Silver Brothers Distillery plans June opening
Regenerative farming distillery Silver Brothers will open next month (June) in New York State’s Hudson River Valley.
Silver Brothers is situated on a bucolic 220-acre farm in Old Chatham, New York, which has been active for more than 200 years and is distinguished by its rural agricultural landscape.
In 2020, Matthew Greitzer and Kimberly Driessen-Greitzer purchased the property and established the Silver Brothers brand. They had the intention of continuing the property’s agricultural tradition with a farm distillery dedicated to producing whiskeys from estate-grown grain.
Silver Brothers began spirits production in 2023, following its first estate grain harvest a year earlier.
The brand is singularly dedicated to creating terroir-driven whiskeys. It is able to control the production process from start to finish as the site boasts all the components needed to craft American whiskey.
This includes organic estate-grown grain, with two varieties of rye (Danko and Hazlet), two varieties of barley (Violeta and Cornell’s LakeEffect), and one heirloom variety of red corn (New York Bloody Butcher).
Silver Brothers also sources additional barley and corn from regional New York farms, with all grain varieties purposefully selected for hardiness and flavour.
Silver Brothers’ farm and distillery sit atop an aquifer beneath limestone and shale bedrock. This naturally filtered water is said to provide an ideal pH and mineral balance for fermentation, while contributing a subtle minerality and refined mouthfeel to the finished whiskey.
The distillery practices regenerative farming, including field rotation, limited tillage, and cover crop planting.
It uses no herbicides, fungicides, or other chemicals, and is pursuing organic certification.
All Silver Brothers whiskeys are distilled, barrelled, and aged onsite.
The distillery uses traditional alembic copper pot stills in a tandem setup for a double distillation. The stills are custom-designed to draw out maximum flavour and character from the spirit.
Ageing takes place in a traditional dunnage-style barrel house where the casks are in direct contact with the earth. The barrel house is unacclimatised for a natural ageing process that responds to the seasons.
The majority of Silver Brothers’ new oak barrels are sourced from Adirondack Barrel Cooperage, an artisanal cooperage in nearby Glenville, NY.
The brand also sources ex-fill whiskey barrels from a variety of domestic distilleries for ageing its American single malt whiskey.
Silver Brothers’ first expression of Empire Rye Whiskey will be released in June 2026. Pre-orders open online tomorrow (8 May).
The rye whiskey has been aged for three years and is bottled at 46% ABV.
On the nose it offers notes of orange, clove and brown sugar, while the palate brings bright orange and apple flavours, layered with baking spice and vanilla. Its finish is defined by a distinctive rye spice.
Silver Brothers’ first American single malt whiskey will be available in July 2026.
This three-year-old 46% whiskey boasts aromas of Graham cracker and toasted marshmallow, layered with fresh green apple and delicate orange blossom, while brown sugar, warm baking spice, and vanilla unfold across the palate, finishing with a subtle lift of citrus and a hint of slate-like minerality.
Both are priced at US$78.
Silver Brothers expects to achieve an annual production capacity of 30,000 bottles by 2030.
Elsewhere in New York, Red Hook Barrel Yard has opened in Brooklyn, featuring a winery and cidery, with a distillery and cocktail bar to follow later this year.
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