Tuthilltown Half Moon Orchard Gin

Recently I saw Ralph Enzo of the Hudson Valley distillery Tuthilltown at Governor Cuomo’s Wine, Beer, and Spirits Summit. Ralph Erenzo, Distiller and Partner at Tuthilltown, was a successful entrepreneur and an experienced and accomplished rock climber who established The ExtraVertical Climbing Center on Broadway. Ralph’s writing and commentary have been featured in national media including Op Ed columns for the New York Times. His work at the State level has resulted in the passage of the Farm Distillery Act which permits New York farms to establish distilleries on site and sell their agricultural spirits at the farm. Born and raised a New Yorker, he has realized a lifelong dream of settling in the Hudson Valley, where he is easily one of the most important voices in the industry.

He and his impressive team have developed numerous award winning and popular products. The most recent is Half Moon Orchard Gin, which is named for the vessel in which Henry Hudson first explored the River. In that same spirit of exploration, Ralph Enzo and his team have created a new base of near neutral spirit from both Wheat and the Hudson Valley’s ubiquitous Apples.

“We’re in the heart of the American apple industry so it’s natural for us to turn to apples to create an original New York gin,” says Ralph.

According to the website, “The distinctive subtleties of the apple blend in the base spirit create a smoother and rounder gin, more drinkable than the standard grain neutral spirit base used in other gins. Half Moon Orchard Gin has an ABV of 46%.”

This was an incredibly aromatic gin, with a huge nose full of botanicals and floral notes, but not too much. Ralph and the team wanted it to be aromatic but they also wanted it to be a good drinking gin. I agree that sometimes the artisanal gins to be found can be overly powerful in an effort to be unique, so much so, that they also cease to taste like gin. It was light and easy drinking. This will be fantastic for dry martinis, and other cocktails. A fantastic new gin!

Congrats to the group!