This special edition of Illumine8 After Hours took place at another local business in Downtown Frederick, Maryland. McClintock Distilling Co. is a craft distillery that opened in Frederick in December 2016 and has had great success in the area since then.
You can watch the After Hours video here:
College friends, Braeden Bumpers and Tyler Hegamyer co-founded McClintock with a dream to produce premium, organic spirits which are processed on-site. They now produce organic gin, white whiskey and small batch specialty liquors, with more products to come in the future.
Illumine8’s Graphic Designer, Erik, and Inbound Marketing Coordinator, Mira, sat down to interview Braeden over a spirits tasting.
Our team members tried some of McClintock’s famous spirits, including a new gin that has yet to be released, taking in the flavors as well as the bottle designs of each:
Maryland Heritage White Whiskey
This is a traditional Western Maryland style whiskey that McClintock Distilling is famous for. It stands out from traditional whiskey with its clear color and smooth, even taste.
Erik suggests you take a moment to admire the design of the bottle.
Epiphany Vodka
Braeden and the team agreed that this vodka is very smooth, almost buttery and “dangerously easy to drink.” You’ve been warned.
Forager Gin
This is McClintock’s most popular product, with a list of botanical components and a nice depth of flavor.
McClintock Reserve Gin
This new kind of gin rests in a cognac cask for four months. It will be released next month at McClintock Distilling 1st Anniversary Celebration.
We also had some exclusive interview questions for Braeden during the tasting:
Why Did You Choose Downtown Frederick as the Home for Your Business?
The founders were in love with Downtown Frederick from day 1. Though they are from out of state, they noted Frederick as a city full of people who love local things from boutiques to breweries and everything in between.
Fun fact: They took 17 months to renovate their 306 year-old building.
How Have You Been Received in the Local Business Community? We Know You've Had Some Collaborations with Local Bartenders. What Has that Experience Been Like?
According to Braeden, him and Tyler fill the bottles but aren’t great bartenders. The bartenders of Frederick are really open to doing craft stuff and everyone has their different styles. McClintock has also been able to partner with local restaurants to do cocktail takeovers, and several local bars and restaurants carry their spirits and have signature drinks which include them.
When Starting Out Who Took Charge of Marketing Your Business? What Did That Look Like?
Marketing is important in the alcohol industry because it is so competitive. Tyler covers their social media accounts, which have great photos of their products and featured cocktails. They’re up for trading booze for ad space.
How Much Studying Goes Into Distilling?
Braeden and Tyler learned from mentors and experimented with ingredients and methods to create their first batch of gin.
What Has Been Your Favorite or Most Successful Social Media Marketing Strategy to This Point?
Running a naming contest for new cocktails has been a great way for us to engage with their followers and get them involved in their products. They’ve also been able to showcase the flexibility of the spirits and what they can go in.
Stay Tuned for the Following Upcoming Events at McClintock Distilling:
- December 2 - Celebrate McClintock’s 1st Anniversary with food, live music, cigars, award winning spirits and the release of the McClintock Reserve Gin.
- December 8 - Purchase tickets to the 1st Annual PROPER Cocktail Holiday Ball with proceeds benefitting Toys for Tots and the American Cancer Society. Eleven of the top bartenders from the DMV area will be serving up fancy, “proper” cocktails. Enjoy live music, socializing, dancing, and fine drinks.
Follow McClintock Distilling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more updates and information.
If you enjoyed this episode of Illumine8 After Hours, let us know. We love partnering with local brands and companies. Check out more content on our blog and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Illumine8 Marketing & PR is a Frederick, Maryland-based firm that combines the power of business development strategy, marketing creativity, and customer-focused sales to deliver sustainable and measurable results.