News and Press Releases - 2025

Winning spirits include Hot Honey Rye, Roundstone Rye Cask Proof and Rabble Rouser Bottled-In-Bond Rye

RICHMOND, VA. (June 5, 2025) - - - Catoctin Creek was recognized among Virginia’s best craft spirit producers, earning GOLD medal honors for its Hot Honey Rye at the 2025 First Landing Cup, a statewide competition organized by the Virginia Distillers Association and the Virginia Spirits Board.  The distillery's Roundstone Rye Cask Proof and Rabble Rouser Bottled-In-Bond Rye Whisky both took SILVER medals in the competition.

Hot Honey Rye was first introduced during COVID, when we were looking for a fun new product to cast away the pandemic blues.  Hot Honey Rye is a mixture of our award winning Roundstone Rye 80 Proof with three types of real, local Virginia honey and a dash of habañero chilis for a hint of spice.  It can be ordered online at buyvirginiarye.com.

The First Landing Cup celebrates Virginia-made spirits that exemplify excellence in craftsmanship, innovation and quality. Named after the historic 1607 landing at Cape Henry—the birthplace of American distilling—the competition drew 108 entries across multiple categories, all judged blind by a panel of 21 nationally recognized spirits experts.

“We’re thrilled to be recognized alongside so many amazing peers across Virginia! Our team pours heart, soul—and a little bit of magic—into every bottle. It’s an incredible feeling to see that passion celebrated,” said Scott Harris, Founder and General Manager of the distillery.

In addition to this recognition, First Landing Cup gold medalists—including Catoctin Creek—are being featured in the Virginia Spirits Passport Gold Medal Trail, a self-guided tasting experience designed to connect visitors with award-winning distilleries across the commonwealth.

Virginia ABC will also be showcasing First Landing Cup medalists, including Hot Honey Rye, in select retail stores statewide.

For a full list of winners or to learn more about the First Landing Cup, visit virginiaspirits.org/first-landing-cup.

About Catoctin Creek Distilling: Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, The Virginia Rye Whisky ℠, was founded by Scott and Becky Harris in 2009. Inspired by the history and craft of Virginia, Catoctin Creek made a name for itself as the first legal distillery since Prohibition in Purcellville, Virginia’s Loudoun County. The independent craft distillery is home to Virginia’s most-awarded whisky, Roundstone Rye, which has been presented gold medals across the globe and stands out through its old-world production methods. Catoctin Creek prides itself on making rye whisky, gin, and seasonal brandy from local grains and fruits, with spirits available throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, Australia and Europe. The Harris’ intricate attention to detail results in high quality internationally acclaimed products, including seasonal releases and private cask offerings, that recognize the true craft of Virginia spirits. For more information, call (540) 751-3294 or visit CatoctinCreek.com. Follow Catoctin Creek on Instagram, Blue Sky and Facebook.

About the Virginia Distillers Association:  The Virginia Distillers Association was founded to serve as a unifying voice for the Virginia spirits industry. Its mission is to advance the legislative interests of Virginia distillers and to educate its members on regulatory compliance in collaboration with the Virginia ABC. The Association strives to foster a thriving community of Virginia spirits producers dedicated to crafting world-class products for consumers across the Commonwealth and around the world.

About the Virginia Spirits Board:  The Virginia legislature established the Virginia Spirits Board in 2020. The purpose of the Spirits Board is to allocate funds to projects that expand spirits distilling research, education, and promotion of the growing of grains and the production of spirits in the commonwealth. The Virginia Spirits Board is one of 16 commodity boards within the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The American Craft Spirits Organization honors Becky Harris for work for the craft spirits industry.

TUCSON, AZ. (March 12, 2025) - - - The American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA), at their 11th annual ACSA conference and awards ceremony, presented the Gable Erenzo Spirit of Community Award to Becky Harris of Catoctin Creek Distilling Co. for her unfettered gift of time for the advancement of the craft spirits community.

The Gable Erenzo Spirit of Community Award recognizes the generosity of spirit, resilience, and resourcefulness to advance the interests of our small business entrepreneurs. It is given for an extraordinary commitment of time, working selflessly through weekdays, nights, and weekends. And, it is given to someone who puts the needs of the association and our business community before any personal aims.

The award was named for someone who embodied all of those attributes, whom the craft spirits community lost far too soon. Gable Erenzo was the co-founder (along with his father Ralph, and Brian Lee) of Tuthilltown Spirits and he later founded Gardiner Liquid Mercantile in Gardiner, N.Y. Gable passed away suddenly in 2021. He was known throughout the industry as someone who wouldn’t hesitate to help his craft spirits peers.

During ACSA’s Town Hall on Tuesday, Ralph Erenzo addressed attendees via a recorded video, and Mark Shilling, who received the inaugural Gable Erenzo Spirit of Community Award in 2021, presented the award to Harris. A past president of ACSA, Harris is also currently a member of ACSA’s Board of Directors, the chair of ACSA’s Government Affairs committee, and a co-chair of the Membership committee.

“I am really grateful for the recognition, but it will make me even more grateful if you call your Representatives … and [do] all the other things out there that we need to get done,” said Harris as she accepted the award. "It’s not about me, it’s about us. This is what we do together.”

At the same awards ceremony, ACSA also awarded two silver medals for the Catoctin Creek Short Hill Mountain Peach Brandy, one medal for packaging design, and one medal for the quality of the brandy in the bottle.  These are the first medals received for our peach brandy, which is available for purchase at our distillery store, and online for shipping nationally from our products page.

"We are always delighted when our products receive accolades," said Scott Harris, co-founder and General Manager at Catoctin Creek.  "The peach brandy is a product that we only make in limited quantities, but it is such a beautiful representation of our local fruit. We are honored to receive this recognition."

The packaging design, featuring a watercolor painting of a peach, was done by the late Allan Guy, of Manassas, Virginia. This award is a wonderful honor for him and his legacy.

About Catoctin Creek Distilling: Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, The Virginia Rye Whisky ℠, was founded by Scott and Becky Harris in 2009. Inspired by the history and craft of Virginia, Catoctin Creek made a name for itself as the first legal distillery since Prohibition in Purcellville, Virginia’s Loudoun County. The independent craft distillery is home to Virginia’s most-awarded whisky, Roundstone Rye, which has been presented gold medals across the globe and stands out through its old-world production methods. Catoctin Creek prides itself on making rye whisky, gin, and seasonal brandy from local grains and fruits, with spirits available throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, Australia and Europe. The Harris’ intricate attention to detail results in high quality internationally acclaimed products, including seasonal releases and private cask offerings, that recognize the true craft of Virginia spirits. For more information, call (540) 751-3294 or visit CatoctinCreek.com. Follow Catoctin Creek on Instagram, Blue Sky and Facebook.

About the American Craft Spirits Association:  ACSA is the only 501(c)(6) national trade group representing craft producers in the U.S. and run by craft producers.  They can be reached at P.O. Box 470, Oakton, VA, 22124 or https://americancraftspirits.org.