History

Cooper's Daughter Spirits is a women-owned and family-owned distillery, cooperage, and apple orchard. The name tells the story of a father and daughter who united their passions to create a business together. Stuart Newsome has a 42-year career in historic restoration, while Sophie Newsome is passionate about the farm-to-table movement. They chose the Hudson Valley region to be close to the farmers who inspire their spirits. The property is part of the National Register of Historic Places with two barns dating from around 1805 and 1790 that needed to be rehabilitated, and which are part of the Jacob Rutsen van Rensselaer House & Mill Complex; Rensselaer also had his own distillery and cooperage in the early 1800s. Today the distillery and cooperage sit in the former carriage house by Claverack Creek, 10 minutes from Hudson.

Production / Manufacturing

Local grains, fruits, botanicals and wood syrups are the basis for the distillery's seasonal batch spirits. Barrels are handcrafted on-site and used to age bourbon and whiskey.

Products / Whisky Series

The distillery produces Cooper's Daughter Vodka based on apples from the Red Hook apple orchard. They also grow pumpkins for Pumpkin Spice Vodka and antique roses for Rose Liqueur on the plantation and plan to expand crops. Barrels are used to age bourbon and whiskey.

Visit / Experiences

On weekends the distillery is open for drinks and food-truck pop-ups in the Cocktail Garden. The orchard plans to reopen a farm stand for tastings and bottle sales as well as hosting farmers' markets.

Philosophy

Cooper's Daughter Spirits is a women-owned and family-owned company that focuses on farm-to-table and working with local farmers. The location near the Hudson Valley and the historic backdrop support the vision of craftsmanship and the revival of historic distilling and cooperage traditions.