Ever wonder where the cocktail came from?

What were the primary influences of the early bartenders?

How did Prohibition affect the cocktail?

What spirits were widely available before/during/after Prohibition?

What's the difference between a fizz and a flip?

What exactly are vermouth/bitters/shrubs, anyway?

Catoctin Creek is proud to present, our THIRD year of this six-part educational series on the history and the art of the cocktail.  This is a reprise of last year's content, so if you missed this very popular series last year, we highly encourage you to make your reservation now!

Starting in January, Scott Harris, founder and distiller at Catoctin Creek, will appear in the tasting room every Friday for this six-week series. Beginning at 7pm, Scott will personally guide you through the history and construction of several cocktail styles, including the old classics, and modern takes on the cocktail!  There will be samples for sharing, and you are encouraged to buy bottles to take home with you and practice.  Lots of practice.

Here is the schedule of the series:

• January 5 - The Old Fashioned - the proto-cocktail of the 1840s
• January 12 - Gin is in!  Several gin cocktails including the Martinez, the Gimlet, and the Sloe Gin Fizz
• January 19 - Everything you wanted to know about Martinis and bitters
• January 26 - New Orleans mojo - The sophisticated and complex beauty of the Sazerac
• February 2 - Moonshine in American culture - 1930 to present day
• February 9 - Toddies and warm cocktails

NOTICE ON SNOW DAYS:  If we have to cancel a class because of weather, we will reschedule the date to February 23, March 2, etc.  Your reservation will be honored for the snow date, or you may get a refund if you are unable to make the new date.

If you don't know anything about cocktails, you'll love this class.  If you're already an expert, come and enjoy some casual conversation and a few drinks.  The cost is $35 per person and includes drinks.  Sign up for all six and receive two FREE Catoctin Creek rocks glasses and a FREE copy of The Architecture of the Cocktail. 

What:	Art of the Cocktail
Where:	120 W. Main Street Purcellville, Virginia
When:	Every Friday from January 5 to February 9 (some exceptions, see above) 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Price:	Each session: $35 per person (VIP members 50% off) (includes four cocktails) Book Now

  This class will fill up, so reserve your spot now!  Due to overwhelming demand and the intimate size of our tasting room, space is limited to the first 34 people responding.

Per ABC laws, cocktail samples will be limited to four pours with 0.5 oz of liquor in each pour.  Certain mixer limitations will apply.

For the folks at Catoctin Creek, every Wednesday is #WhiskyWednesday, so we figured all of you should have the same luxury. Last fall, we had a couple tastings at some of our favorite DC whiskey bars. This time, we're going anywhere and everywhere!

Join us each and every Wednesday for a different wild whisky experience around the DMV. Join us for a spirits dinner at a great neighborhood spot one week, a tasting of a rare Catoctin Creek spirits another and a fun cocktail event another! Stay tuned to our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages for updates on other #WhiskyWednesday events by following #wwccdc. Post your own Catoctin Creek #WhiskyWednesday experiences using the hashtag #wwccdc. We wanna see how you do #WhiskyWednesday!

For March:

• March 2 - Jack Rose
• March 9 - Boss Shepherd's
• March 16 - Celtic Crowns + Cocktails
• March 23 - Captain Gregory's
• April 6 - Monk's BBQ
• April 27 - The Ashby Inn

What:	Whisky Wednesdsay
Where:	A different location each week in the DMV
When:	Every Wednesday 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Price:	Generally FREE to attend! (Some exceptions, sometimes)

Photo courtesy Whiskey Cats and used with permission.

Catoctin Creek is proudly hosts our regular cocktail dinner at the distillery in Old Town Purcellville.

Enjoy a private tour of the distillery. We will guide you through the process of making whisky and describe for you the wonderful history of our "new" building, which is nearly 100 years old.

Dinner will be a four-course affair, using seasonal produce and local suppliers, prepared by Chefs Wes Rosati and Maria Aros of The Wandering Chef. Chefs Rosati and Aros are formerly of Lansdowne Resort, and have combined talents to provide exquisite dining for our new venue!

Oh, and did I say cocktails? Yes, we will personally craft cocktails expertly paired with your dinner! This will be a magical evening, and one not to miss!!

Dinner is priced at $99, and includes all four courses and cocktails.

What:	Dinner at Catoctin Creek
Where:	120 W. Main Street Purcellville, Virginia
When:	About once every two months: Friday, February 16, 2018 ♥♥♥ Valentines Day! (observed) ♥♥♥ Friday, April 13, 2018 Friday, June 15, 2018 Friday, August 17, 2018 Friday, October 19, 2018 Friday, December 14, 2018 Tour begins at 7:00pm, dinner at 7:30pm
Price:	$99/person, tax and gratuity are additional. Click the button below to select your date... Dinner at the Distillery

 

Pre-purchase required, and only 34 seats are available for this exclusive event.  Dress attire is dressy-casual:  collared shirt, jacket optional, tie not required.

Refundable within two weeks of the event, and non-refundable thereafter, since we must purchase food and prepare for your spot after this time. If you are unable to attend, you may transfer your ticket to another person and let us know.

Our FIRST EVER American Malt Whisky!  A must-have for the collector!

Coming February 20th! Our first ever American Malt Whisky! Brewed in collaboration with Heritage Brewing in Manassas, Virginia, this limited quantity whisky will be available on a special release day along with its sister beer, the Kings Mountain scotch ale, aged in Catoctin Creek whisky barrels! Only 344 bottles of the whisky were made.

This whisky is the purest expression of Heritage's Kings Mountain beer, and it is remarkable to see the close relationship between the whisky and the beer. There is a recognizable barley sweetness in the beer, and that carries through note-for-note in the whisky. The whisky is highly aromatic, and reminds one of fields of lavender on a bright sunny day. After the first sip, the whisky settles in at a very comfortable 92 proof, and the malty goodness lingers forever. It is a fine sipping whisky, made from a fine sipping beer.

The event will kick off at Magnolias in Purcellville, where Heritage will have a tap takeover. There, you can sample the beer, then mosey down the street to Catoctin Creek and pick up your bottle of Catoctin Creek Kings Mountain whisky. Both Scott and Sean, owners of the two companies, will be on hand to sign bottles, visit and answer questions.

What:	Catoctin Creek / Heritage Release Day
Where:	Magnolia's at the Mill and Catoctin Creek N. 21st Street Purcellville, Virginia
When:	Saturday, February 20th 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Price:	The event is free, tastings and drinks are at normal prices.   Please note, we will not be able to do tastings of the Kings Mountain whisky, due to its extremely limited number of bottles.

 

Each bottle comes signed by the owners in it's own custom made cedar box for $119/bottle.   Not available in stores.  Distillery special release only.  750 mL, 92 proof / 46% ABV.  

 

Catoctin Creek Distilling Company will conduct a BOTTLING DAY one Saturday each month at 10:00am. Volunteers wanted. We'll buy breakfast for all that attend.  This is always such a fun workshop, and you get a special tour from Scott and Becky Harris, recently named by Southern Living as one of the top 50 people in changing the South in 2015!

Learn how to bottle, cap, seal, and label Roundstone Rye. Get your chance to work the magic "whisky cow"! Or maybe you'd like to try your hands at operating "Ninette", our fancy French labeling machine!

This is a fun and informative day! We'll start the morning off with breakfast and a tour from the owners, Scott and Becky, explaining how we make our hand-crafted spirits, then for about 60 minutes, we bottle whisky, and wrap up the morning with a tasting of our spirits!  How cool is that?

You can even purchase a signed bottle that you filled yourself... what a perfect gift idea!

What:	Catoctin Creek Bottling Day
Where:	120 W. Main Street Purcellville, Virginia
When:	One Saturday each month, click the button below for exact dates 10:00am - 12:00pm

  Please RSVP so that we can plan accordingly. Use the button below to reserve your spot.

Reserve Your Spot

Due to overwhelming demand, space is limited to the first 30 people responding.

A Celebration of America!

Hot Dogs! Music! Cocktails and Whisky!

Catoctin Creek will be celebrating Fourth of July Weekend starting on Friday, July 1st, from 7pm to 9pm!  This event will celebrate all things American!  We'll have live music, hot dogs, and cocktail specials all evening.  The first of our new #FirstFriday events, so come on over and enjoy the evening with us at the distillery!

Live music provided by Troy and Paula Haag:

"Troy and Paula Haag are a Northern Shenandoah Valley-based husband and wife, singer/songwriter duo that regularly perform in the Northern Virginia area. Their music is steeped in Americana, folk, country, and alternative pop. Contemporary, yet fully informed by the American and English folk rock heyday of the 1960s and 1970s, their sound is a characterized by delicate yet driving acoustic guitar, propulsive percussion and intimate vocal harmonies. The combination of strong songwriting, live performances, and a strong bond as a husband & wife duo, provides an ideal connection for creating pieces of beautiful, sincere, and authentic music. "

Food will be provided by Windy City Red Hots:   Chicago-style hot dogs with all the fixins, and signature red white and blue CCDC cocktails!

• RED - Adult Cherry Cream Soda with Roundstone Rye
• WHITE - The Bald Eagle with Mosby's Spirit
• BLUE - Big Blue Mule with Watershed Gin

Cocktails are $7 each and Chicago-style hot dogs for $10. Free to attend.