Arts
We met up with Zac a local historian & bartender at The North Plank Tavern in Newburgh, NY. We sat down over a couple of classic prohibition-era cocktails (recipes below) and proceeded to learn its rich history dating back to the mid nineteenth century. The original tavern was built as a hotel and became a tavern and boarding house by the turn of the twentieth century. During prohibition the tavern continued to sell alcohol and operated as a speakeasy complete with illegal stills and trap doors to hide production and alcohol. Mitch Nixon, owner at the time of prohibition was reported to make the finest applejack in the Hudson Valley. Similar in flavor to a fine French calvados. Zac's father bought the dilapidated tavern from Mitch in 1980 where he began a rebuild. This is when his father found moonshine stills, trap doors filled with prohibition era bottles (still filled), gambling equipment and guns. This is when the true history of the historic tavern became very apparent. We ended the episode learning about the two ghosts that inhabit North Plank. This includes one ghost that has been described as looking like the "Monopoly man", complete with morning suit, bowtie and top-hat. If you're in the Hudson Valley add North Plank to your list of must try experiences. The North Plank Road Tavern is a fine dining restaurant. They use locally sourced ingredients to produce the finest meals for their clientele. The dining rooms are a mastery of "Trompe l'oeil," a unique rendition of painting plaster walls to resemble other materials such as wood paneling and stone. This favored early art form is highlighted by a circa 1900 impressionist fresco of the scenic Hudson River entitled "Pecheur" by a W. F., in the middle dining room.Between The Sheets cocktailHanky Panky Cocktail