Sam Scarlett bartends at Hugo, the cocktail bar at WK Hearth in Purcellville.  He's a dashing young fellow, and despite his youthful age, he is a genius behind the stick.  We share four of his creations with you here.  

(Sic Semper Secales shown above)

2009, A Rye Odyssey

1½ oz Mosby's Spirit, Milk-washed, turmeric infused
¾ oz lemon juice
White pepper
Egg white
Sugar
Activated charcoal for garnish

Shake the spirit, lemon, pepper, egg white and sugar in a shaker of ice.  Pour into a rocks glass with a couple cubes, and sprinkle the charcoal on the foam for garnish.

A Catoctin Caper

2 oz Watershed Gin
Splash of caper jus
1 oz Dolin dry vermouth
Dash of orange bitters
Fried crispy capers for garnish

Combine vermouth, caper jus, and gin in a shaker of ice. Stir and pour neat into a martini glass. Add a dash of orange bitters. Garnish with two capers.

Sic Semper Secales®

2 oz Roundstone Rye
½ oz black pepper and beet shrub
½ oz gomme syup
½ oz lime juice

Combine in a shaker and strain into a rocks glass with a couple cubes.  Garnish with a skewer of pickled yellow beet.

A Scottish Rabble

2 oz Rabble Rouser Rye Whisky
1 oz rosemary infused Dolin sweet vermouth
Dash of Angostura bitters
Brandied cherry garnish

Combine vermouth, whisky, and bitters in a shaker of ice.  Stir and pour neat into a martini glass with a garnish of cherry.

Recipes courtesy of Sam Scarlett.

This one comes to us from our friends at Element Shrub:

Keep the big bad wolves away with this shrub and bitters twist on a Boulevardier, another one of our cocktail collaborations with @dcembitterment.

1½ oz Roundstone Rye whisky
1 oz Campari
½ oz Blueberry Rosemary Element Shrub
Several dashes of DC Embitterment orange bitters

Add all ingredients of a shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly until chilled. Strain into a coupe glass. Top with bitters.

Recipe and photo courtesy Charlie Berkinshaw of Element Shrub, and used with permission.

In December, we'll be highlighting the featured cocktails from our Guest Bartender Event with Chef Johnny Maher, of The Rogue Gentlemen in Richmond. Johnny rocked the shakers for us and came up with three amazing drinks!

 Careful With The Siphon

Named after a story Greg Moore told our boys at Rogue where he paid dearly for trying to siphon full octane gin once upon a time...​

1½ oz corriander-infused Catoctin Creek Watershed Gin*
¾ oz Catoctin Peach Brandy
½ oz lemon
½ oz black pepper simple**
Muddled Ginger coin​ (one small diced and peeled fresh of ginger)​
Muddled apple coin​ (a pinch of small diced apple pieces, recommend juicy varietals like Honey Crisps)​

​Shaken, double strained into a coupe.

​*Coriander infused Gin: Simply add two tablespoons of dried coriander (crushed to open the seeds) to a 750 mL bottle of Watershed Gin and then ​allow to steep for 24 hours. Finely strain and return to bottle. Will keep well past the season so make as many as you anticipate on using.

​**Black Pepper Simple: 1½ cups water, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns - Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to bring mixture to a simmer; cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain the cooled syrup and refrigerate it in a container with a tightfitting lid.

Weekend at Barney's

​A clever play on words and the movie Weekend At Bernie's as well as a reference to our first still and its infamous purple hew. The drink itself is quite purple!

1½ oz Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye
½ oz maple syrup​ (buy a Grade A from the store for the cocktail and mix 2 parts maple to 1 part boiling water, allow to cool to room temperature, keeps for three months if not more)​
½ oz ​fresh ​lemon​ juice​
barspoon blackberry preserves​

Collins, build and add crushed ice, swizzle.

Loundon Clear

​You get it? Loud AND Clear? LOUDOUN COUNTY? YES!

1¼ oz Catoctin Creek 1757 Virginia Brandy
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz Apple-Rosemary Syrup

Shaken, strained into a flute, topped with bubbly.

* Apple-Rosemary Syrup: ​Bring 1 cup each equal parts of water and sugar together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add ½ an apple sliced up and 3 sprigs of Rosemary and allow to boil for a few minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Strain and keep for up to three weeks, if not more.

Recipes courtesy Johnny Maher, The Rogue Gentlemen, and used with permission.

It's November, and that means one thing: pie season! This month, our 80 proof Roundstone Rye is featured in three delicious pie themed cocktails.

Apple Pie Rye

In a crockpot, combine:

4 cups Apple cider
1 cup honey
2 oranges, studded with cloves
Cinnamon and allspice berries to taste

Cook on low until it begins to simmer, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold - fill mug or glass about ¾ full, add 1½ oz of Roundstone Rye. Garnish with caramel candy.

Pecan Pie Rye

Combine in rocks glass:

1 oz Roundstone Rye
5 oz Pecan syrup*
Pecan, for garnish

*pecan syrup: In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup of brown sugar, ½ cup of water, and ¼ cup of pecans. Stir on low heat for about 10 minutes, making sure the syrup is combined, and there is a fragrance of pecans. Let cool, then pour into a blender or food processor. Blend for about 30 seconds, then strain through a strainer or cheese cloth.

Pumpkin Pie Rye

Combine in shaker:

1½ oz Roundstone Rye
3 oz. spiced syrup*
1 tbs of pumpkin puree
1 tbs of condensed milk

Shake until all ingredients are combined, about 30 seconds. Pour over ice, and top with whipped cream.

*spiced syrup: In a crockpot, combine ½ cup of brown sugar, ½ cup of water, orange peel from 1 orange, 5-6 cloves, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and 1 tsp of nutmeg. Cook on low for 30-45 minutes, ensuring that the syrup is consistent and fragrant.

Recipes courtesy Jon Coate.

As Leanne Wiberg described it "The Drink That Made John Famous." Used as the Catoctin Creek Distillery table's house cocktail for the 2016 Virginia Craft Spirits Showcase held at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia.

1 oz Roundstone Rye Whisky
3 oz Apple Cider (make your own or pick your favorite brand)
½ oz Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
*1 tbsp Cranberry Maple Syrup
2 dashes Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters
2 dashes Fee Brothers Cranberry Bitters
Top With - Ginger Beer of choice (2:1 ratio or two parts cocktail vs 1 part ginger beer)

Glass Type: Short Highball
Garnish: Fresh Apples, Cranberries, Lemons and Ginger Slices
Method: Build all ingredients except ginger beer in a cocktail shaker, shake and strain over ice then top with ginger beer or build all ingredients with larger recipe in a punch bowl or 3-Gallon Drink dispenser and serve with fresh fruits and ginger in punch.

*Cranberry Maple Syrup:

1½ cups frozen or fresh cranberries
1 cup water
¾ cup Grade A Maple Syrup of choice

Place 1½ cups (about 6 ounces) frozen or fresh cranberries, 1 cup water, and ¾ cup Grade A Maple Syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low rolling boil. Watch carefully so the syrup doesn't boil over! Reduce heat to low and simmer until cranberries are falling apart, about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl and let the strainer sit over the bowl until the syrup has cooled to room temperature, about 1 hour. Save and set aside the solids and refrigerate the syrup in a container with a tightfitting lid for up to 2 weeks.

Takes an hour and 20 minutes and makes about 1¼ cup.

To get the most out of your cranberries, pour the left over Cranberry solids in a glass jar, add one cup Maple Syrup or granulated sugar and add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and ¾ cup Red Wine Vinegar, shake up really well until mixed thoroughly and save in jar for a few up to two weeks then fine strain into a glass seal tight container and enjoy a fantastic drinkable Cranberry Maple wine shrub for up to three months! Try over ice with club soda or mix into your favorite cocktail to further stretch your fall/winter drink fix for the rest of the season!

Punch Recipe Proportions

f you prefer, we have a punch-sized recipe:

2 750 ml bottles of Roundstone Whisky
1 gallon Apple Cider
1 liter freshly squeezed lemon juice
*1 quart Cranberry Maple Syrup
1 oz Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters
1 oz Fee Brothers Cranberry Bitters
½ gallon (4-5 12 fl oz cans/bottles) Ginger Beer of Choice
3 Apples Diced
2 Lemons cut into wheels
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup freshly shaved and diced ginger

Recipe courtesy of John Shope.

One of our featured cocktails for September.

1 oz Mosby's Spirit
1 oz orange juice
splash of grenadine
garnish with an orange twist

Recipe courtesy Jon Coate, Addie Rodgers, and Amber Becker.

One of our featured cocktails for September.

1 oz Mosby's Spirit
1 oz white vermouth
½ oz olive brine
garnish with olives

Recipe courtesy Addie Rodgers.

One of our featured cocktails for September.

1 oz Roundstone Rye
1 oz Coffee Concentrate with Nutmeg & Brown Sugar**
garnish with coffee beans

**Coffee concentrate: 1 cup coarsely ground coffee, 8 cups cold water, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup nutmeg. Let steep for 24 hours then strain.

Recipe courtesy Jon Coate.

One of our featured cocktails for September.

1 oz. Watershed Gin
1/2 oz. Rosemany + Clove Simple Syrup
1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
top with seltzer, garnish with lemon

Recipe courtesy Amber Becker.

A great "sophisto' alternative for Bloody Mary fans!

​​6 cherry tomatoes​, sliced​
4 fresh basil leaves​, broken up
​ ​Cracked black pepper​
ICE
¾ oz distilled white vinegar
¼ oz simple syrup
​​2 oz ​Catoctin Creek ​Mosby's Spirit
​​ ​4 drops of Balsamic Vinegar

​Glass Type: Martini Glass
Garnish: Fresh Mozzerella, basil and a tomato slice skewered on a stick
Method: Muddle tomatoes, basil and black pepper in a shaker until fully crushed and infused together, add vinegar, simple syrup and Mosby's then shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled Martini glass, add drops of balsamic vinegar on top, crack pepper on surface of drink, garnish with caprese stick then serve.

Recipe and photo courtesy John Shope, and used with permission.

This cocktail was one of the entries in the Hugo cocktail competition, seeking a place on the summer cocktail menu.

2-3 strawberries
1½ oz Catoctin Creek Peach Brandy (or pear brandy will work nice too)
2 oz pineapple juice
1 oz sour mix
Sparkling moscato

Muddle 2-3 strawberries in a shaker, then add ice. Add the brandy, pineapple juice, sour mix, and shake vigorously. Strain into a hurricane or large wine glass rimmed with sugar, filled with ice. Add 2 oz of sparkling moscato on top, and garnish with a fresh strawberry.

Cocktail courtesy Rachel Hart.

This cocktail was one of the entries in the Hugo cocktail competition, seeking a place on the summer cocktail menu.

2 oz Watershed Gin
½ fresh lime juice
1 dash cardamom bitters
1 dash grapefruit bitters

Add a few cubes of ice to a shaker, combine ingredients, and stir. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Top to fill with pink grapefruit sparkling water. Garnish with a sprinkling of sugar and a torched grapefruit peel.

Cocktail courtesy Lauren Nicole Schott.