Catoctin Creek - a Solid, Shining Star

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a Bottling Day event at Catoctin Creek Distillery. I was curious about the bottling experience and looked forward to working the magic "whisky cow", trying the fussy French labeling machine, "Ninette"; and listening to Catoctin Creek's owners, Becky and Scott Harris, explain how they make their hand crafted spirits.

On the day of the event the dining gods intervened. After listening to an explanation of the distilling  process and observing Scott demonstrate  how to operate the whisky cow and labeling machine I elected to package the bottles of Roundstone Rye whiskey. I sat alongside Becky Harris and assisted with the packaging initially.


For a brief period I tried my hand the magic whisky cow and sealing the bottles of whiskey before returning to package the bottles for shipping. 

I mentioned to Becky that I was impressed to discover that she was Catoctin Creek's distiller and happy to see the growing number of women distillers (more on that in an upcoming blog post). When I asked the Becky and Scott  if they would grant me an interview they immediately and enthusiastically said yes. Below is their story.

photo by Mark Rhodes

Q1:  Tell me a little about yourself. How did you get started?

A1:  Becky and Scott started the distillery in 2009 after Scott decided that he could no longer work in a corporate job.  Scott had spent 20 years as a government contractor, and Becky was a chemical engineer, so together they brought their talents, and their entire life savings, and started the distillery in February 2009.

Q2: Who or what has been the greatest influence on your business?

photo by Catoctin Creek Distillery

A2:  Our distilling business is informed by the past.  We researched old 1800's era recipes in an effort to recreate a whiskey that would have been enjoyed back in the late 1800's, early 1900's, before prohibition.   There are lots of great whiskeys that have been lost to history because of the ill effects of prohibition.  It is our goal to bring back some of that knowledge.

Q3: What do you think can be done to increase the number of women and minorities in your industry?

A3:  We are a proud supporter of ethnic and gender diversity in whiskey.  Having a female chief distiller sets the tone:  We can therefore lead by example.  Many of our staff are women (the ladies outnumber the men at Catoctin Creek), and we have many people of color working for us.  I feel that by setting the example, showing our diversity, we make a comfortable place for people to experience our whiskey who are not traditionally whiskey drinkers (i.e. African Americans and women, both).

Q4: What advice do you have for someone who wants to go into the business?

A4:   Do your homework!  It is easy to fall in love with the romance of the business, but in reality, it is a very hard-working blue collar job, with lots of regulation and taxes.  The margins are pretty thin.  You have to run a tight ship to stay afloat in an industry that is seeing massive amounts of new competition.  A solid business plan is a must!!

Q5: What would you like the public to know about your business?

A5:  We are very environmentally friendly.  The production process is zero-waste, with all of our byproducts being used for some purpose.  Excess alcohol is used for cleaning the distillery.  Excess mash is given to farmers as a nutrient rich cattle feed.  And our operation is 80% powered by solar cells on our roof.  We try to have as little impact as we can while making outstanding local spirits.

Q6: Where do you see yourself five (5) years from now?

A6:  I'd like to see us as a prominent world-wide craft brand representing Virginia.  We are already shipping to 13 states in the USA, and Singapore and Europe.  We will work hard to increase that production and hope to continue to good trend started thus far.
 

Thank you Becky and Scott for the interview. I wish you success in your endeavors!

Would you like to know more about Catoctin Creek?
National Public Radio (NPR)'s' Morning Edition recently featured Becky Harris in a story about women and whiskey. Read  and hear the the story here,
Like Catoctin Creek  on Facebook
Follow Catoctin Creek on Twitter, @catoctincreek

Visit Catoctin Creek:
120 W Main Street
Purcellville, VA 20132

Be well,
Technicolor girl

image created by Ink+ LLC