Catoctin Creek Distilling: Where All is Kosher

Catoctin Creek Distilling Co. was founded by Scott and Becky Harris in 2009 as the first legal distillery in Loudoun County since before Prohibition. The theme of CCDC’s entire Web site can be summed up in one word:  Quality, which is represented by their certifications for both organic and kosher.

Organic, the Web site explains, means higher quality: grain and fruit, sourced locally when possible, free of pesticides and chemical additives that would come through in the spirits produced, namely whiskey.

“Kosher is basically certification for quality food products, the ingredients and the cleanliness,” Harris explained.

The task is certainly unique to the area.  Harris said he guesses the reason he and Becky undertook the project was “ we’re just crazy. “

Harris described the distillery is a project that has been building up.

“I just kept bugging my wife.  We visited a lot of distilleries. I kept bringing it up and she got tired of hearing it and finally said, ‘Well, then, go write a business plan.’ She thought that would be the last of it,” he said.

This was obviously not the case. Harris took it to the bank.  He said the loan was approved and, money in hand, they went and got the equipment and then the licenses.

“There is a federal law that requires you to have all equipment on site before you can get a license. The state has its own licensing process which, essentially, overlaps with the federal license. … But once the federal license came through, the state came through,” Harris said.

“It’s all been unbelievable. I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s real – but it doesn’t come easy,” Harris said.

Scott Harris still works as a government contractor.  Becky Harris, on the other hand, works at the distillery full time.

“Most of the stuff we’re making is whiskey. We make beer first. Then we boil it in the still and that allows us to boil off alcohol, leaving water behind and the alcohol we collect goes into barrels and that’s what gives it the characteristic flavor and color of whiskey,” He explained.

Even livestock benefits from the process, although that benefit has no alcoholic content.

“Throughout the process, what we produce is essentially a non-alcoholic mash and it looks like oatmeal and it’s a very nutritious castle feed and so it’s completely recycled and none of it ends up in a landfill,’ Harris said.

So, as the CCDC website, catoctincreekdistilling.com, says, “L’Chaim!”