Hudson Whiskey NY made a visit down south for a special paired dinner at Martin's Wine Cellar in Metairie. As the dinner guests arrived, they were greeted with an Old Fashioned based with Hudson Whiskey's Short Stack, a New York straight rye whiskey which is finished in Vermont maple syrup barrels.
With this drink, our hosts explained the history of Hudson Whiskey. In 2003, father and son team Ralph and Gable Erenzo bought some acres of property just outside of the New York metropolitan area with the idea that they would transform it into a park for climbing. That plan was unable to go through, but there was a centuries-old grist mill on the property that gave them another idea. Ralph was allowed to make his property into a business farming which included distillation, but there were still legal issues to get around. There had been no distillation allowed in New York since Prohibition. Ralph worked hard to get laws passed allowing distillation, and he eventually was successful. By 2005, Hudson Whiskey NY was officially making product. Sadly, Gable Erenzo passed in 2021, but his legacy as a pioneer of whiskey distillation lives on.
Chef Jordan Lindsey of Martin's Wine Cellar then explained in detail his three-course meal for the night as the dishes started coming out of the kitchen. The first course was Seared Confit Salmon. The tender salmon filet was freshly arrived from Norway that morning, and it was perfectly cooked with salmon and pork confit. It came sitting on velvety roasted garlic and celery root puree surrounded by brussel sprouts. A crispy fish skin chip was placed in it that everyone just loved the taste of. This dish was paired with Hudson Whiskey's Do The Rye Thing rye whiskey. The spiciness of the rye went so well with the more subtle flavorings of the fish.
After getting pours of our next whiskey in the subway sign-colored shot glasses, Bright Lights Big Bourbon, our next course came out. The Cured Pork Belly had a diamond pattern-cut that made the combination hickory and vanilla smoke deeply flavor the meat. The addition of a corn puree with a slash of cherry gastrique brought out the corn base of the bourbon which is made of 95 percent corn.
Dessert was highly anticipated, and this final course did not disappoint. Peach Pecan Cobbler Bread Pudding was paired perfectly with the Short Stack Rye. The tower of deliciousness was swimming in a thick pool of whiskey salted caramel sauce and topped with a slowly-melting scoop of vanilla semifreddo. It was sweet on so many different levels, but it was not so rich that you had to push it away.
We were able to taste some of the reserve varietals one of which is not available for purchase. Consumers can find the Four Part Harmony four-grain bourbon aged a minimum of seven years, though. The smooth whiskey only has a mild burn on the back of the tongue, just enough to let you know you're drinking the best.
