It shouldn’t be any surprise that Old Drovers Inn Bed & Breakfast in Dover Plains won the Chronogrammie for craft cocktails when the one pouring drinks is Randy Benson, winner of the bartender category.
Dating back to 1750, Old Drovers Inn is steeped in Hudson Valley history. But beverage director Benson brings a modern-day spin to the tavern’s drink list. Since he first started going off-menu two years ago, he has created a new signature cocktail weekly. The first was inspired by a conversation with customers. “When you crash while skiing and your equipment goes all over it’s called a ‘yard sale,’ so I thought that would be an interesting drink to make,” Benson says. “I just started throwing things together like bourbon with rye and Carpano, and customers went crazy over it.”
Benson’s creativity is driven by a curiosity about the simplest things. “We have a lot of roses growing in the gardens, and I wondered if they were edible,” he says. When he found out they were, Benson put together a drink with rose wine, lemonade, vodka, and ginger with a splash of lemon and edible rose petals on top.
Old Drover’s specialty cocktail menu usually includes at least six drinks, including a much-loved twist on the Old Fashioned made with local maple syrup, Luxardo cherries, Jim Beam Black, and an orange twist. Customers flock to the bar to taste Benson’s latest distinctive concoctions, like the yuzu margarita and pomegranate lemon drop. It was one of these regulars that nominated Benson for a Chronogrammies.
“I had tears in my eyes for two hours when I found out I won,” says Benson, a resident of Dover Plains. “It just meant so much to know that not just our small community but people all over the Hudson Valley appreciate what we do for them.” Visit Benson and see for yourself at the Old Drovers Inn tap room, which is open for dinner and drinks Thursday through Saturday and Sunday brunch.
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This article appears in July 2022.
