shady knoll orchards & distillery

What shady knoll orchards & distillery does

Shady Knoll Orchards & Distillery is a family-owned farm distillery based in Millbrook, New York, in the Hudson River Valley. The underlying farm has been in the family since 1980; the apple orchard was planted in 2011 with more than 120 heritage and cider apple varieties across 1,800+ trees, and distillery operations became active in 2016-2017. The company produces a craft spirits portfolio led by a Calvados-style Apple Brandy distilled from the estate orchard, a Pommeau aperitif, and a grain-whiskey line that includes a Rye Whiskey, a Whiskey, a Four Grain Whiskey incorporating wheat, and a Single Barrel Cask Strength Rye Whiskey.

Production is anchored by an 850-liter French alembic Charentais pot still, double distillation on grain mashes, and natural wild yeast fermentation for the fruit program, with approximately 3 tons of rye harvested annually. Operations are led by Farm Manager and Head Distiller Andrew Richards, who holds an MS in Sustainable Design, and the facility operates under federal TTB and New York State distillery licenses and is "New York Grown & Certified." The portfolio has accumulated multiple industry awards, including ADI 2024 Best American Rye Whiskey, San Francisco World Spirits, and Fifty Best honors.

The business sells through three channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce, an on-site tasting room, and third-party distributors serving New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The company is a privately held LLC with no external funding and a small core team supplemented by seasonal labor, implying tight capital constraints and modest production scale relative to mid-sized craft peers.

Name

shady knoll orchards & distillery

Legal name

Shady Knoll Orchards & Distillery LLC

Website

https://shadyknolldistillery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Family-owned farm distillery in Millbrook, NY producing craft Apple Brandy, Pommeau, and rye whiskey on a French alembic Charentais pot still. Serves craft spirits consumers via DTC e-commerce, on-site tasting room, and regional distributors across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Apple Orchards (111331), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532), Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Cider & Perry Producers & Brands (CRADAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cider & Orchard Fruit Production (Apples/pears for cider & processing) (AFAGACAJ)

Keywords

• Craft distilled spirits
• Apple brandy
• Farm-to-bottle distillery
• Rye whiskey
• Estate-grown apples

Headquarters

HQ city

Millbrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Spirit Product Sales: Direct sales of craft distilled spirits including Apple Brandy, Pommeau (Apple Brandy/Cider Blend), Rye Whiskey, Whiskey, Four Grain Whiskey, and Single Barrel Cask Strength Rye Whiskey. Sold in 375ml and 750ml bottles directly to consumers via e-commerce and through distributors in NY, NJ, and CT.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shady Knoll Orchards & Distillery is a family-owned farm and craft distillery that grows its own apples (120+ varieties across 1,800+ trees) and rye grain, then double-distills and barrel-ages them on-site into apple brandy (French Calvados style), Pommeau, and rye-based whiskeys. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via e-commerce and a tasting room, and wholesale through distributors in NY, NJ, and CT.

Product overview

Shady Knoll Orchards & Distillery is a family-owned craft distillery producing handcrafted spirits from ingredients grown on their farm in the Hudson River Valley. Their product portfolio includes Apple Brandy (French Calvados style) made from over 120 apple varieties, Pommeau (apple brandy/cider blend), and multiple whiskey expressions including Rye Whiskey, Whiskey, Four Grain Whiskey, and Single Barrel Cask Strength Rye Whiskey. All products are double-distilled in a French alembic pot still and aged on-site. The company controls the entire production process from growing ingredients to bottling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shady Knoll Apple Brandy Double-distilled apple brandy in the French Calvados style, made from a blend of over 120 European and American apple varieties grown on the Shady Knoll farm in the Hudson River Valley. It is aged in new American oak barrels and finished in Portuguese Madeira barrels, sold in 375ml bottles at 40% Alc/Vol. Intended for adult consumers seeking a farm-to-bottle, estate-grown craft apple brandy for sipping and craft cocktails.
• Shady Knoll Pommeau (Apple Brandy / Cider Blend)
• Shady Knoll Rye Whiskey Double-distilled rye whiskey made from estate-grown rye and corn with a mash bill of 70% rye, 15% corn, and 15% malted barley. It is aged for at least three years in new American oak barrels and finished in Portuguese Port barrels. Sold in 750ml bottles at 42% Alc/Vol. Intended for adult craft whiskey drinkers and on-premise accounts building differentiated rye programs.
• Shady Knoll Whiskey Double-distilled whiskey with a mash bill of 70% rye, 15% corn, and 15% malted barley, aged at least two and a half years in a succession of used barrels including Port, Apple Brandy, Rye Whiskey, and Wild Turkey barrels. Sold in 750ml bottles. Intended for adult consumers and on-premise accounts seeking a multi-barrel-finished, estate-grain whiskey.
• Shady Knoll Four Grain Whiskey Double-distilled four grain whiskey with a mash bill of 35% rye, 14% corn, 27% malted barley, and 24% wheat. It is aged at least four years in new American oak barrels and finished in Portuguese Port barrels. Sold in 750ml bottles. Targeted at adult whiskey enthusiasts and on-premise accounts seeking a more complex, multi-grain, estate-grown whiskey pour.
• Shady Knoll Single Barrel Cask Strength Rye Whiskey Single barrel cask strength rye whiskey, double-distilled on the grain in the alembic Charentais pot still, aged at least four years in new charred American oak barrels and finished in Portuguese Port barrels. Sold in 750ml bottles at 59% Alc/Vol. Aimed at high-end spirit enthusiasts and collectors seeking a cask-strength, single-barrel estate rye.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won Double Gold Medal at Fifty Best's 2021 Best Apple Brandy Competition
• +4 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hillrock Estate Distillery: Estate distillery in the Hudson Valley producing single-malt whiskey, bourbon, and rye from estate-grown grains. Comparable as a farm-gate distillery in the same region with on-site tasting room, DTC, and wholesale channels.
• Clear Creek Distillery: Oregon craft distillery renowned for pot-still fruit brandies (pear, apple) and whiskey using estate fruit. Comparable as a small-batch pot-still producer specializing in estate-grown fruit brandies in the Calvados tradition.
• Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery: New York farm winery and distillery producing estate whiskies, brandies, and fruit liqueurs with an on-site tasting room. Comparable as a small NY farm-to-bottle producer running a DTC + wholesale model.
• Coppersea Distillery: Hudson Valley craft distillery using a copper pot still and heritage grains to produce whiskeys and apple spirits. Comparable in scale, methodology (pot still), and product overlap (whiskey + apple brandy).
• Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. Louisville-based craft distillery focused on American brandy alongside whiskey and gin. Comparable as a craft brandy specialist with pot-still methodology and award recognition in brandy categories adjacent to Shady Knoll's apple brandy.
• Koval Distillery: Chicago craft distillery producing small-batch whiskeys, brandy, and liqueurs from organic grains and fruit. Comparable as a craft pot-still producer with farm-source positioning and award-winning product line.
• Finger Lakes Distilling: New York craft distillery producing whiskeys, gin, vodka, and fruit brandies from regional ingredients. Comparable as a NY-based craft distillery with overlapping product categories and wholesale distribution model.
• Tuthilltown Spirits (Hudson Whiskey): New York Hudson Valley farm distillery producing craft whiskey and apple-based spirits from estate ingredients. Closest direct comparable: same geography, farm-to-bottle ethos, and craft spirits product mix as Shady Knoll.

Broad incumbents

• Laird & Company: The oldest licensed distillery in the US and the dominant US apple brandy producer (Laird's Applejack). Comparable as a broad incumbent in the apple brandy category, though at vastly larger scale and mass-market positioning.
• St. George Spirits: California craft distillery producing whiskeys, brandy, gin, and liqueurs in small batches. Comparable as a multi-category craft distiller with award-winning brandy/whiskey portfolio and broader distribution than Shady Knoll.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about shady knoll orchards & distillery