Dutch’s Spirits, a New York State craft distillery, is reviving the sprawling historic grounds of a former clandestine bootlegging operation financed by the iconic mobster, Dutch Schultz. Named for both the gangster and the county of his illicit enterprise, Dutch’s Spirits is proud to introduce Dutch’s Spirits Sugar Wash Moonshine as one of its inaugural products.
First built during the waning years of Prohibition, Dutch’s Spirits is an original New York distillery in every sense of the phrase. Co-founder Alex Adams’s ancestral family farm—once known as Harvest Homestead Farm—was the site of a massive underground distilling operation, producing thousands of gallons of liquor against the idyllic backdrop of the network of interconnected tunnels and bunkers designed to avoid detection. For a short time, this proved successful, withstanding numerous visits from suspicious Justice Department agents. However, just after dusk on Monday, October 17, 1932, those agents found what they were looking for as they raided the site and shuttered the plant.
Now, 80 years later, Dutch’s Spirits is building a new distillery in the footprint of the original bunkhouse site. Recently added to the New York State Archaeological Inventory as a “Bootleg Era Bunker Complex,” the New York State Historic Preservation Office describes it as consisting of “the remains of a clandestine distillation industry operation that operated for a brief period during the Prohibition era.” In reviewing the site, representative Douglas Mackey stated that “no other sites of this type had been previously recorded and examined,” deeming it eligible for inclusion in the State and National Register of Historic places.
Dutch’s Spirits aims to become a self-sustaining farm operation and ultimately, an agricultural destination for tourists. The distillery will specialize in artisanal hand-made spirits using primarily farm-sourced ingredients.
The company recently released Dutch’s Colonial Cocktail Bitters, an aromatic tincture in part with botanicals grown on the farm Dutch’s Spirits Sugar Wash Moonshine, handcrafted in tribute to Schultz’s own hooch, and Dutch’s Spirits Peach Brandy—an ode to yesteryear, are produced at partner facilities in upstate New York while construction is underway.
“We are truly excited to have the opportunity to restore an important piece of American history, and to educate the public through the experience,” said Ariel Schlein, Co-founder and President of Dutch’s Spirits. “We aim to follow in the footsteps of thousands f farm distilleries that dotted the landscape before Prohibition, bringing added value to their crops and invigorating the community around them. While our facility progresses, we will continue to partner with other New York State craft distilleries in creating premium small batch spirits.”
For more information, visit http://www.DutchsSpirits.com.
