e
veryone is used to hearing the
Coppersea intends to become America’s
stories of the would-be distillers
premier heritage method distillery. But
overcoming impossible odds and
what are “heritage methods?” When
obstacles in the pursuit of their dream. This is a different kind of story - while Coppersea has had their own set of trials and tribulations, they were also lucky enough to have Lady Luck smile on them
When a Plan Comes
Together
asked, Kinstlick explains, “We are deeply committed to making spirits as closely as possible the way they were made for generations on farms and in villages across frontier America; using local ingredients and water, fermenting mashes
with a whole list of good fortune. Coppersea Distilling resides in the
in wood tanks and barrels, and distilling
sleepy hamlet of West Park, NY, in the
in simple, direct-fired pot stills.” With
beautiful Hudson Valley about 75 miles
America’s renewed interest in authentic,
north of New York City. Angus MacDonald, Master
Distiller,
conceptualized
the
idea in the mid-2000s. When Michael Kinstlick,
CEO,
joined
him
several
years later, Coppersea became a reality. The company formally began operating
the
Story
of
Coppersea D i s t i l l i n g
Authority licenses in mid-2012.
recipe for success. Their facility, on a bluff on the West side of the Hudson River, began life as a print shop of the nearby Holy Cross Monastery. Staying true to their vision of using heritage methodology in production,
in 2011, and began production after obtaining its Federal and NY State Liquor
time-tested methods, this sounds like a
Written By Rockwell Rutter Photos provided by coppersea distilling
an 80,000-gallon cistern was installed directly uphill from the distillery house.
10 www.ArtisanSpiritmag.com