Klocke Spirits Portfolio October 2025 Credit: Agency Esta / Klocke Estate
Food and Drink

American Brandy Finds Its New World Standard at Klocke Estate

Food & Wine's deep dive into Klocke Estate traces how a Hudson Valley distillery is reviving a spirits tradition America nearly lost.

Author : Resident Staff

At a Glance

  • Food & Wine's feature "How One New York Estate Is Reviving America's Lost Brandy Tradition" centers on Klocke Estate, a distillery in Claverack, New York, in the Hudson Valley.

  • Klocke Estate, founded by John Frishkopf, represents a roughly $21 million investment and opened to the public in July 2024 after more than six years of preparation and construction.

  • The 160-acre property farms its own apples and botanicals on-site and produces brandy, vermouth, and eau de vie under one roof.

American brandy has a real shot at a second life, and Food & Wine just made the case in print, reported by Dennis Fraley, centering the argument on Klocke Estate in Claverack, New York.

Why Klocke Estate anchors the story

The property represents an investment of roughly $21 million and opened to the public in July 2024. It spans 160 acres and includes a 12,000-square-foot distillery and hospitality venue. According to the pitch materials, the orchard grows 43 varieties of heritage apples on regenerative, biochar-enriched soil.

What sets the tasting experience apart

According to the source materials, the tasting room, designed by Ken Fulk, pours Klocke's own apple brandies alongside a library of more than 100 global brandies, Cognacs, Armagnacs, and Calvados.

Why this matters for domestic spirits

Klocke Estate's bet is that American brandy needs a place, a process, and a story, not an imitation of bourbon's marketing playbook. Food & Wine's reporting suggests national food media is starting to take that argument seriously.

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