Cathead Distillery – Mississippi’s First and Oldest Distillery

Melding Mississippi’s blues history with its distilling future since 2010.

Located in Mississippi's capital Jackson, Cathead Distillery was founded by two friends. Austin Evans and Richard Patrick came together with a passion for blues and booze. Cathead is Mississippi’s first legal distillery since a statewide Prohibition bill in 1907. (That was 13 years before the passage of the 18th Amendment made alcohol illegal across the country.) Prohibition finally ended in Mississippi in 1966, 33 years after it was repealed by the Federal government.

Due to Mississippi’s lack of a legal definition of “Distillery” on the books, progress was slow. But Evans and Patrick kept the dream alive. They took distilling classes and adjusted their vodka formula as they waited. In three years, Mississippi laws finally caught up to their ambitions.

Honoring Their Friendship and the Blues

Evans and Patrick named their distillery after the blues term cathead. It’s a term of respect coined by early blues musicians that took root in the region's folk art. The founders make sure they give back to the community that brought the friends together. And they continue to contribute to Mississippi’s arts and music scenes.

Cathead’s Award-Winning Spirits

Cathead Vodka - 80 Proof

This is their namesake spirit and the first spirit Evans and Patrick created. Cathead’s award-winning Vodka is small batched in their 500-gallon still from a corn-based mash bill. After distillation, it is charcoal filtered six times and bottled at 80 Proof. It is a vodka described by Cathead as “Clean and Rich, Smooth and Velvety.” It is perfect for your favorite vodka cocktail.

Tastings.com considers it “A rock solid, fresh and clean vodka for sipping, mixing and beyond.” With “Fresh aromas and flavors of lemon peels, hints of mint, wet stone, and orange with a satiny, crisp, dry medium body and a tingling, medium-length finish evoking elements of white corn, fresh bread, and cream.”

Cathead’s Vodka has been winning awards since 2013. The most recent was at the Microliquor Spirit Awards in 2021, where they won a Triple Gold.

Bristow Gin - 94 Proof

Created on a base of Cathead Vodka, Cathead’s Bristow Gin is made of 11 botanicals: juniper, angelica root, cardamon, cassia bark, clove, coriander, hyssop, licorice root, lemon verbena, sweet orange peel, and bitter orange extract. The botanicals are macerated, a process that involves soaking them in spirits for two weeks. It’s then re-distilled. The final product is aged in stainless steel for three more weeks before bottling.

Many reviews point to the addition of hyssop. It’s an unusual component for gin that imparts a minty note. And it’s probably responsible for making Bristow Gin an unusual and distinct addition to American craft gin.

We love origin stories, and Bristow Gin doesn’t disappoint. The story goes:

“In exchange for his granddaughter’s hand in marriage, a curious young bloke presented his new grandfather-in-law, Judge, with a bottle of gin. The gin was triple distilled with a curious blend of spices. The Judge was tickled by the gin and insisted his grandson-in-law provide him with a regular allocation of the toothsome spirit. With that encouraging nod, Bristow Gin was born and went on to live most happily ever after.”

Like its siblings, Bristow Gin is racking up the awards. It won a Triple Gold in 2021 from the Microliquor Spirit Awards and a Gold from the 2018 International Spirits Awards. It was also a winner of Food & Wine’s Best Craft Gins in America.

Old Soul Bourbon Whiskey - 90 Proof

Old Soul Bourbon is a mix of variously aged barrels. They all have identical high-rye mash bills of 21 percent rye, 75 percent corn, and four percent malted barley. The whiskeys are distilled in Indiana and Mississippi; each barrel is hand-selected. Old Soul 2021 was aged four years, two years longer than the original barrels.

The Whiskey Wash review said Old Soul “catches the light well and offers a golden hue when held up” to the light. “The first approach offers a distinct buttered popcorn aroma. A closer inspection reveals fresh cut grass and tree nuts…. Caramelized sugar and that hint of buttered popcorn from the nose are introduced right away. A surprising amount of depth shows up as it lingers on the palate, with green apple and apricot. It’s warm, with a medium finish.”

The Microliquor Spirit Awards gave Old Soul a Triple Gold in 2021. And Cigar & Spirits awarded it 93 points in 2020.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Cathead continues to expand its offerings in new and intriguing directions. Their signature spirits include the only honeysuckle-flavored vodka and chicory liqueur on the market.

Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka - 70 Proof

The vodka, made with Louisiana cane sugar, is infused with honeysuckle. This creates a sweet, delicate vodka that is easy to sip. Cigar & Spirits magazine agreed, giving it 91 points in 2020.

Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur - 66.6 Proof

According to Cathead, Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur “pays homage to black magic and mysticism brought to the Southern United States through African and Caribbean influences.” Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur is made from roasted chicory root and Louisiana cane sugar. Cathead lore says it is barreled under a full moon.

Garden & Gun honored Hoodoo with its “Made in the South Award.” It received a 96 in 2018 from the Beverage Testing Institute Spirits Competition.

Heading in New Directions

Cathead Sparkling

On April 7th,  2021, Cathead released a line of four sparkling ready-to-drink canned vodka cocktails. Rather than the more common base of malt liquor, Cathead Sparkling uses its signature vodka. It makes their Sparklings clean and crisp. 

Cathead cocktails come in Strawberry Lemon, Limeade, Satsuma Mandarin, and Cranberry flavors. Each has a slim 100 calories, all-natural ingredients, no added sweeteners, and 5% ABV.

Final Thoughts

Cathead Distillery broke new ground as the first legal distillery in the state of Mississippi. And that continues as it expands its offerings. From their unique Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur and Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka to their line of flavored sparkling vodka cocktails, Cathead Distillery continues to surprise and delight. It is a distillery to keep an eye on.

Tried one of their spirits, or have a Cathead story? Passing through Jackson and thinking of stopping by? Drop us a line in the comments and let us know.

~ Cheers!