By Kate Bartlett
Ellicottville Distillery is celebrating its 9th anniversary on Saturday, October 4, with a party starting at 12pm featuring live music from 4-8pm. Located at 5462 Robbins Road, just a few miles outside the village of Ellicottville, the Distillery offers a homegrown approach to the age-old practice of distilling nestled in the heart of the Cattaraugus County mountains.
Owner and distiller Bryan Scarf opened doors to the Distillery in 2016 with only 2 products, a vodka and a clear whisky. He had a passion for distilling and sought to open a Distillery to share this craft with the community. The Distillery has always offered a laid-back, casual and welcoming atmosphere with an on-site tasting room of uniquely hand-crafted cocktails.
a larger crowd. While still intimate and cozy, the tasting room now offers
over 25 cocktails and 8-10 spirits including bourbon, whiskey, rye, honey spirit,
appleshine, maple bourbon crème, blueberry vodka, regular vodka and gins.
Over the years, the space has evolved to include more spirits and accommodate a larger crowd. While still intimate and cozy, the tasting room now offers over 25 cocktails and 8-10 spirits including bourbon, whiskey, rye, honey spirit, appleshine, maple bourbon crème, blueberry vodka, regular vodka and gins. The expansive outdoor space offers incredible views of the sweeping hills and allows guests to unwind in the great outdoors.
The Distillery frequently hosts live music in their outdoor space, along with artisan and vendor markets. “We aim to be a destination,” says Bryan. “We hope our guests relax and unwind in the great outdoors in good company, with great spirits.”
Throughout the seasons, The Distillery takes advantage of their outdoor spacing hosting a variety of events including their annual car and motorcycle shows, 4th of July with fireworks, Duck Derby during the Kentucky Derby, Distilled and Chilled Music Fest, Liquor Mile (aka Miracle Mile) with New Year’s Eve fireworks and their upcoming Punkin’ Chunkin’ every fall. “The events just took shape as the Distillery became more established. We’re always thinking of new ideas to bring people out for the day to have a good time. We love hosting here at the Distillery.”
Recently, The Distillery added Bigfoot Park Golf, an 18-hole Japanese Style Golf Course on their 17-acre property. This style golf uses mallets and a bigger ball, similar to croquet, but scored like golf. Bryan’s good friend Chad Neal came up with the idea to utilize the space. “It’s a lot of fun, and you can’t beat the views. It’s a great way to spend time outdoors.” says Bryan.
The Distillery is also available for events and private parties. “It’s the perfect location for any outdoor event or wedding. We have a creek that runs through the back of our 20-acre property and can accommodate up to 300 guests. There’s plenty of space for event tents and we’ve recently added a handcrafted wooden trellis to complete the perfect outdoor backdrop. It’s been incredible hosting weddings over the years. It’s an honor to be a part of these occasions.”
Bryan invites everyone out to the Distillery located at 5462 Robbins Road for a 9th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday October 4th for a day of laid-back festivities. “We’ll have live music, food vendors, charcuterie and snacks. Bring the family and spend the day with us, enjoying good food, great drinks and live music in great company.”
Fuzzy and the Rustbelts will be playing live music at The Distillery on October 4th from 4-8pm. This Americana band is rooted in the music styling of folk, country, and rock & roll; a trimmed down version of the full band, the Fuzzy & The Rustbelts Trio, will be playing at the EVL Distillery featuring vocals, acoustic guitar, upright bass and piano.
The Distillery plans to continue their annual events, continuing to switch things up to keep it interesting. They will be releasing an 8-year-old Bourbon for the holidays this upcoming December. Punkin’ Chunkin’ is scheduled for November 1, and their annual Christmas Tree Fire on January 17.
Bryan is grateful to for the support from the community, and for his hard-working staff. “Everyone at the Distillery helps out where they can and we couldn’t do it without them. Thanks to everyone who has helped and supported us in any way.”