News and Press Releases - 2026

The Drinks Times did a neat profile on Catoctin Creek and the history of rye whisky in Virginia:

Rye whisky has deep roots in Virginia, where it was produced and consumed long before Kentucky became a state. For nearly two hundred years, rye production was closely linked to tobacco farming. Rye served as a cover crop that helped restore nitrogen to soil depleted by tobacco cultivation, and many tobacco plantations also distilled rye whisky. By 1790, Virginia reportedly had more than 3,000 such operations. 

Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, founded in 2009 in Purcellville, Loudoun County, works within that history. The distillery produces 100 percent rye whisky from organic grain, with Roundstone Rye as its core range. Scott Harris, the company’s founder and general manager, puts the connection plainly: “Rye is the history of Virginia.”

You can see the full review, here.

WUSA9 and Great Day Washington invited us down to the studios to promote Virginia Spirits Month and talk about the 20% off sale happening all month, as well as fun events throughout the state to commemorate the Virginia 250 anniversary, including the commemorative Virginia Spirits pack, containing a special release of whiskey, gin and rum from nine participating distilleries.  

You can see the full video, here.  For more information about Virginia Spirits, visit www.virginiaspirits.org.

Hot Diggity Dog!  Southern Living did a great story on the emergence, once again, of Virginia as a whiskey destination!  Lovely little profile on Catoctin Creek here:

Rye was the most highly prized variety of whiskey in 19th-century Virginia, and the folks at Catoctin Creek Distilling Company are busy doing their part to help bring back that tradition. This is happening in a classic setting: a refurbished Main Street building in downtown Purcellville with an arched brick front and wide plate glass windows. It was built in 1921 to house the J. Lodge Motor Company, one of the state’s first Buick dealerships. These days, instead of shiny new automobiles, two gleaming copper and stainless steel stills occupy the long room located to the left of the entrance.

You can see the full article, including the other three Virginia distilleries profiled, here.

The German style magazine, Eckel Inspired wrote a beautiful in-depth piece on the intersection of a craft Virginia brand (Catoctin Creeek) and a small whisky bar in Berlin (Beavis Bar). Lena Rolle writes:

Rye has a long history in Virginia. Early settlers used the grain for whisky production, and later George Washington operated a commercial rye distillery on his Mount Vernon estate. Catoctin Creek draws on this heritage and combines it with a contemporary operation. For Cooper, the significance of the distillery lies on several levels. The whisky tells the story of a historic grain and a landscape; the company, of two engineers who have applied their knowledge to a craft product. This personal connection, in turn, provides direct access to the people behind the bottle.

You can read the full article in both ENGLISH and DEUTSCH (around pages 52-57 or so).