Chris Moyer does not come from the same background as most farm distillery owners. His parents weren’t farmers so he didn’t grow up on a farm. He hasn’t dreamed of owning a farm distillery his whole life. His idea was born around a campfire with friends while enjoying some spirits where he thought, “Hey, why can’t we do this”? Chris came to the Hudson Valley with opening a farm distillery in mind. He left his corporate job in Northern Virginia with his family in tow and, after much research, decided that the Valley would be the best place to plant his roots. Since opening in 2014, Hudson Valley Distillers has continued to grow in ways that Chris never fully anticipated but has embraced whole-heartedly. A tasting room, a full bar, a bed and breakfast and event space with a fully-functioning pristine production facility in the back, Hudson Valley Distillers is bringing new meaning to the locavore movement.

Hudson Valley Distillers is a farm distillery in Germantown, NY (off of Route 9) that produces spirits like vodka, gin, brandy, and whiskey. In order to be considered a farm distillery in New York state, it is required that at least 85% of the material used to create the product must be locally sourced — Chris pledges that 99.9% of his material falls within those regulations. Most of his raw material comes from less than a mile down the road.

In addition to sourcing materials for his own product locally, Chris stocks his bar with bottles and kegs from a dozen local wineries and breweries. Even the bar snacks are all sourced from the Hudson Valley Region.

Now, how did a CPA and software developer from Northern Virginia find success in the Hudson Valley spirits industry, you ask? The answer can be traced back to his nature in the love of numbers and analytics.

Once the idea was born, Chris started to do research and lots of it. “We looked all over everywhere starting east of the Rockies and I didn’t want to travel south from Virginia… New York was the place to be. ” Most importantly, the laws and regulations in New York were the most permissive for the business that Chris was trying to get into. And maybe the most interesting insight Chris used when making his decision; when looking at demography, there are many parallels that can be drawn between Napa Valley and the Hudson Valley. “They seemed so similar to me. They’re both two-hours from a major metropolitan area, attractive to tourists, and Napa Valley is about the same size as Dutchess County”, said Chris.

He trusted his research, took the plunge, and has been growing ever since. 

As mentioned, Chris does not come from a long familial line of successful craft spirit distillers. He gained his experience from taking classes and attending conferences, however, he credits the quality of his final product to the sophisticated taste of his wife, Jennifer. He said, “Where I sort of bring the brawn to the business, she is definitely the brains and the nose”.

Growth is the theme for Hudson Valley Distillers this calendar year. Ultimately, Chris wants his bottles to start replacing the national brand in Hudson Valley bars and retail spaces.

One way to aid in creating some prestige surrounding the Hudson Valley spirit industry was the creation of Empire Rye. An adaptation of the famous “Kentucky Bourbon”, Empire Rye is the official whiskey style of New York State. In order to qualify as an “Empire Rye”, the mash used in the distilling process must contain 75% New York State sourced rye-grain, 25% any raw or malted grain from New York or otherwise, and distilled to no more than 160-proof. Only after abiding by these standards, amongst others, can a distiller boast the Empire Rye mark on its bottle. The idea was to create a label that would set local distributors apart from the big-brand labels.

Chris says this isn’t the only thing that New York is doing right.

“Rye used to be a cover crop grown just to put nutrients back in the soil. Rye is a cash crop now”. 

New York laws and initiatives are fostering an environment overall that is beneficial to the growers and farmers in the industry, as well as, the farming environment. There was a point in time in the farming industry when there was no use for rye except for putting nutrients back in the soil after a season of growing a lucrative crop like corn. Now, rye can be purposed to distilleries for producing a reputable, premium Empire Rye.

Chris is the Head Distiller for his product and loves experimenting with different combinations, ingredient ratios, and types of spirits. From distilling to distribution, everything is done in the production room adjacent to the bar. A typical day for Chris could consist of working on his product in any stage of the process and, concerning that, he says,

“What you can’t get away from is that this is a manufacturing business”.

Once again, this is a place where Chris’s experience with numbers and accounting come into play. He is determined to keep a running spreadsheet that will tell him, down to the penny, how much it costs to get every bottle out of the door. Having his hands in every part of the process, it is very important to him to account for every expense down to the energy bill.

This year, and beyond, Chris plans to continue in growing his business. He has plans to enhance the outdoor space at the bar and tasting room and hopes to see you mix your next drink with his New York Vodka, Clear Mountain Gin, or branch out with some Adirondack Applejack.

Hudson Valley Distillers
1727 Route 9
Clermont, NY 12526
(518) 537-6820

Hours:
Friday: 3pm-8pm
Saturday: 12pm-8pm
Sunday: 12pm-6pm