It seems like every time I sit down to write one of these newsletters, it always wants to start out as "It has been a busy month for us..." At the risk of sounding repetitive, indeed February has been a busy month!

Early this month, we introduced the first drops of rye spirit into the barrel, officially and almost magically changing it into rye whisky! Sure, it won't be ready to drink for a while--it must age for a time in that new charred oak barrel--but the instant raw spirit kisses wood, it is forevermore designated "whisky". We now have a couple barrels put away of what will become Roundstone Rye.  It's nice to have this first couple batches done and set aside. A bit of a milestone, really.

We were also very pleased to obtain our Kosher certification from Star-K this month. Our first three products, Mosby's Spirit, Roundstone Rye, and Watershed Gin are all certified Kosher. We're still awaiting our organic certification, but stay tuned for that hopefully in March.

February was a brutal month for snow in Virginia. We were walloped by two major snowstorms, dumping more snow on our region than we've had in over 100 years. Of course, whisky waits for no man (or woman), so we braved the weather to ensure that production continued, even as the winds and snow howled outside our door.

The foul weather did afford us a nice opportunity to get some artsy bottle shots in the creek. My son and I trudged through 24 inch snow drifts, and then stood in freezing cold water to get some photos of our new bottles. I think the results were worth the trouble.

If you're interested, get your Catoctin Creek branded merchandise by giving us a call. We're still getting our web store set up, but we now have branded collector shot glasses and Catoctin Creek t-shirts available. All major credit cards accepted!

And don't forget, there is lots of fun and information on our Facebook and Twitter pages, where you can stay up to date with the daily activities at the distillery.

Remember, "Think Global, Drink LOCAL!"SM

Cheers!

Scott & Becky