Catoctin Creek was featured in a nice little article in Northern Virginia Magazine.  Click image below to enlarge.

March came in like a lion, and went out like a... well, not like a lamb! At least, not for us.

In early March, we received our first order for Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye. Virginia ABC ordered over one hundred cases of our rye whisky. Look for it in stores starting May 1. You can find a list of stores carrying our rye whisky here.

Watershed Gin and Mosby's Spirit, along with the Roundstone Rye, will be available in Maryland and DC sometime soon--we'll keep you posted on the web site.

In March, we started making our Watershed Gin. The process is simple: We start with twice distilled rye spirits as a base, and then we macerate a pillow-case sized bag of juniper and other herbs and spices, letting it steep in the spirit for 24 hours or more. Then, the gin is run back through the still one more time, to become a very smooth and totally delicious thrice-distilled Watershed Gin.

Becky and I enjoyed hosting our first Artisan Distilling Workshop. We had about twenty folks show up and spend their Saturday with us, learning about mashing, fermentation, distilling, and bottling. We ran a batch of rye whisky through the still, and even got to check out the pear wine and gin base in their pre-distilled forms. Becky and I had a lot of fun, and hope that everybody enjoyed the seminar as much as we enjoyed hosting it. For those of you interested, you can check out our summer workshop on July 24--you can sign up for it online.

Looking forward to April, we're proud to sponsor the Green Music Stage at the Valley Earthfest! This is a cool event "getting back to basics" and celebrating local and sustainable culture. If you are free on April 18th, you should come out and see us and say "Hi". We'll have a tent set up at the festival.

As always, there is lots of fun and information on our Facebook and Twitter pages, where you can stay up to date with the daily activities at the distillery.

Remember, "Think Global, Drink LOCAL!"^SM

Cheers!

Scott & Becky

Washington, DC – The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) has appointed two Virginia distillers to its Craft Distillers Advisory Council.  The two are Scott Harris of Catoctin Creek Distilling Company in [Loudoun] County and Richard Wasmund of Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville.

The 13 member Advisory Council of small distillers is part of the Distilled Spirits Council’s (DISCUS) new Craft Distiller Affiliate Membership program for distillers producing under 40,000 nine-liter cases annually.

“It’s crucial that distillers of all sizes work together to highlight the important and positive role we play in our communities,” said Wasmund.  “Small distillers are excited to help ensure fair treatment of our products at all levels of government.”

Harris added: “The Craft Distiller Membership program provides a terrific voice for small distillers to engage in public policy discussions with legislators.  We're proud to be a part of the Advisory Council and excited to help foster this craft distilling movement on a national level.”

As a leadership body, the Advisory Council’s role will be to coordinate communications with the Washington, D.C.-based DISCUS policy teams, and engage and activate small distillers in their respective regions.  The Craft Distiller Affiliate Membership was created to organize the growing number of small distilled spirits producers across the nation and alert them to public policy issues affecting the industry at every level of government.

In the last decade, the number of small distillers in the U.S. grew from a few dozen to more than two hundred today, now making an array of products from white spirits such as vodka and gin to wide varieties of liqueurs, aged whiskeys and brandies.

“The rapidly growing number of craft distillers in states across the nation represents an important grassroots base for communicating substantive messages about industry modernization, our strong marketing code and the important role distillers play in the hospitality industry,” said DISCUS President Peter Cressy. “Together, we can educate public officials and pursue positive public policies that advance the interests of the hospitality industry and the jobs we create.”

In addition to the two Virginia distillers, other members of the Advisory Council include: Scott Bush, Templeton Rye (IA); Robert Cassell, Philadelphia Distilling, (PA); Jess Graber, Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey (CO); Ted Huber, Huber Starlight Distillery, (IN); Brett Joyce, Rogue Spirits, (OR); Marko Karakasevic, Charbay Distillery (CA); Brian McKenzie, Finger Lakes Distilling (NY); Phil Prichard, Prichards’ Distillery (TN); Guy Rehorst, Great Lakes Distillery (WI); Jorg Rupf, St. George Spirits (CA); and the group is chaired by Fritz Maytag of San Francisco’s Anchor Distilling.  Other craft distiller affiliate members include: Lindsey Cotton, Thirteenth Colony Distilleries (GA); and, Bill Smith, Treasure Island Distillery.

Craft distiller members will also participate in an annual Public Affairs Conference on Capitol Hill in Washington including briefings, Congressional visits and a reception featuring their products.

DISCUS is the trade association representing producers and

marketers of distilled spirits sold in the United States.

Website: http://www.distilledspirits.org

Purcellville, Va., March 15, 2010 — Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, LLC has received its first order for Roundstone Rye whisky from the Virginia ABC.  The first product will appear on May 1, 2010 in eighty stores in the northern Virginia suburbs around Washington DC.

Stay tuned for specific store listings, which we will be posted on the company website in the "Where To Buy" section.