All Over Albany

Quackenbush Still House Rum

Check it out: the Albany Distilling Co. is releasing its first rum -- Quackenbush Still House Rum -- this Saturday. The company's new product is actually kind of old-school. From ADC's blog:

Rum was an important commodity in the colonies, produced in a variety of important cities, and Albany was no exception. The Quackenbush Still House made rum in what was then Rensselaerswyck, which today encompasses much of downtown Albany. The distillery stood not far from our current front door, just south of us, where a parking garage now resides. Before construction started on the garage, the site was excavated in 2002 (much, much more information can be found here). The original Quackenbush distillery operated from around 1758 to 1810, when the popularity of rum (in Albany, not elsewhere) declined in favor of other spirits (whiskey, most notably).

And from its product page:

Back then, Caribbean molasses were mixed with water from the Hudson River and allowed to ferment with wild yeasts in huge, open wooden vats (the remains of which can still be seen at the New York State Museum) before being distilled and bottled. Our Original Albany rum follows this tradition, with a recipe from that era and molasses from the Caribbean - but with an updated production line (and different water).

On Saturday the distillery will be open for tours, as well as tastings and sales of ADC's other products. But not the rum. It can't be sold at the distillery because it's not made from New York State products -- so it's only available at retail stores and bars (including the nearby Albany Pump Station and Olde English).

There's a also new exhibit at the nearby Albany Visitors Center of artifacts from that 2002 excavation. And at 1 pm on Saturday an archaeologist will be talking about the 18th century distillery.

Earlier on AOA: Talking with founders of the Albany Distilling Co.

photo: Albany Distilling Co.