As an earth-to-glass brandy and vermouth distillery and fine dining destination, Klocke Estate has made quite the impression on its guests since its public launch in July 2024. Attention and intention cover every corner of the stunning 160-acre Claverack estate, from the authenticity of its spirits to the educational component of distillery tours to its restaurant offerings which have garnered nonstop acclaim. So it’s only natural that Klocke is taking the next steps: distributing its vermouth in the Hudson Valley and New York City, growing its options for tours and tasting experiences, and expanding into bottled cocktails.
“We’ve gotten so much great feedback from people who say they love our cocktails, which highlight our brandy and vermouths that are sold on-site, and guests often ask for recipes so that they can replicate drinks at home,” explains founder John Frishkopf. “So we thought, why don’t we start bottling popular cocktails like our signature brandy Appletini, packaged in a beautiful, elegant way so that they can be enjoyed during a dinner party or given as a gift.”
The new ready-to-drink cocktail line includes three of the distillery’s most-loved libations served at its bar and dining room: the Appletini, Brandy Manhattan, and Old-Fashioned.
The Flyback Appletini, based on the bar’s most popular cocktail, is made with Klocke Estate apple brandy, white vermouth, and fresh Honeycrisp apple juice. For the Flyback Brandy Manhattan, a two-year-old French brandy is blended with sweet red vermouth and housemade bitters. (The bitters provide bracing contrast for the brandy to replicate the balance typically provided by rye.) Last, the Flyback Claverack Old Fashioned is made with a four-year-old Calvados (apple brandy) from France, with maple syrup sourced from the family farm of the distillery’s head of production, and finished with another custom housemade bitters.
The ready-to-drink cocktails are also now available for sale on their own, or as a part of the distillery tour experience, which Klocke is expanding to five days a week from 12 noon to 9 pm.
The tour ($30 per person) begins with educational storytelling, continues to a behind-the-scenes look at the distilling process—including a glimpse of the gorgeous Cognac still imported from the French region itself, and ends at the tasting room. There, guests can select from two tasting menus: its Klocke Estate Vermouths and Unaged Apple Brandy or the ready-to-drink cocktails.
“It’s been an exciting year; we set out to create truly world-class brandy and vermouth, and this feels like a natural next stage of development,” Frishkopf says. “We want your visit to feel like an elevated experience: come up for a tour and tasting, have a snack and cocktail or two at the bar or enjoy scenic views at our outdoor seating, then select some bottles to take home to relive the day.”
For more information about Klocke Estate’s full line of brandy, vermouth, and ready-to-drink cocktails, or to make tour or dinner reservations, visit Klocke-estate.com.
