Keeping blackcurrant
CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine
RACHEL PETACH • founder • C. Cassis
Neighborhoods where you live: Germantown, NY / Greenpoint, Brooklyn
It’s Friday afternoon, how are you rolling into the weekend?
I run the botanical blackcurrant aperitif brand and distillery/winery, C. Cassis in Rhinebeck, — where we opened a weekend tasting room (CCTR) last fall — so Fridays are typically about finalizing the weekend menu with our chef, making sure any programming or pop-ups have what they need, and wrapping up any production from the week. Also, I love to check in on what my friends are up to at their places nearby: Rose Hill, Left Bank, Suarez, Big Towel, Quinnie's, Slow Fox, Tivoli General, Shaina Mote, and Mary MacGill.
Where are you drinking or dining this weekend?
The tricky part about having a young hospitality business and a young kid is that I'm often drinking and eating at CCTR or at home. But when I get to venture out, there are lots of places I'm always happy to find myself at. Mirador in Kingston is a newer Spanish bar with an epic sherry list and snacks, Eliza right down the road is the beautiful bistro from the Ollie's team, Gaskins is walking distance from our house (so it gets a lot of love), Calcutta Kitchens for chai and samosas, Lil Deb's is always a true pleasure, and Cafe Mutton in Hudson forever.
How about a little leisure or culture?
There is an absolute embarrassment of natural beauty in the Hudson Valley, so taking a walk in one of the preserves, hikes, or the estates (Clermont, Montgomery) along the river is actually one of my favorite ways to spend free time. Kaatsbaan in Tivoli has exceptional performance and dance programming, Chaseholm Dairy for the best cheese and also epic shows, Dutchess Botanical Gardens for plant inspiration, Arrowood Farms for great beer/spirits and concerts, the county fairs for local ag and entertainment, and (this one's super niche, I know, but) I'm a longtime horse girl, so HITS in Saugerties is amazing to go see really talented riders do their thing.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
Oh my god, this is going to be so telling, but the last two big-ticket purchases that I'm obsessed with are lumber for a new fence and a walkie stacker (like the cross between a forklift and a pallet jack). Utilitarian lifestyle. Ask me about my power tools!
What store or service do you always recommend?
Hearty Roots Community Farm for its excellent CSA, produce/provisions market, sheep wool, and local ceramics! Also The O Zone sustainability center with composting, bulk, refill, and waste reduction options, plus a little hidden book space, Loam Library, which focuses on environmental justice and community publishing.
Any weekend getaways?
Finally went out to Western Mass for the first time earlier this year and really loved visiting Mass MOCA, The Country Store at Jiminy Peak, Cricket Creek, Furnace, and staying at Tourists.
What was your last great vacation?
I've been traveling a lot for C. Cassis which can be fun, but not exactly a vacation. So I’m excited to head back to Menorca later this summer. I lived in Spain for a few years but haven't been back in almost five, and really can't wait. That island is such a sublime blend of beach and farmland, with very dialed-in art, literature, and design out of Mahon. I'd live there in a second.