Blue Oyster Cultivation branches out with distillery

The Cayuga Lake wine trail extends north of Ithaca along the west and east sides of the lake. The route is dotted with wineries, cideries and breweries all vying for attention, yet one relatively humble sign recently caught my eye. 

“Mushroom Spirits Distillery,” it read. “Tasting room now open.”

Even before entering the fungus-themed tasting room in Seneca Falls, my partner and I were surrounded by mushrooms — growing on logs clumped around the base of a nearby tree, displayed on the walls and tables outside the door. Upon entering the tastefully decorated bar area, we were greeted by tasting room associate Julian Milillo (and ignored by distillery cat Juniper).

We took a seat at the bar and considered the choices available for tasting. The $4 fee allowed us to sample any three mushroom-infused vodkas, ranging from Pleurotus — described as “light and airy,” best for those who want to “dip their toe into the world of mushroom spirits” — to the most intense, Shiitake — “you will taste the mushroom.”

With some expert guidance from Milillo, we made our selections and took a curious and cautious first sip. We were not disappointed. My favorite was Donko, while my partner preferred the chartreuse-colored Hen of the Woods. The flavors ranged from subtle to rich and smoky.

Milillo, with a degree in biology and a state certification in wild mushroom identification, was a wealth of information. He also turned out to be very personable (you might say he was a real “fun guy”) and knew his cocktails as well as his mushrooms.

“The Donko vodka is made with shiitake mushrooms grown outdoors,” Milillo said. “Its lighter flavor would be delicious paired with ginger beer in a Moscow Mule, while the earthier Hen of the Woods would be good in a Bloody Mary.” 

Both were great suggestions, and I was glad to hear that plans are in the works to offer those and other mushroom-tinted cocktails at the tasting room in the near future. 

In talking with Milillo, we learned that Mushroom Spirits Distillery is owned and operated by Joe and Wendy Rizzo of Blue Oyster Cultivation in Ithaca. Their gourmet mushrooms, grown at their farm on Slaterville Road in Ithaca, have been sold at the Ithaca Farmers Market for years. The distillery is Joe’s brainchild and latest passion.

“There are only a few places in the country experimenting with mushroom-infused spirits, and no one is doing it to the extent that we are,” Joe said. “We’re the mushroom people, so it should be us.”

For now, the product line is limited to vodkas produced from a base spirit with flavor added using a liquid-infusion method. 

“We partnered with a local distillery east of here to get a neutral, clean base spirit to start with,” Joe said. “Then, we filter it several times to get it almost tasteless. The color and taste in the end product can be attributed solely to the mushrooms.”

The Rizzos plan to expand their offerings in the future to include gin and absinthe, which will be distilled on site. 

Wendy, who runs the Farmer’s Market booth in Ithaca, said that her regular customers are open to the new product line. With tastings not currently allowed in the pavilion due to COVID-19 restrictions, others are a little more hesitant.

“We offer the spirits for sale [at the Market], and people who are into mushrooms to begin with are game to try them,” Wendy said. “Once we can offer tastings there, we expect sales to perk up.”

Joe is having a similar experience at the Union Square Market in New York City, where he travels on Saturdays to sell Blue Oyster Cultivation’s mushrooms and the new spirits.

“We worked on this project for a while, hoping that the spirits we produced would taste good. Luckily for us, they turned out well, and the flavors are interesting,” Joe said. “Being able to offer tastings is important for this product specifically because it is so unusual. People don’t want to buy something until they know what it tastes like.”

For now, the only place to try these unique spirits is at the tasting room, located at 4055 Route 89 in Seneca Falls. If you are a mushroom aficionado, Mushroom Spirits Distillery is a must on your summer itinerary. If not, don’t worry. A few nonfungus flavors will be added to the menu for your sipping pleasure on the soon-to-be-opened patio.

“The site used to be a mini-golf course, but it has been abandoned for almost 10 years,” Joe said. “We’re in the process of reclaiming the mature landscaping and creating an outdoor seating area, complete with a garden pond.”

Looking forward to their first complete season on the wine trail, the Rizzos are optimistic about business over the summer.

“The wineries are great and they’re not going anywhere, but a lot of people on the trail these days are sticking with just cideries or just distilleries,” Wendy said. “They want to try something new.”

If you are looking for something new and different, Mushroom Spirits Distillery is the cat’s meow.