THE farm
We wanted to create an outpost of responsible land stewardship rooted in respect for tradition, quality, and craft.
When we first laid eyes on this farm in 2013, we knew how lucky we were to have found it. Kevin fell in love with its untouched nature and clear readiness for the right attention. Robin saw the beauty in having a big slice of earth to care for. She felt an immediate connection, a nurturing sense returned by the cradling valley itself. Its cedar forests, winding creek, and stony slopes reminded her of other spots she had known and loved. Both of us were drawn to the tenderness of the farmhouse and the potential of the old dairy barn. It’s now the place we and our children call home.
We wanted to honor this farm by bringing to it an uncommon vision: To create an outpost of responsible land stewardship rooted in respect for tradition, quality, and craft. To transform this abandoned mixed farm through integrated, organic — and regenerative — practices. To pioneer this way of cultivating heritage grains as part of a reciprocal relationship with the land. And to craft spirits as the purest, most complex liquid expressions of place, using custom-designed and -built tools and unrivaled knowhow. Our hope is that by making the most expressive, terroir-driven spirits possible, we will draw you, too, closer to the land and a way of farming that has the power to change the world.
What’s in a name?
“Branch water” has multiple meanings
— It’s a term for water from a creek, like the Wappinger that flows through our lands, and gives life to the flora and fauna that thrive here.
— It’s an old way of ordering a bourbon in Kentucky, “a bourbon and branch.” And names like Branchwater Bourbon have a sing-song sonority we just liked.
We’re often asked why Branchwater Farms is plural. The answer is integral to who we are and what we aim to do. This was never going to be just a distillery, but an integrated group of micro-farms all cultivated in accordance with organic and regenerative farming principles. Even in the years since we purchased the farm, it has become so much more. Our ecosystem now extends to friends and mentors near and far. They give us the encouragement and inspiration to farm as we do. In the process, we’re building bonds we hope will become exponential as more people learn about this work and the promise it offers for our planet’s future.
Tree of life
To symbolize all of this, we knew our logo would come from a tree of life trivet Kevin had inherited from his grandmother. It’s stylized enough to suggest a head of wheat or a spreading apple tree. It represents the growth and renewal we are cultivating day by day here in the heart of the Hudson Valley.
The LAND
Then…
Although we cannot say with certainty how this parcel of land was managed before European colonists arrived, it was most likely populated by native Mohican (or Mahican) people. Their lives were rooted in the woodlands and deeply connected to the surrounding water systems. Some geographical landmarks - like the Little Wappinger Creek that runs through our farm today – carry the names of native forebearers. But our biggest questions remain unanswered. We wonder what the land here was like before European settlement. How was it used? What significance did it hold? This is all part of our ongoing investigation into the past of this place. We hope to honor and respect this land by preserving and caring for it today and ensuring its legacy into tomorrow.
Historical records show that our farm was established in the late 1700s. The first mayor of our village lived here on the farm. A century ago, a nearby post office, general store, gristmill, and one-room doctor’s office formed the village’s heart. We’re fascinated by what still stands and what has been lost to time on the farm and around us.
Much of this land was deforested in the 1800s. But by the 1930s, photographs show small stands of fruit trees had emerged. A picture of the farm from a decade later shows that a form of a polyculture was in vibrant practice: an integrated, diverse system of small, dedicated parcels, separated by tree lines, waterways, and stone walls, supporting a mix of crops and animals. We consider that period to be a golden era of this land, one we aim to recreate in accord with its natural inclinations.
Inevitably, the 20th century caught up with the farm. Photos from the 1970s show a complete change. Our “Big Field” is no longer divided into smaller parcels. The cows are gone. The fields grow only hay. A swamp encroaches from the south and the woods have begun their march on clearings.
…and NOW
Today our 100-acre farm is again a precious mix of water, forest, and field. The ratios are a little unusual though: only 30 acres are field. We’ve divided them into four distinct areas. Our Big Field and Little Field are planted to small grains and cover crops on a rotational basis. The back field, which we call our Secret Field, is planted only to cover crops and this is where we plan to add animals to a grazing rotation system in the years ahead. Our Lower Field is home to a flock of free-range ducks and chickens.
The farm also encompasses an 18-acre parcel on pure shale that we call the Steep Slope. It is an unused sugarbush that we hope to utilize for maple syrup production one day. Its rocky outcroppings would make it the perfect home for goats too!
In 2020, we were able to add another parcel of land that extends our eastern border with 20 acres of deciduous old growth forest. We’re committed to preserving the wildlife our wetlands sustain. But it’s also nice to have dry land for other purposes, especially animals, and this expansion gets us a step closer to making that a reality.
The terroir of our farm includes the structure of our soils. Their character was shaped by the retreat of a colossal ice sheet at the end of the last Ice Age. The soil composition is mostly sand mixed with glacial deposit, including smoothed pebbles and large chunks of shale, sandstone, and quartzite. Geologists call this Wappinger Group. We call it good drainage for our crops! It’s especially ideal for small grains and orchards, none of which like “wet feet.”
The BARN
envision
At Branchwater’s heart is an old post-and-beam cow barn, built in the mid-1800s when this was a dairy farm. We worked with an extraordinary local craftsman named Frank Winters to renovate it from the ground up. With his help, we were able to preserve historical detail while embracing function and sustainability.
build
We used repurposed and locally sourced lumber for critical parts of the construction. We added skylights and windows to increase natural lighting. And we ourselves painted every board, front and back — twice — energized by many hours of sunshine and Spotify playlists.
grow
Piece by piece, we filled the barn with shiny copper pot stills, fermentation tanks, mash tuns, spirit tanks, pumps, motors, steam generators and condensers designed and built for us in Germany and Austria. There were countless challenges to getting everything in place. But the barn now hums with the excitement of making a dream come to life.
the people
Nature determines most of the parameters of a farm. But its organizing principle comes from human beings: our traditions and intentions, gifts and constraints. We humbly acknowledge our role as the animating force that brought Branchwater Farms to new life. But little of it would have been possible without our cherished extended family of friends, neighbors, colleagues, and mentors. You’ll find their names sprinkled throughout our story. We like to think their spirits are distilled into ours.
Robin touchet
Robin Touchet grew up in Northern Virginia, but her fondest childhood memories are of exploring her father’s family farm in Louisiana. She loved spending time with her grandfather on the tractor, chasing farm animals, and making art out of cow patties with feathers and pebbles. Robin always loved the wild and was a little wild herself. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a major in art history, her restless soul led her to Oregon and then Italy before setting her sights on the bright lights of New York City. There, Robin put her art history degree to good use at a wine import company, where she became friends with her future husband, Kevin. Her career in wine pulled together so many of her interests: people, culture, travel, and agriculture, and it truly opened her eyes to the risks people take to farm as a way of life. When she and Kevin first laid eyes on what would become Branchwater Farms in the fall of 2013, Robin knew she had finally found her home. Now, she can usually be found running around the farm with its colorful cast of livestock characters, manning the farm store, or canning the season’s abundance from the family garden.
Kevin pike
Kevin Pike grew up in Columbus, Ohio, but as a kid was happiest exploring his mother’s family farm in Iowa. It was here that he fell in love with sweeping landscapes, learned to drive his grandfather’s truck – a cherry red 1955 International that now resides at Branchwater – and fix a motor. After graduating from Swarthmore College with a degree in English literature and dreams of writing the great American novel, Kevin returned to Columbus and landed a part-time job at a wine shop to support his ambitions. Eventually, Kevin moved to New York to oversee national sales and marketing for a large wine importer. After 13 years, Kevin left that position to start Schatzi Wines, importing the wines of small, family-run wineries in Europe along with a winery in the Finger Lakes and a Hudson Valley cidery. But Kevin was eager to grow and make something himself. The Hudson Valley has a deep tradition of producing cider and spirits and the climate to support the cultivation of quality grains, apples, and pears. When he found Branchwater Farms, a long-held vision began to come more clearly into focus.
endless gratitude
HANS REISETBAUER
Hans Reisetbauer has been a good friend of Kevin’s for more than 20 years. His distillery, in the Austrian countryside just west of Linz, is steeped in the tradition of orchardry. Hans himself is obsessed with rendering the fruits of the surrounding landscape as the highest quality spirits. He started designing stills in 1994. Although he studied mechanical engineering, he has no specific training in this area and is entirely self taught. His uncompromising standards and willingness to try everything in pursuit of perfection have earned him respect around the world. In his quest, he has famously distilled asparagus, tomatoes, and carrots, as well as perfected eau de vie from more traditional plums, pears, berries, and grains. Hans has invested decades in refining the calculations of time and temperature for each ingredient and vintage condition, every stage of fermentation and distillation. (His notes on these things run to 5,000 pages.) When Kevin told Hans he wanted to try the same thing here, Hans not only gave his full support but also had the extraordinary patience to wait for seven years to get it all going. We are the only spirits producer in the U.S. he has chosen to work with. His faith in us is a huge honor.
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