History

Cooperstown Distillery is the first and only distillery in Otsego County, surrounded by Cooperstown and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The distillery draws on the region’s history and beauty as well as Cooper’s literary legacy (James Fenimore Cooper) and the clear waters of Lake Glimmerglass. The products are handcrafted and celebrated as some of the country’s best. The distillery also runs the Cooperstown Distillery Beverage Exchange, which promotes locally produced spirits, beer, wine, and ciders.

Production and Manufacturing Approach

Cooperstown Distillery works almost exclusively with corn from New York State and describes itself as a farm distillery with a focus on knowing their farmers and grain producers. They showcase the process from mash to distillation and maturation and hand-fill and label the bottles. Their products are primarily characterized by aging in selected casks and on-site maturation according to their standards, and they highlight a grain-to-bottle experience throughout the process. Stills are specially crafted, and the process is open for VIP tours and tastings in their tasting room. The range also includes items in their shop and evidence of high standards through numerous accolades.

Products and Whisky Series

Their range includes a broad array of elite editions and Cooperstown-awarded whiskies. For example, Elite Edition Straight Bourbon Whiskey selected by various legendary sports stars (e.g., Andre Dawson, Willie Roaf, Zach Thomas, and others) and Cooperstown Select Straight Bourbon Whiskey as well as Cooperstown Select Straight American Single Malt Whisky. Their offerings include: - Straight Bourbon (and single barrel variants) - Straight Rye Whisky - American Single Malt Whisky - American Blended Whisky - Malt Whisky (American Single Malt) - Small Batch and Single Barrel editions - Other spirit types such as Gin and Rum in Hall of Champions/Lineup editions as well as decanters and special editions. Their portfolio also mentions broader series such as Cooperstown Select, Canton Distillery Brand and Springfield Distillery Brand, as well as Hall of Champions and Baseball Lineup where products such as Doubleday Bourbon and other long-aged variants are included.

Visits and Experiences

Visitors can experience a grain-to-bottle approach in their distillery and tasting room and participate in VIP tours with insights into mash, distillation, and aging. Tours include a tasting flight of their award-winning spirits and 20% off purchases. There is also the Cooperstown Distillery Beverage Exchange, which hosts cocktail experiences and offers a selection of New York State-produced beers, wines, and ciders. The Distillery Beverage Exchange is located in Cooperstown (Main Street) and Saratoga (Broadway). The facilities are ADA-compliant and there are opening hours for retail and experiences.

Philosophy

The philosophy is to produce handcrafted distilled spirits of the highest quality, primarily from New York State grain, with a focus on care for the farmers, and to create a grain-to-bottle experience where the consumer can follow the entire process from mash to bottle. They place emphasis on handcrafted production, hand labeling, and hand finishing to achieve rich color and a complex character in their whiskeys.