Cooper's Daughter Spirits

Overview of the Distillery

Cooper's Daughter Spirits is a family-owned distillery and cooperage in the Hudson Valley, run by Sophie and Stuart Newsome and Rory Tice. The distillery combines handcrafted coopering and a rehabilitated historic site with a farm-to-table approach: local grains, fruits, botanicals, and wood syrups form the basis for seasonal batches. On the property there is an orchard in Red Hook, handcrafted barrels for aging bourbon and whiskey, and a Cocktail Garden with cocktails and food trucks on weekends.

History

The story of Cooper's Daughter begins with the Newsome family. Sophie Newsome is responsible for flavor development and creative choices, Stuart Newsome has a background in historic restoration and serves as Master Cooper, and Rory Tice leads the operations and the distillations. The family chose the Hudson Valley to be close to farmers, and they established the distillery on a property that forms part of the Jacob Rutsen van Rensselaer House & Mill complex with barn buildings dating from the late 18th century and the early 19th century. The property houses both a distillery, a cooperage, and an orchard in Red Hook, which is being rehabilitated to supply raw materials for the spirits production.

Raw Materials and Production

Production is based on local ingredients: grains, fruits, botanicals, and wood syrups from the Hudson Valley are used in seasonal batches. The distillery operates an on-site cooperage where barrels are handcrafted and subsequently used to age bourbon and whiskey. Roles are clearly divided among owners and leadership: flavor development, cooperage and craftsmanship, and operational responsibility. The facility is housed in a former carriage building along Claverack Creek, underscoring the historic approach. Many technical details about the distillation equipment itself, fermentation times, and capacity are not publicly specified, but the focus on craft and local sourcing recurs in the production philosophy.

Whiskeys

The portfolio consists of small, seasonal batches and a range of spirits that draw on local ingredients. The estate's descriptions highlight the production and aging of bourbon and whiskey in their own handcrafted barrels, as well as products such as Cooper’s Daughter Vodka, Pumpkin Spice Vodka, and Rose Liqueur, which incorporate ingredients from the farm's orchard. Sales primarily take place from the farm's shops and in connection with weekend activities at the distillery.

Visit the Distillery

The distillery welcomes visitors: there is daily bottle sales, and the Distillery in Claverack offers indoor/outdoor seating and cocktails on selected weekends. Cocktail Garden hosts food-truck pop-ups. Opening hours include Bottle Shopping daily 09:00–17:00, Distillery in Claverack Friday 16:00–20:00 and Saturday–Sunday 12:00–19:00, as well as Farm & Bottle Shop in Red Hook Thursday–Monday 11:00–18:00. B&B guests can enjoy a tasting in the garden, and the farm's shop sells bottles daily.

Opening hours: Bottle Shopping Daily: 9:00-17:00. Distillery in Claverack: Friday 16:00-20:00; Saturday & Sunday 12:00-19:00. Farm & Bottle Shop in Red Hook: Thursday-Monday 11:00-18:00.

Philosophy and Craft

Cooper's Daughter operates on craft, local roots, and family ownership. The company rehabilitates historic buildings, runs an on-site cooperage to build barrels, and prioritizes farm-to-table sourcing by growing and restoring local crops for use in spirits production.