Cooper's Daughter pulls in whole family
Columbia County distillery merges new flavors with historic restorations
On a recent cold but sunny Saturday afternoon, a white minibus pulled into the already crowded parking lot at Cooper’s Daughter Spirits, a distillery and cooperage in Claverack in Columbia County. Sixteen young men climbed out, strolled up to a rustic, open-air bar and shop and began perusing the drink menu.
One of the new arrivals, Robert Bastron, said two of the guys were celebrating the completion of their house in nearby Ancram and had invited their friends from New York City up for the weekend to tour local breweries, wineries and distilleries. “This is my perfect day,” Bastion said, as he carried his cup into what they call the Cocktail Garden. “I’ve been to Kentucky, but I love being around things that are made locally.”
Cooper’s Daughter Spirits was founded in 2015 by the father-and-daughter team of Stuart and Sophie Newsome — he a master cooper who worked in historic restoration for more than four decades, she with a degree in creative writing and an interest in the farm-to-table movement. Sophie’s husband,, Rory Tice, serves as head distiller and operations manager, and Sophie’s mother, Louise Newsome, is a co-owner. Stuart and Louise emigrated to the U.S. from England 30 years ago.
Cooper’s Daughter produces an extensive range of spirits, including bourbon, whiskey, vodka and liqueurs. Many are uniquely flavored — there’s black-walnut bourbon (their most popular product), rhubarb and honey vodka and raspberry and black pepper liqueur, to name a few.
The 1.5-acre property came with a restored farmhouse and two other buildings, both in states of disrepair. The first, circa 1805, was originally a carriage house
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with a barn and seven horse stalls. Stuart renovated it over several years and it now serves as a distillery and cooperage.
Last December, he finished renovating the second building, one of the oldest in Columbia County. Built in 1790 and originally used as a tollhouse, the structure had a bedroom on the second floor and a pig barn on the ground floor.
Now a single open room that smells of freshly cut wood, the space serves as a rickhouse for aging bourbon as well as an indoor café where customers can drink, eat and schmooze. On a recent visit, it held about 70 barrels of bourbon, stacked floor-to-ceiling on steel shelving. Old newspaper articles glued to the beams nearly a century ago were still visible in spots, and the original dirt floor was covered by cement.
“The outside is untouched except for the glass in the doors,” said Sophie, who serves as Cooper’s Daughter’s flavor developer and marketer. “We kept as much as we could.”
Since the property is part of the National Register of Historic Places, the Newsomes contacted New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation before they began refurbishing. “They were completely supportive,” Sophie said. “They love it when people renovate because the building will stay intact. Otherwise, it would fall down.”
The property was originally part of the Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer House and Mill complex. Rensselaer ran a distillery and cooperage here in the early 1800s. The current owners also own a 50-year-old apple orchard in Red Hook, currently being rehabilitated. In the coming years, Cooper’s Daughter plans to use its own apples to make vodka. “Vodka can be made from anything with starch,” Sophie said. “It’s a great way to use grains and fruits before they expire.”
To be called bourbon, the mash must contain at least 51 percent corn and be aged in brand-new barrels made from charred American white oak. After the bourbon is ready, the barrels can be employed to make whiskey. “The cool thing about barrels is that they can be used for decades,” Sophie said.
For black walnut bourbon, the finished product gets a second aging in barrels where black walnut syrup has been stored. This imparts a mellow, slightly sweet taste.
“The more it rests on the wood, the more it filters out the alcohol flavor,” Sophie said. “Our bourbon is 80 proof, while 90-120 is normal. We’re not trying to be the biggest, baddest bourbon.”
The grains, fruits, botanicals and tree syrups used to flavor their seasonal spirits are either grown on their own property or procured from nearby farms, “We’re very interested in collaborating with local businesses,” Sophie said. “It keeps us excited.”
The Cocktail Garden has several outdoor spaces where people can kick back and enjoy a beverage. On that cold, sunny Saturday, guests sipped unusual cocktails and mocktails in a wood-framed tent. These included the Sugar Shack Old Fashioned (smoked maple bourbon, bruléed maple sugar, apricot vanilla bitters, Luxardo cherries, and orange peel) and the Little Lad (Yorkshire tea, peach syrup, raw local honey, lemon, and cinnamon). Patio heaters and Mexican blankets taken from a bin labeled “Cozy & Boozy” kept everyone warm. Several patrons nibbled quesadillas, empanadas and other snacks purchased at the Hudson-based This and That Food Truck, parked for the day on the property. Further afield, other visitors sat around a blazing steel fire pit.
Now that the tollhouse has been renovated, the team is working on the farm stand at the Red Hood apple orchard. Once completed, it will be a farm and bottle shop featuring products made in New York, both their own and from outside producers.
“My dad, Rory and I are all passionate about preserving buildings,” Sophie said. “We’re always going to be moving and shaking.”