Just outside of Hudson, this Columbia County distillery and dining venue crafts artisanal brandy, vermouth, and more.
At Klocke Estate, Columbia County’s new luxury “soil-to-glass” distillery and dining destination, timing is everything. As the website proudly states, “We believe that making fine brandy is a celebration of time and place.” This guiding philosophy is a foundational throughline that’s evident in every aspect of the property, from its sustainable land cultivation and brandy distillation practices all the way down to its name—Klocke comes from the Dutch word for clock.
The 160-acre farm is located in Claverack, just 10 minutes east of Hudson. A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked its grand opening this past July, but Klocke Estate’s origin goes back much further—starting as only a seedling of an idea in founder and CEO John Frishkopf’s mind more than 30 years ago.
Frishkopf grew up in Boston, but it was his 10 years spent living in Europe that initially sparked his love of brandy. “I had always been interested in winemaking,” he recalls, “and it was through my passion for wine that I became fascinated with brandy.”
While based in Vienna, he visited regions like Tyrol and Wachau that specialize in eau de vie, a clear brandy made from distilled fruits. Then he moved to Prague, where he learned to make eau de vie from friends who crafted apricot brandy in their homes. “It was basically moonshine, but with a very strong cultural history dating back to the 1700s,” he says.
When he returned to the U.S., Frishkopf moved back to the Northeast and started thinking about opening a winery of his own. But the more he researched the idea, the less it appealed to him.
“There are some great wineries in the Finger Lakes region, but it’s really tough to do, and there are just so many wineries now,” he observes. This realization sparked a new idea—the one from which Klocke Estate was born. “Then I thought, well, what about brandy? What about distillation?”
From there, it wasn’t a matter of if, but where. He found that New York, and the Hudson Valley in particular, would provide an ideal climate for distilling. “The Hudson Valley was like that perfect Venn diagram of fantastic apples and great microclimate for brandy grapes,” he shares. “So when we found this property, it was off to the races.”
The Klocke Estate grounds were purchased in January 2018 as a wild and empty plot of land with endless potential. Construction started in 2019 and continued through the pandemic. After four years, $21 million, and over 120 different vermouths sampled, it’s all starting to pay off.
Klocke Estate is now fully operational, with a 12,000-square-foot distillery and hospitality venue, and 60 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards, apple orchards, and botanical gardens. All of the processing, aging, distilling, and bottling is done on-site, with additional fruits and botanicals being sourced from nearby farms as needed. The venue is already serving and selling three of its own spirits: Brevis White Vermouth, Brevis Sweet Red Vermouth, and Klocke Estate Apple Brandy, with both sweet and sour cherry eau de vies soon to come.
What makes Klocke spirits stand out? The secret starts with the barrel room. Located toward the bottom of the property, its timber frame was made and assembled by a local woodworker. Clay and lime soil floors and walls made of straw bales coated in plaster allow maximum breathability.
“One of the most important things when making brandy is the barrel,” Frishkopf explains. “We use new French oak and neutral barrels. Most of the oak flavor has been extracted, so as the brandy is aging, it breathes slightly over the years, and that subtle complexity of flavor can really develop.”
The striking estate, nestled at the top of the property, was planned by BarlisWedlick, an award-winning architecture and design firm with offices in Hudson and New York City. The interior was brought to life by Ken Fulk, an Architectural Digest AD100 designer known for creating textured, maximalist, and immersive spaces. Rich fabrics and hues, warm woods, and hand-painted murals are expertly combined with ornate elements like crystal chandeliers and organic printed wallpaper throughout, giving a sense of luxury without the pretension.
Within the main restaurant building, there are several unique zones. Each has its own purpose and vibe, but they all work cohesively and flow into one another with ease. “You can come in and do a tasting on the north side, have cocktails and snacks at the bar overlooking the mountains, or sit down for an elevated meal in the dining area,” says Kristine Danks, Klocke Estate’s director of hospitality. The result is a fully realized space that is both visually stunning and buzzing with energy, striking the perfect balance of refinement and enjoyment.
Guests can choose to take a tour of the distillery, currently led on weekends by owners Frishkopf and Brett Mattingly, which includes a tasting as well as a deep dive into the estate’s history and distillation processes. The bar serves up Klocke’s own spirits, to be savored simply on the rocks or stirred into a signature cocktail. It also offers an extensive wine program and a selection of both local and international craft brews.
The restaurant, led by Chef Becky Kempter, serves an a la carte menu of seasonal fare and is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday and lunch on the weekend. The culinary program aims to blend the heritage and traditions of brandy-producing regions with the farm-to-table spirit of the Hudson Valley.
All of the processing, aging, distilling, and bottling is done on-site.
Appetizer highlights include the steak tartare, a decadent bite with horseradish gremolata and nigella spelt crackers, and the Roots & Fruits, a generous portion of beets and grapes sitting atop a zesty mint labneh with cured olive, feta, and sorrel. Dining with a group? Start off with the aioli, a beautifully presented tower of seasonal vegetables, chilled shellfish, and farm egg.
For the main course, the duck breast with miso-apple butter, grilled red endive, and nasturtium is a must. The cavatelli is equally delicious, with tender pasta made fresh each morning topped with a combination of arugula pesto, maitake mushrooms, pistachio, and lemon ricotta. The pork porterhouse au poivre with black garlic and charred broccolini is another standout.
To finish your meal, it’s hard to beat the impossibly moist almond cake topped with Armagnac figs, fluffy mascarpone, honey, almond slivers, and sprinkled with flower petals from Klocke’s own botanical garden.
Whether you’re a brandy connoisseur, a five-star foodie, or just seeking to take in a panoramic sunset view of the Catskills (cocktail in hand), you’ll find what you’re looking for at Klocke Estate. And Frishkopf is hopeful that, much like the brandy the distillery produces, the estate will only get better with time.
“It’s a legacy project,” he observes. “The expectation is that this will be here for hundreds of years. I’m very eager to see how it evolves.”
Klocke Estate
2554 County Rte 27, Hudson
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