Taconic Distillery

What started as a hobby is now a growing business, with distribution in ten states. In the fall of 2016, Taconic opened its brand new 4,200 square foot distillery, which includes a bottling, aging, retail and tasting facility. The cozy tasting room and adjoining patio overlook the scenic Dutchess County farmland. The building has allowed Taconic to substantially increase its sales and consolidate disparate facilities. The tasting room provides visitors with a unique setting to explore its products as well more than 100 bottles of bourbon from various distillers. Says founder Carol Ann Coughlin, “We firmly believe you should enjoy bourbon in whatever form you choose, whether it be neat, on the rocks, or in cocktails.”

Their logo includes a drawing of Copper, the foxhound. The origin of foxhounds in the United States can be traced back to an English hunter by the name of Robert Brooke, who settled in the Hudson Valley in the 1650s. George Washington, who had a home in the Hudson Valley and was himself a whiskey producer, purchased his own foxhound from the Brooke family several generations later. In the early 20th century during the Prohibition era, foxhounds were notable for helping to alert moonshiners when government agents were closing in on their operations. For this reason, Taconic Distillery likes to credit Copper and his ancestors with bringing the phrase “Man’s Best Friend” to the New World.