Page 19 - Valley Table- Winter 2025

chandeliers and organic
printed wallpaper throughout,
giving a sense of luxury
without the pretension.
Within the main restaurant
building, there are several
unique zones. Each has its own
purpose and vibe, but they
all work cohesively and flow
into one another with ease.
“You can come in and do a
tasting on the north side, have
cocktails and snacks at the bar
overlooking the mountains,
or sit down for an elevated
meal in the dining area,” says
Kristine Danks, Klocke Estate’s
director of hospitality. The
result is a fully realized space
that is both visually stunning
and buzzing with energy,
striking the perfect balance of
refinement and enjoyment.
Guests can choose to take a
tour of the distillery, currently
led on weekends by owners
Frishkopf and Brett Mattingly,
which includes a tasting as
well as a deep dive into the
estate’s history and distillation
processes. The bar serves up
Klocke’s own spirits, to be
savored simply on the rocks or
stirred into a signature cocktail.
It also offers an extensive wine
program and a selection of
both local and international
craft brews.
The restaurant, led by Chef
Becky Kempter, serves an
a la carte menu of seasonal
fare and is open for dinner
Wednesday through Sunday
and lunch on the weekend.
The culinary program aims
to blend the heritage and
subtle complexity of flavor can
really develop.”
The striking estate, nestled
at the top of the property, was
planned by BarlisWedlick, an
award-winning architecture
and design firm with offices
in Hudson and New York
City. The interior was
brought to life by Ken Fulk,
an Architectural Digest AD100
designer known for creating
textured, maximalist, and
immersive spaces. Rich fabrics
and hues, warm woods, and
hand-painted murals are
expertly combined with
ornate elements like crystal
All of the
processing,
aging,
distilling,
and bottling
is done
on-site.
traditions of brandy-producing
regions with the farm-to-table
spirit of the Hudson Valley.
Appetizer highlights
include the steak tartare, a
decadent bite with horseradish
gremolata and nigella spelt
crackers, and the Roots &
Fruits, a generous portion of
beets and grapes sitting atop a
zesty mint labneh with cured
olive, feta, and sorrel. Dining
with a group? Start off with the
aioli, a beautifully presented
tower of seasonal vegetables,
chilled shellfish, and farm egg.
For the main course, the
duck breast with miso-apple
butter, grilled red endive, and
nasturtium is a must. The
cavatelli is equally delicious,
with tender pasta made fresh
each morning topped with
a combination of arugula
pesto, maitake mushrooms,
pistachio, and lemon ricotta.
The pork porterhouse au
poivre with black garlic and
charred broccolini is another
standout.
To finish your meal, it’s
hard to beat the impossibly
moist almond cake topped
with Armagnac figs, fluffy
mascarpone, honey, almond
slivers, and sprinkled with
flower petals from Klocke’s
own botanical garden.
Whether you’re a brandy
connoisseur, a five-star foodie,
or just seeking to take in a
panoramic sunset view of
the Catskills (cocktail in
hand), you’ll find what you’re
looking for at Klocke Estate.
And Frishkopf is hopeful that,
much like the brandy the
distillery produces, the estate
will only get better with time.
“It’s a legacy project,” he
observes. “The expectation
is that this will be here for
hundreds of years. I’m very
eager to see how it evolves.”
Klocke Estate
2554 County Rte 27, Hudson
klocke-estate.com
December 2024 – February 2025 | valleytable.com 17