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.
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.
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.
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.
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 team at Tuthilltown and be part of this little revolution. He has worked his way up from an apprentice to a full-fledged distilleryman. Nick is now bottling supervisor and a student of The Business School at SUNY New Paltz completing his bachelor’s degree with a minor in Disaster Relief Studies. He is a reserve volunteer of the American Red Cross and has a passion for good food, good people, and fuzzy slippers. Nick is currently staying on the farm in his rustic abode (tent) and training one year old puppy, Roman, to swim, play fetch, and “Heel, for Heaven’s sake, heel!”… a personally developmental experience for both parties.
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.
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