The central Hudson Valley, near Poughkeepsie, is home to two of the region’s highest-profile distilleries: Tuthilltown Spirits, the makers of Hudson whiskey, and Coppersea Distilling. Both are worthy destinations in their own right and offer starkly different experiences. Tuthilltown is New York’s first new distillery since Prohibition. After a tour and tasting—try the Four Grain bourbon and Maple Cask rye. Sit on the deck or covered patio and enjoy the surrounding woods and babbling brook. Coppersea, meanwhile, is a deliberately old-fashioned distillery that’s committed to using traditional production methods, like floor malting, open-top wooden fermenters, and direct-fire stills. See the floor-malting process for yourself on the tour, then sit outdoors while sipping a glass of Bonticou Crag (distilled from malted rye) and admiring its nearby namesake mountain. The tasting room sells bottles as well as heritage pork from pigs raised on the distillery’s spent mash.
Beyond whiskey, the area is also home to numerous cideries and the wineries of the Shawangunk Wine Trail. The scenic (but alcohol-free) Catskill Mountain Railroad also starts and ends in Kingston. The Minnewaska State Park Preserve in the Shawangunk Mountains boasts sweeping vistas of steep cliffs, waterfalls, and autumnal hardwood forests where it’s possible to spot a peregrine falcon. For a rustic experience, stay at the Minnewaska Lodge just outside the park, or pamper yourself at the Mohonk Mountain House, a Victorian-style lakeside resort and spa built in 1869 and set amid 40,000 acres of forest.
Hit the Entire Hudson Valley Craft Whiskey Trail
Take a boat out at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York.
Central Hudson Valley Distilleries to Visit
Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery—14 Grist Mill Lane, Gardiner
Visitor center open daily; tours on weekends.
Coppersea Distilling—239 Springtown Road, New Paltz
Tasting room open Friday through Sunday; tours Saturdays.
Where to Stay
Mohonk Mountain House—1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz
A luxurious mountain resort.
Minnewaska Lodge—3116 US Route 44, Gardiner
An outdoor-oriented upscale mountain lodge.
Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa—220 North Road, Milton
Riverside resort with spa and sustainability-focused restaurant.
Where to Dine
A Tavola Trattoria—46 Main Street, New Paltz
Rustic farm-to-table Italian fare and cocktails.
Where to Drink
Stockade Tavern—313 Fair Street, Kingston
Cocktails and tapas in an old-school setting.
Mohonk Mountain House—1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz
Drink cocktails, wine, or whiskey on the Sunset Porch, watching the sun set behind the mountains.
