Core Vodka

Photo by Bill Dowd

• New York State's micro-distilling movement is gaining momentum. Harvest Spirits, the distillery at the sprawling Golden Harvest Farms in Columbia County, one of Upstate's major fruit growers, has a line of vodka, brandy, applejack and eau de vie products.

The name is a tipoff that this is not a grain-  or potato-based spirit. Think core, think apple -- in this instance, mostly Macintosh apples, grown in profusion in Upstate New York, and frequently used by the state's micro-distillers.

The craftsmen at Harvest Spirits experimented with several apple styles, but liked the consistency of the Mac. It is evident in the finished product, creamy on the palate and carrying a slight apple tang. However, because apple flavors do change from crop to crop, each bottle carries the batch and bottle number.

The charcoal filtration process has eliminated any rough edges, leaving Core a clean-finishing experience with a warm, lingering aftertaste.

Suggested retail price: $29.99 for the 750ml bottle.

Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.