The History
The story begins in the late 1700s….
The building that is now home to Harry’s Cocktail Lounge was built over two centuries ago, in a completely different location on the other side of town. The building was deconstructed in the 1990s and rebuilt here in Quechee Gorge Village, but we will get to that later.
The ‘plank house’ as it was known prior to becoming Harry’s Cocktail Lounge, was first built on the riverbank where the White River flows into the Connecticut. The building was originally known as the “Lyman Trading Post” and years later was thought to have been used as a toll booth for ferries crossing the White and Connecticut rivers. After years as a trading post, and then a toll booth, the Plank House spent the next years as a private residence in Hartford.
The building was moved to its current location in 1997
Roughly 200 years after its initial construction, the plank house was moved to the Quechee Gorge Village, where it now resides, in 1997. The building was fully deconstructed, then transported piece by piece and finally rebuilt in Quechee.
In 1999, Vermont Spirits was founded but it would be several more decades before the stories of the Plank House and Vermont Spirits would cross paths
Vermont Spirits Distilling Co. opened its doors in 1999, with our original location further north in Barnet, Vermont. We started out making our Vermont Gold Vodka, an American Vodka made from the sap of maple trees, and over the years expanded into the full line of craft spirits that we now offer. In 2011 we relocated our distillery to Quechee, right next to the Plank House, which was at the time in use as an Amish furniture store.
Renovations and the opening of Harry’s Cocktail Lounge
In 2022 our Master Distiller, Harry Gorman, began renovating the Plank House, the first step in Vermont Spirits Distilling Co’s plan to open a cocktail lounge in the building. Harry’s years of experience as a carpenter, before changing careers and becoming a distiller, allowed him to do nearly all of the renovations himself, including building a deck for outdoor seating, building and installing the bar, building the kitchen and bathrooms, installing drywall, and painting.
We opened Harry’s Cocktail Lounge officially in 2024, with cocktails featuring our craft spirits, a curated selection of local wine and beer, and live music! Be a part of our story: Visit Harry’s Cocktail Lounge for a drink!