Owl Light Outings: Esperanza Mansion
…and some pre-dinner tastings near Keuka Lake
- By D.E. Bentley
On December 28, 2019, we traveled to Keuka Lake for an evening of tastings and dining, that culminated with a lovely dinner at Esperanza Mansion. Although we have had the opportunity to stop at many venues overlooking Keuka, there are many we have yet to explore, so we also left some before-dinner time for a few tasting stops.
All made for a most enjoyable evening outing.
Our first stop was at Antler Run Distilling, in the hamlet of Keuka Park, NY, where we did a sampling and talked some with Doug Quade, who opened the distillery with his son, James. Antler Run is a “grain to glass” farm distillery that opened in May of 2019. They make their product with 100% New York State grain, most of it purchased locally, in nearby Penn Yan. The father and son team’s shared home brewed beer hobby evolved into distilling spirits. They now share that passion with other family members, including Doug’s wife, who was there when we stopped by, and their growing community of followers. We tried Buckwheat Moonshine, Red-Tailed Gin, The Cherry Stuff, Apple Cider Whiskey—aged in bourbon barrels before being mixed with an un-spiced, boiled cider, and Spiked Apple Cider.
Our favorite was the Red-Tailed Gin, named for the resident red-tailed hawks that soar and whistle over the distillery. We loved the balance of botanicals that drifted along gracefully with the juniper berry in this refreshing beverage. The tasting room also offers a selection of signature mixed drinks using their spirited beverages.
We stopped next at Krooked Tusker Distillery. CC Ryder was up on-stage, offering a rousingly fun undefinable repertoire to a gathering of folks, sipping beverages and eating lasagna. We ventured through the large music and events area into the tasting room and tried a number of distilled beverages from their Premium Tasting menu: ManChild—a Bourbon mash Tennessee style whiskey, Prodigy Bourbon, and a couple gins—Sleepless in South Pultney (a barrel rested South Pultney gin) and Midnight Frolic. We also tried two selections from their #NOTFORTHEMEEK selection: The Raconteur—a 120+ batch proof 4 grain straight Bourbon whiskey aged 28 months in new charred American oak; and, Restacked—a 110+ batch proof 4 grain whisky aged in a used Maple Pecan Porter barrel from Keuka Brewing Company. They have a number of infused liquors, as well as mixed drinks to leisurely enjoy while listening to music in the adjoining room.
We ended up leaving with a bottle of The Raconteur. We liked the flavors that the porter barrels imparted and since we are small sippers, the higher proof was not a deterrent. The tasting and purchase came with two logo embossed shot glasses, to add to our tasting collection (we enjoy tasting spirits, responsibly).
Speaking of Keuka Brewing Company, this was one of the local breweries we had not done a tasting at*, so we added it in, as a final pre-dinner stop. Another father and son team, Rich Musso, and his son, Mark Musso are responsible for the craft brew created and poured at this Hammondsport establishment, which opened its doors in 2008. I met Mark briefly during a paper drop visit and was glad I was able to stop back and give it a try. The setting is intimate and friendly, with some room to play and an obvious local community presence. Since my beer drinking partner is an IPA guy, we tried their Hoppy Laker IPA (great name for an indeed hoppy beer by a lake area maker). We tried out the sour, Ghost of Rita Gose, a gose style, of course (of German origin, with malted wheat usually making up 50% of the grain bill). We did not want to buy another growler and had come ill-prepared. Thankfully, Keuka Brewing is among a growing number of brewers that offer crowlers—that is a big can of beer out of the tap, to go. To collectively meet our beer preferences (I tend to like darker ales, and stouts that are dry rather than sweet) we settled on their Briglin Rd. Red. We liked the maltiness and it had an evergreen essence that balanced well with the mild citric hoppiness. We have brewed some of our beers with spruce tips, and there was a bit of this flavor that greeted us, along with some yeast freshness that reminds me of cask ale experiences.
This pre-dinner grain extravaganza provided a lovely start to our planned dinner at Esperanza Mansion. The inn, which had closed in 2016, was purchased by Todd and Mary Alexander who, along with partner owners Elizabeth and Larry Mehlenbacher, renovated the mansion for its grand reopening. They offer 31 room accommodations, and an exceptional setting for special events, including weddings. The Rose Restaurant, named for the original residents, is housed in the main mansion, an 1838 Greek revival, and offers diners an ever-changing panoramic view of Keuka Lake that reminds one of the times, and people, that came before.
From the first people who found their way to the shores of the Finger Lakes to the later immigrants drawn to her shores, there is no denying the power of water to attract and transform lives and landscapes. Transportation of people and goods is an undeniable lake draw, as is the beauty and recreational benefits—as evidenced by the multitude of shoreline residences that line most of our state’s prominent lakes. For others, the view overlooking the lake offers a vista far superior to a lake-side horizon. Such was the case for John Nicholas Rose, a wealthy plantation owner from Virginia, who moved to New York State and built Esperanza Mansion. New York State had abolished slavery a decade earlier, and Rose lived in the residence with his wife, Jane E. Macomb, until his death in 1870. Rose’s parents, Robert Seldon Rose and Jane Lawson Rose, his brother, Henry, and a nephew, Robert, also built mansions on the expansive tract—thousands of acres—of agricultural land that extended across the crest of the buff and down to the shores of Keuka Lake. The homes and surrounding agricultural lands were maintained by a large staff, many of whom had accompanied the family on their journey from Virginia. A map of the property at Esperanza Mansion shows orchards, vineyards and gardens, some of which remain under cultivation.
I had stopped in late in the summer to take in the view, and it was exciting to finally have the time to sit down for a meal. Our server, Desiree, was attentive and welcoming, this added to our enjoyment. We chose two entrée specials: panko-crusted haddock with rice and fresh sautéed spinach; and chicken thigh stuffed with sausage and apples, served with mashed potatoes and broccoli rapini. Both were wonderfully prepared by Chef Robert, who joined us table-side and talked a bit about his culinary arts transformation and past experiences. He also shared his enthusiasm at being a part of the Esperanza dining experience. That experience is made possible by the owners, and by Restaurant Manager Erika Guzman, who I first met while she was working behind the bar during one of my earlier Owl Light drop offs (another place where you can regularly grab your copy). Guzman took some time to talk with us about Esperanza’s history (it is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places). As with Chef Robert and our server, there was an excitement evident in this sharing of the history and the future of the mansion on the hill. Their excitement was contagious and helped to make the capstone event in our evening dinner out delightful.
There is no denying the draw of this area of the Finger Lakes, which we are just beginning to explore. That Esperanza mansion, such a significant piece of Keuka Lake’s historic past, is again open for others to enjoy offers just **one more reason, among many, to visit Keuka Lake.
*We have checked out Abandon Brewing Company and Steuben Brewing; we are still looking forward to a visit to the Brewery of Broken Dreams.
** There is also an extensive Keuka wine trail and a host of other area restaurants, deserving of mention in future installments of Owl Light Outings. While in the area having dinner, shopping, taking in the surrounding beauty, be sure and stop in at some of the area museums. Two that we have spent some time at are the Finger Lakes Boating Museum in Hammondsport – see https://www.owllightnews.com/outings-fl-boating-museum/and the Finger Lakes Museum in Branchport, https://www.fingerlakesmuseum.org/. We have not been to the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum (www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org), but plan to, perhaps while trying a tasting at the Brewery of Broken Dreams.
Esperanza Mansion, 3456 State Route 54A, Keuka Park, NY 14478
(315) 694-9017, esperanzafingerlakes@gmail.com
The inn offers diners options Wednesday-Saturday: Rose Café (8am-12pm) offers breakfast, coffee drinks and pastries; and Rose Restaurant serves lunch (11am-3pm) and dinner (5pm-9pm). https://www.esperanza-mansion.com
Keuka Brewing Company, 8572 Briglin Rd, Hammondsport, NY, 14840
-(607) 868-4648, rich@keukabrewingcompany.com, www.keukabrewingcompany.com
Krooked Tusker Distillery, 10303 Co. Route 76, , Hammondsport, NY 14840, (607)868-3006 info@krookedtusker.com, www.krookedtusker.com
Antler Run Distilling 3133 Antler Run Rd., , Keuka Park, NY 14478 Phone: (315) 279-4716 https://www.antlerrundistilling.com/