Silver Fox Steakhouse Hosts Moonshine Tasting Dinner in Ellicottville
Silver Fox Steakhouse Hosts Moonshine Tasting Dinner in Ellicottville
A four-course dinner paired with six Smokin Tails moonshines brings award-winning distiller Peter Cheney to Ellicottville for a one-of-a-kind tasting event.
It’s a drink that represents resourcefulness, early American grit, and even protest. At times hidden and other times celebrated, moonshine whiskey has been made for hundreds of years, and as America celebrates its 250th birthday in 2026, the Silver Fox Steakhouse in Ellicottville is also celebrating 250 years of American tradition with a Moonshine Tasting. On Friday, September 18 at 6:00pm, the Silver Fox is partnering with Smokin Tails Distillery’s head distiller, Peter Cheney, for a special dinner event that features six different Smokin Tails moonshines. This one-of-a-kind event is not to be missed!
Also known as “The Undertaker,” Cheney, who was born and raised in the Finger Lakes region, purchased a funeral home when he was only twenty-five years old. He started making wine and moonshine when business was slow. He honed his craft for over 20 years and earned national recognition in 2020, when he won the Discovery Channel’s first season of Moonshiners: Master Distillers. Since then, his Phelps, New York small batch micro-distillery has developed a reputation for excellence, and Silver Fox owner Michael Nickolson is looking forward to Cheney sharing his knowledge and products right in Ellicottville.
When Nickolson reached out to Cheney about the possibility of a dinner and tasting, the Master Distiller was all for the idea. “It’s a four-course meal with dessert,” Nickolson explained. “Each course is paired with one of the moonshines, and then we will also be using some of the moonshine in each one of the preparations.”
The first course features 4 Grain, Cheney’s signature, award-winning clear spirit, which is paired with a pork osso bucco in a figged brown sauce. The second course features Bootlegged Red, a malted red cover 114 proof, paired with Pappardelle Alla Bolognese: veal, pork, beef, plum tomatoes, and basil topped with grilled chicken. Course three features Honey Wheat bourbon (honey flavor without the sweetness), paired with Szechuan Chile Butter Shrimp. The fourth course features Cheney’s Pre-Prohibition Bourbon paired with Steak au Poivre in a bourbon cream sauce. Courses include smaller portions, ensuring guests have room for dessert, which is a must: Apple Pie Moonshine, served with Ellicottville’s finest apple pie with apple pie shine glaze, plus Butter Pecan Sipping Cream, which stands on its own sweet merit.
Education is an important component of the event, Nickolson emphasized, and Cheney will be talking about the unique process of making moonshine and how that impacts proof and flavor. “You can’t compare moonshine to whiskey or to bourbon,” noted. “Even though there are whiskeys and bourbons, as far as the naming of them, it is moonshine. It’s also called quick bourbons and quick whiskies.”
Unlike bourbons, moonshine is aged in stainless steel or copper typically for two years or less. Smokin Tails uses all local New York state grains and takes pride in making moonshine the old-fashioned way - just as people did generations ago during the Prohibition Era - with a Hillbilly Copper, 110-gallon all-copper pot still. One thing Nickolson impresses upon everyone at the Silver Fox who samples moonshine is that one must taste it for what it is. “Most people think of moonshine as something like Everclear - that it’s offensive until you’re drunk. But these Smokin Tails moonshines are pleasurable, and most every person who’s tasted it with that concept in mind, as I presented it to them, find a flavor they find interesting.”
Indeed, there is much to appreciate and certainly plenty to learn for those who take part in the tasting event. In addition to sharing his knowledge and process, Cheney will also have the featured moonshines available for sale, along with information about the other spirits that Smokin Tails makes, including summer flavors like Tea & Lemonade, Undertaker’s limited, like Heirloom Rye, and other sweet sipping flavors including chocolate and orange creamsicle. Importantly, reservations are required and attendance is limited. Call the Silver Fox at 716-699-4672 to secure your spot. To learn more about Smokin Tails, visit www.smokintails.com and follow them on social media.