The Catoctin Creek Distilling Company (also known as Catoctin Creek Distillery, or just Catoctin Creek) is the first legal distillery in Loudoun County, Virginia since prohibition

Prohibition

Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...

. The distillery is a certified organic

Organic certification

Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. In general, any business directly involved in food production can be certified, including seed suppliers, farmers, [food] processors, retailers and restaurants.Requirements vary...

 and kosher microdistillery

Microdistillery

A microdistillery is a small, often 'boutique', distillery established to produce beverage grade alcohol in relatively small quantities. While the term is most commonly used in the United States, micro-distilleries have been established in Europe for many years, either as small cognac distilleries...

 in Purcellville, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 that produces brandy

Brandy

Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...

, rye whiskey, gin

Gin

Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...

, and other liqueurs from local fruit, organic grain and Virginia wine

Virginia wine

Virginia wine refers to wine made from grapes grown in the U.S. state of Virginia. Wine has been produced in the area since the early days of European colonization in the 17th century. Virginia has hot humid summers that can be challenging to viticulture. Since 2000, Chardonnay has been the most...

.

The distillery was founded in 2009 by Scott and Rebecca Harris using an SBA

Small Business Administration

The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...

 7(a) loan for start-up capital. The company operates using a custom-made 400 liter Kothe hybrid pot-column still.

In the 2011 session of the Virginia General Assembly

Virginia General Assembly

The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...

, the company sought approval to sell its spirits at the distillery. Virginia Senate Bill 1249 passed both the Senate and the House of Delegates and was then signed by Governor Bob McDonnell

Bob McDonnell

Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell is an American politician who has been the 71st Governor of Virginia since January 2010. A former lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, McDonnell served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1993 to 2006 and served as Attorney General of Virginia from 2006...

 on March 26, 2011, allowing direct bottle-sales to the public from the distillery. With the prior year's passage of 2010 House of Delegate Bill 952, the company now provides tastings at their distillery store, in a fashion similar to wineries within the state.

Spirits produced

• Rye whiskey - aged and unaged
• Brandy
  Brandy
  Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
  
   from grapes and pear
  Pear
  The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
  
  s
• Gin
  Gin
  Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
  
  

Awards

• Roundstone Rye
  • Silver medal and best in category for aged rye whiskey, American Distilling Institute, 2011
  • Silver medal (87 - highly recommended) for rye whiskey, Beverage Testing Institute, 2011
  • Silver medal for aged craft distillery less than two years (less than $40), New York International Spirits Competition, 2010
• Mosby's Spirit
  • Bronze medal and best in category for un-aged rye whiskey, American Distilling Institute, 2011
  • Strong recommendation (87 - very good), American Whiskey, Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2011
  • Silver medal (85 - highly recommended) for unaged whiskey, Beverage Testing Institute, 2011
  • Silver medal for unaged craft distillery (less than $40), New York International Spirits Competition, 2010
  • Bronze medal for unaged whiskey, American Distilling Institute, 2010
• Watershed Gin
  • Gold medal (91 - exceptional) for gin, Beverage Testing Institute, 2011
  • Silver medal for Gin, New York International Spirits Competition, 2011
• 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year and Rural Business of the Year - Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce
• Made in the South 2010 Awards - Garden and Gun magazine

Distribution

Catoctin Creek is currently being distributed in Virginia, Maryland, California, Kentucky, Tennessee, Washington and the District of Columbia.