the new still at Hillrock Estates Distillery.

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM M. DOWD

ANCRAM -- The newest distillery in New York State ran off its first batch of whiskey today, a single malt made from grain grown on Hillrock Farms, home of what will become Hillrock Estates Distillery spirits.

With master distiller Dave Pickerell guiding the operation, he and Hillrock owner Jeff Baker and distiller Tim Welly tweaked the new Pickerell-designed still to achieve the desired alcohol level that quickly resulted in a run of full-flavored white spirit that will be put into new wood barrels later in the week, thus beginning the maturation process.

As I wandered about, photographing the day's activities, I couldn't help but compare the tableau to one several weeks ago when Pickerell headed up a distilling session I attended at George Washington's rebuilt Mount Vernon, VA, distillery.

As I observed then, in the circa-1799 distillery "The air was a thick stew of humidity, dust motes, cool water, fruit flies and the occasional spark from kindling wood being stoked in the brick ovens below the copper pot stills."

Distillery owner Jeff Baker checks the process.

Here, in a state-of-the-art facility that came to fruition in less than a year from concept to equipment installation, a lonely honeybee was the only intruder.

A cool breeze wafted through the pastel-walled interior, mixing with the sweet familiar smell of fermenting grain; hoses, gaskets and metal fermentation tanks smacking of modern technology; gleaming copper and polished brass shining on the two-story still and the adjacent mash tun made to order at the Vendome Copper & Brass Works in Louisville, KY.

"Jeff told me he wanted the best design he could get," Pickerell explained, "then when it was finished he said 'Now make it pretty.' I think we did."

Despite the modern technological rendering of an age-old process, it still has all the appearances of wizardry and magic when the clear distillate trickles from the still into the receiving container.

"It is a kind of magic, isn't it?" said Pickerell. "I like to tell people I'm a modern alchemist. I turn grain into gold."

Dave Pickerell adds milled grain to the mash tun.

The distillery was the dream of Baker, an executive managing director of Savills LLC, a New York City real estate investment banking firm. In a 25-year career, he completed more than $12 billion in transactions for such clients as Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and Price Waterhouse.

Baker obviously thinks big in all things.

He purchased this 100-acre Columbia County farm, and a nearby 100-acre plot, a decade ago and has been biding his time as the land rebounded from chemicals used by prior owners.

He now has an eye on having his farm certified organic, part of his support of the farm-to-table movement that has taken hold in the Hudson Valley.

He had a colonial-style house dismantled and transported from Washington County to be reassembled on a hilltop here.

He is planning to make the distillery visitor-friendly in the foreseeable future, with the ability to host 40-person dinners, as well as offering an outdoor patio, a tasting room, and an interior replete with colonial-style lamps such as those he already has suspended over the new still.

"I'm not sure exactly when we'll open to the public," Baker said, "but we're not too far away from completing the interior rooms."

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Go here for a photo album of the day's scenes.

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An adjacent malt house is under construction and should be completed by about year's end. That will allow Hillrock to handle its own grain malting rather than having it done off-premises as is the current arrangement. Once that is done, it will mean a fully on-premises field-to-bottle operation.

Welly, who had been cellar master at Millbrook Winery in Dutchess County before joining Hillrock this year, is head of operations and the distiller now, with Pickerell as the consultant. He's a veteran of the restaurant and wine industry in sales, distribution and as a buyer. As part of the transition to distilling, he has been working under Pickerell and right up to the last minute today was busily making notes on a yellow legal pad seldom far from his reach.

Pickerell, an industry superstar and former Maker's Mark master distiller, has a busy consulting business with craft distilleries around the country, juggling 20 of them right now. The former Army officer and West Point faculty member is the managing member and senior consultant with Oak View Consulting in Mt. Washington, KY.

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ON THE WEB
• Artisan Craft Distilling
• Dowd's Guides home page

Beer & Wine Fest at Holiday Valley resort

ELLICOTTVILLE, NY -- Holiday Valley isn't waiting for snow to get its "winter" season rolling. The ski resort will hold its 8th annual Holiday Valley Beer & Wine Festival this Friday and Saturday.

More than 2,000 people attended last year's event at the Cattarragus County site. This year's is being co-sponsored by the resort, the Ellicottville Brewing Company and Southern Tier Brewing Company.

From 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, more than 30 local, U.S. and international craft brewers plus 13 wineries from New York, California and abroad will pour samples of their products for enthusiasts.

Pre-event tickets are $40 per person. A variety of brewfest foods will be served throughout the event and each ticket includes a $5 food credit.

A $100 VIP pass entitles the bearer to a two-hour exclusive beer tasting adventure with rare and specialty top U.S. craft brews and Belgian beers and specialty wines in the Brewer’s Loft at the Yodeler Lodge. They will be accompanied by a selection of special hors d’oeuvres paired with the beer and wine offerings.

A beer tasting dinner on Friday night will feature a German Octoberfest brewhouse meal and beers to complement the food. The head brewers from both Southern Tier and Ellicottville Brewing will guide diners through the dishes and the beers. Cost for the dinner is $65 per person.

Reservations may be obtained by calling (716) 699-2010. Lodging packages including festival tickets are available at the Inn at Holiday Valley, the Tamarack Club and Holiday Valley Rental Properties.

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ON THE WEB
• The Enchanted Mountains of Cattaraugus County
• Dowd's Guides home page

Whatever Andrew wants ...

OK, it's official. Wine sales in the state's supermarkets is an idea that is effectively dead. At least during the current administration.

Governor Andrew Cuomo yesterday said he is against the idea that has been pushed during at least the last three state budget-creation periods. Anyone who has been watching Cuomo II's record of getting what he wants knows chances of anything he doesn't support coming to fruition have two chances -- slim and none.

He did not include the possibility in this year's budget even though he was looking for new revenues and new reductions; respected wine industry estimates project a $300 million increase in business if such a law were passed.

The Last Store On Main Street, a lobbying group made up of some wineries and lots of retail stores and liquor stores, has been against the idea from day one. In typical histrionic fashion, group founder Jeff Saunders released a statement lauding Cuomo's stance, pushing the idea that "Big Box" stores are the prime movers behine the wine-in-markets idea and -- get this one:

"The Governor knows that this dangerous idea would kill thousands of jobs by putting Mom-and-Pop shops across upstate New York out of business, while increasing underage drinking in communities across New York by putting high-alcohol content wine in every deli, minimart, gas station, bodega and corner store that now sells beer."

Whew! Who knew the evils of wine reached that far.

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ON THE WEB
• New York Wine Trails
• Dowd's Guides home page