Reviving an old tradition, the recently reopened Castle Hotel & Spa (formerly The Castle on the Hudson) in Tarrytown will hold three poolside get-togethers this summer. Each one will feature specially selected alcohol beverages of the day and appropriately matched food.
Thursday, July 18, 2013. The first event on the summer agenda for the Poolside Grotto features an artisanal vodka distilled from honey vine and a product of StillTheOne Distillery of Port Chester, NY.
The food for this event, being prepared by Castle Chef Marc Lippman, will include Hudson Valley lamb and feta sliders, spicy tuna tartar “pretzel”, and Foie Gras mousse with rhubarb compote. The dishes will be paired with StillTheOne’ spirits to include gin and Byram River Rum as well as vodka.
According to distillery proprietor Ed Tiedge, the vodka “captures the distinctive smoothness of bee’s nectar with none of the sweetness.”
Thursday, July 25, 2013. At the second event in the series, craft beers of the Captain Lawrence Brewery in Elmsford, NY, will be the center of attention. The beers of the Scott Vaccaro brewery will be teamed with Chef Lippman’s cheeseburger sliders, Kobe beef corn dogs and classic crab cakes with Old Bay Aioli.
Thursday, August 15. At the third event, Chizuko Niikawa-Helton (a KikiSake-Shi certified sake sommelier) attired in a traditional summer kimono, will pour sake and create assorted sake cocktails matched to chef Lippman's dishes.
The beverages include Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo, a refreshing, unpasteurized sunflower yeast Amabuki, and a Nanbu Bijin plum sake.
The accompanying food: fried oyster’s with Siracha and Oshinko, Peking Duck spring rolls, and soft shell crab “sliders” with ginger Aioli.
Each event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. and costs $68 per person plus tax and tip. A three-event subscription is available at $175 plus tax and tip per person. Reservations are required.
The Castle & Spa is a resort/hotel with overnight accommodations and is the home of the internationally acclaimed restaurant Equus; it is situated on nearly 11 acres in Tarrytown at the highest spot in Westchester County.
The name was changed from The Castle at Tarrytown to The Castle on the Hudson before recently becoming the Castle Hotel & Spa. It is more than 100 years old.
More than 100 artisans and skilled stone cutters labored to construct the original castle. It was built in stages ending in 1905, 1907 and 1910, when the final stone was put in place.
Castle Hotel & Spa, 400 Benedict Avenue, Tarrytown, NY, 914-631-3646.