Harvest Spirits Farm Distillery sits on a working farm in Valatie, New York, about 20 minutes southeast of Albany in the Hudson Valley. Derek Grout founded this farm-to-bottle operation in 2006, making it one of New York’s first farm distilleries. The distillery occupies a restored 19th-century barn on the family’s apple orchard, where they’ve been growing apples since the 1800s. They produce vodka, gin, whiskey, and their signature apple spirits using ingredients grown right on the property and sourced from other local farms. The operation started when Grout, who has a background in agriculture and business, saw an opportunity to add value to the farm’s apple harvest beyond just selling fruit. He began by making apple brandy and vodka from the farm’s apples, then expanded into other spirits as demand grew. The distillery uses a custom-built 500-gallon copper pot still, and everything is produced in small batches with an emphasis on showcasing local agricultural products. What began as a way to diversify the farm’s income has grown into a destination that attracts visitors from across the Northeast. The tasting room overlooks the orchard and distillation area, giving visitors a direct view of both the raw materials and the production process. You’re not just touring a distillery here – you’re seeing the entire supply chain from tree to bottle, which is pretty rare in the spirits world.