Brian has designed and built the technical facilities for Tuthilltown Spirits. He is responsible for engineering and all technical aspects of fermentation and distillation for the company. Brian serves as CFO for the company. Prior to his work with Tuthilltown Spirits, Brian was a senior technical designer for a company building high-end broadcast television facilities. His clients included SKY Latin-America, CBS, and NBC. He served as the on-site technical consultant for ESPN’s conversion to High Definition Television (HDTV). Brian’s technical and mechanical skills ensure all the systems at the distillery continue to function and we are constantly on the search for more efficient methods. He is currently contemplating hydro and solar power as supplemental energy sources.
About Us
DISTILLING AT TUTHILLTOWN
Before Prohibition more than 1,000 farm distillers produced alcohol from New York grains and fruits. Tuthilltown distillers are bringing back traditional batch-distilled spirits.
For 220 years Tuthilltown Gristmill, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, used waterpower to render local grains to flour. In 2001 Ralph Erenzo and Vicki Morgan acquired the property and with the help of partner Brian Lee, they converted one of the mill granaries to a micro-distillery.The partners worked tirelessly to teach themselves the craft of small-batch distillation while navigating the legal and administrative aspects of building the company.
Two and a half years later Tuthilltown Spirits produced their first batches of vodka from scraps they collected at a local apple slicing plant. Now the distillers use fresh cider from nearby orchards. Production includes vodkas, whiskeys, rum, eau de vie, brandy, and infusions. New York's first Bourbon is HUDSON BABY BOURBON, distilled from 100% New York corn. Tuthilltown whiskeys are the only legally distilled and aged grain spirits produced in New York since Prohibition.
In 2007 Gable Erenzo, joined the team and the distillery sent off the first international shipment to Paris. The team has continued to grow with the addition of Joel Elder, Jared Powers, and Nick Stoughton to the production team. Cathy Erenzo has come on board to manage compliance and administration.
The Tuthilltown Spirits Team is thrilled to bring the craft of small batch spirits distilling back to New York.
The Team
Brian Lee, Distiller, Partner
Ralph Erenzo, Distiller, Partner
Ralph brings 35 years of production and development experience to the distillery. Prior to starting Tuthilltown Spirits, his business ExtraVertical Inc. provided technical services to corporate and media clients for projects that required technical skills developed over his 25 year rock climbing career. Ralph built and managed New York City’s first public climbing gyms including The ExtraVertical Climbing Center on Broadway. His dream of a “climbers ranch” near the largest rock climbing area in the East were set aside in favor of producing high quality spirits.
Ralph’s writing and commentary have been featured in national media including Op Ed columns for the New York Times. His work at the State level has resulted in the passage of the Farm Distillery Act which permits New York farms to establish distilleries on site and sell their agricultural spirits at the farm. Born and raised a New Yorker, he has realized a lifelong dream of settling in the Hudson Valley. His son Gabe manages production at the distillery.
Gable Erenzo, Distiller, Brand Ambassador
As Distiller and Brand Ambassador, Gable divides his time between production and the national roll out of Tuthilltown Spirits. With over 15 years in production and national event management, an associate’s degree from CU, and a BS in Business Management from SUNY New Paltz, he brings considerable business knowledge and experience to the company. Gable’s prior position as Head Distiller and Production Manager at the distillery educated him about all aspects of the Tuthilltown Spirits production process, preparing him for his current role as Brand Ambassador. A rock climber and outdoor enthusiast from the very start, Gable has been climbing in the “Gunks” for over 20 years. He is happy to be working at something he loves, surrounded by friends and family.
Joel Elder, Distiller, Production Manager
From out of the legendary dirt bluffs of the wild Missouri Territory and into the sublime Hudson Valley comes the inimitable Joel Elder, Tuthilltown’s Production Manager and Head Distiller. Joel is responsible for all phases of production from grain to bottle including fermentation, distillation, barreling and batch selection. After a term with the US Army Air Defense Artillery, Joel attended Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri before setting off on his true calling: sustainable progressive agriculture. The following 6 years were spent working with and on various farms in California and New York and a few friendly pubs. Joel brings a commitment to setting new standards of production quality and ecological husbandry to the nascent artisanal spirits industry and the small farms that keep it running. Along with his partner Shabbat, he is now the proud father of a most impressive pair of geminids, Violet & Theodore. He continues to pursue the ideals that initially brought him halfway across our great continent: sustainable lifestyle and livelihood.
Nick Stoughton, Distilleryman
Born in New Orleans and raised in the Hudson Valley, Nick came down from working with the youngsters at Parsons Child and Family Center in Albany to join the production team at Tuthilltown and be part of this little revolution. In cooking batches he brings experience from years in a kitchen; heating a 400 gallon cooker to 185° while gradually milling in grain is not wholly unlike making a soup or roux, deliberate in procedure, yet flexible. Distilling, barrelling, bottling, proofing, and playing his coronet in the still room (when he’s working late) are all part of this most enjoyable profession. Nick is a full-time business student at SUNY New Paltz pursuing his B.S. with a minor in Disaster Relief Studies. He has a passion for good food, good people, and fuzzy slippers.
Liam Doyle, Distilleryman
Originally from Dutchess County, Liam moved to this section of the Hudson Valley in 2003 in order to pursue his education, and in doing so earned a B.S. in Geological Sciences from SUNY New Paltz. He is part of the production crew at Tuthilltown and his responsibilities include milling whole grains, cooking the mash and preparing it for fermentation, distilling and finally barreling. Using a varied background of carpentry, tending bar and landscaping he also offers assistance with many odd jobs around the premises. He is glad to have an opportunity to create such a distinguished product while surrounded by good people and beautiful scenery. On days away from the distillery he enjoys playing volleyball, disc golf and exploring all the natural beauty in and beyond the Hudson Valley.
Tony Vanaria, European Union Ambassador
Tony is a transplanted New Yorker who has lived in Paris for the last ten years working as an actor, writer and director. A friend of Ralph Erenzo’s for more than forty years, he found himself in the right place and at the right time to represent Tuthilltown’s penetration into the European market. Tony brings his artistic skills (and his love of whiskey) to the promotion of our products at trade shows and tastings in high-end luxury restaurants, hotels and cocktail bars throughout Western Europe. What a job!
Luz M. Reid, Tastings, Tours, and Retail Sales
Born in Sturgis, Michigan and raised in the Hudson Valley, Luz’s addition to the Tuthilltown family came with the opening of the retail store and tasting room in the Spring of 2009. With a background in retail merchandising which began Chicago in 1996, Luz runs the store, educates customers, and helps everyone who makes the trip to the distillery leave with the best spirits possible.
Cathy Erenzo, Compliance and Administration
Cathy joined the Tuthilltown Spirits team in spring of 2008. Her professional contributions to the company are strengthened by a wide variety of skills gained through managing several small organizations and producing financial reports for a prominent marketing company based out of New York. Cathy’s current position involves working in collaboration with the State and Federal government on monthly production reports, excise taxes, and various legal tasks related to the advancement of the distillery. In addition to managing compliance related responsibilities, she assists with marketing and enjoys helping with bottling in the distillery when the crew is in need of a hand. Cathy is thrilled to be part of a small company with a family feel and a focus on spearheading the industry’s movement towards environmentally sustainable business practices. Her background working with charity organizations keeps her open to volunteering and she welcomes local non-profits to contact her about ways that she and Tuthilltown Spirits can get involved in the community.
Michael Chichetti, Distilleryman
When Michael joined the team in early 2009 he quickly realised just how uniquely driven and progressive the family distiallry truly is and has since been compelled to bring every skill he posseses to the table. He has worked in many fields, from retail, to maintainance, aquatics, and the cullinary arts, but has found the greatest sense of craft and community at Tuthilltown Spirits. Originally from Rockland County, Michael is a Visual Arts major with a concentration in Graphic Design at SUNY New Paltz. At the distillery, he performs a plethora of tasks ranging from managing the bottling line, assisting with the many stages of production, and contributing his love and expertise of visual aesthetics wherever it is needed. When he isn’t producing the best whiskey you can get, he enjoys snowboarding, mountain biking, playing music and working on various illustration and photography projects.
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