Behind the Counter: Scott & Becky Harris
You know the dynamic husband-and-wife-duo, Becky and Scott Harris of Catoctin Creek. The two combined their technical and business backgrounds to build an independent family-owned business crafting unique local spirits. Becky's experience in manufacturing and process control, and her chemical engineering degree, made her a natural fit as chief distiller. All their products begin with the finest local and organic grains to create the cleanest spirit possible. Catoctin Creek has received numerous international gold medals and has been featured in many national publications, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wine Enthusiast, and Whisky Advocate. The Daily Beast, Forbes, and Men's Journal have highlighted the distillery as an example of great American craft distilleries making whisky from scratch. The couple took time out of their very busy schedules to answer a few of our - we must know! - questions:
What have the last two years been like for the distillery?
The last two years have been whirlwind! Needless to say, 2020 and the first year of COVID was unlike anything we ever planned for. Without rehashing all that history, we spent a lot of time trying to pivot our business to ensure our survival, from doing hand-sanitizer, to launching direct-to-consumer shipping in Virginia. 2021 saw a rebound in our business, where we grew 30% over the previous year... a great year!! Sales at restaurants and bars returned (with a vengeance!), and we saw the liquor store sales continuing to be strong. In 2021, we also completed the first phase of our $1M upgrade of our distilling equipment in the distillery, allowing us to triple our capacity and plan for growth for future years.
What were the highs and what were the lows brought on by the changes these last few years?
Probably the highest high was getting all our new equipment installed and up and running. As we continue to grow as a business, we need to make sure we have enough "juice" in the barrels to sell. This upgrade was crucial to those future growth plans. The lowest point was obviously around March-April 2020, when we had to cut all whisky production, bring our sales people in off the street to work on hand-sanitizer, and shift our business model 100%. On the bright side, we're glad that we never had to lay anybody off, and kept our entire team intact through the pandemic.
What has Becky been playing with as far as flavors and new products?
Our latest release is our Old Tom Gin, and 1800's era style of gin that is (in our case) aged in pear brandy barrels. It is light, and fruity and wonderful in classic cocktails like the French 75 or the Martinez. Coming in June will be our GWAR Ragnarok Rye, which is aged in white oak, sugar maple and cherrywood.
What’s available in the Catoctin Creek portfolio that you are especially fond of?
It's been available for a long time, but our Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye 92 Proof "Distiller's Edition" is still the house favorite. It got 94 points from Wine Enthusiast, and is the staff favorite for their after-shift drinks. It is so complex and spicy, yet smooth, and perfect neat or in a sazerac, sour, or Manhattan.
We know you love to get behind the bar - what are you making these days? Care to share a recipe?
We're drinking classics these days, so I really am leaning hard on that Sazerac: Frappe and absinthe rinse a rocks glass, then 2oz 92 proof rye, 1/2 oz simple, 4 dashes Peychauds, and a lemon twist on top. Sometimes, I like to substitute the 1/2 oz simple with a coffee liqueur and a dash of mole or chocolate bitters, and that really changes the drink!
What events should we put on our calendar?
We have two cool things coming in June! Our distillery dinner with chef Erik Foxx, and our Jazz at the Distillery with the Eric Byrd Trio. Both are going to be amazing events, with lots of fun and great cocktails. https://catoctincreek.com/events
What have the last two years been like for the distillery?
The last two years have been whirlwind! Needless to say, 2020 and the first year of COVID was unlike anything we ever planned for. Without rehashing all that history, we spent a lot of time trying to pivot our business to ensure our survival, from doing hand-sanitizer, to launching direct-to-consumer shipping in Virginia. 2021 saw a rebound in our business, where we grew 30% over the previous year... a great year!! Sales at restaurants and bars returned (with a vengeance!), and we saw the liquor store sales continuing to be strong. In 2021, we also completed the first phase of our $1M upgrade of our distilling equipment in the distillery, allowing us to triple our capacity and plan for growth for future years.
What were the highs and what were the lows brought on by the changes these last few years?
Probably the highest high was getting all our new equipment installed and up and running. As we continue to grow as a business, we need to make sure we have enough "juice" in the barrels to sell. This upgrade was crucial to those future growth plans. The lowest point was obviously around March-April 2020, when we had to cut all whisky production, bring our sales people in off the street to work on hand-sanitizer, and shift our business model 100%. On the bright side, we're glad that we never had to lay anybody off, and kept our entire team intact through the pandemic.
What has Becky been playing with as far as flavors and new products?
Our latest release is our Old Tom Gin, and 1800's era style of gin that is (in our case) aged in pear brandy barrels. It is light, and fruity and wonderful in classic cocktails like the French 75 or the Martinez. Coming in June will be our GWAR Ragnarok Rye, which is aged in white oak, sugar maple and cherrywood.
What’s available in the Catoctin Creek portfolio that you are especially fond of?
It's been available for a long time, but our Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye 92 Proof "Distiller's Edition" is still the house favorite. It got 94 points from Wine Enthusiast, and is the staff favorite for their after-shift drinks. It is so complex and spicy, yet smooth, and perfect neat or in a sazerac, sour, or Manhattan.
We know you love to get behind the bar - what are you making these days? Care to share a recipe?
We're drinking classics these days, so I really am leaning hard on that Sazerac: Frappe and absinthe rinse a rocks glass, then 2oz 92 proof rye, 1/2 oz simple, 4 dashes Peychauds, and a lemon twist on top. Sometimes, I like to substitute the 1/2 oz simple with a coffee liqueur and a dash of mole or chocolate bitters, and that really changes the drink!
What events should we put on our calendar?
We have two cool things coming in June! Our distillery dinner with chef Erik Foxx, and our Jazz at the Distillery with the Eric Byrd Trio. Both are going to be amazing events, with lots of fun and great cocktails. https://catoctincreek.com/events
