Relationships are important in the restaurant industry. Quality restaurant owners and staff care about their relationships with all of their customers and they care about the relationships with all of their vendors. This is one of the reasons why it was such a pleasure getting to know Todd Hardie, one of the owners of Caledonia Spirits and Winery in Hardwick, Vermont. This relationship is particularly special because of how it formed. A very dear friend of mine, and a favorite customer of the entire M&D staff, Maria Reade, introduced my father to the winery’s name.

It is because of this introduction that a fantastic and unique hand crafted gin was added to M&D’s bar lineup some time ago. It has since gained a ton of popularity all over the east coast. The next time you are out, look for the bottles that are labeled by hand, it will be Barr Hill Gin, from Todd’s distillary and winery up in Vermont. What makes them so buzz worthy? The question holds a hint …

 
Todd has 47 years as a beekeeper under his belt. At one point in his career as a NYS commercial beekeeper he was working with 1,900 hives! His winery in Vermont now has several hives of its own but he can still rely on his 30+ year relationship with the NYS farmers for the honey he needs for his unique spirits.

 
That’s right. Todd sells both gin and vodka that have been graced with raw, never heated, honey. The vodka is made from honey wine and has a much softer taste and feel than what you may be used to. The gin is made from corn and finished with 5 percent honey and juniper berries. It is softer than your average gin but the honey and flower flavor are definitely present without being sweet. It even appeals to the non-gin drinker.

 
When I asked Todd how many restaurants he sells to, his answer was simple. He didn’t know.

“That doesn’t really matter to us. We like getting to know people and building relationships and then sharing our work with our new friends.” I like that. That numbers don’t matter, the people do.

 
It’s clear that relationships are important to Todd. At the time of our initial conversation, he was driving from the distillery/winery in Vermont all the way to Brooklyn at least three times a month to make deliveries. He loves the Hudson Valley area and says “bees have no boundaries.” So why should his delicious spirits?

 
There is so much more to learn about Todd, his family, and their business. Visit www.caledoniaspirits.com for more history and details. You’ll love what you see.