By Chad Neal
Outside of Ellicottville’s quaint village there are quite a few places that aren’t as well known as the establishments downtown. One of those enterprises is Ellicottville Distillery. Owners Bryan and Renee Scharf opened their business at 5462 Robbins Road (4 miles east of town on off Rte. 242) right in Ashford Junction in 2016. Off the beaten path it may be a bit difficult to see without GPS, Ellicottville Distillery is a hidden gem in the countryside on a beautiful property, neighbor to a grand forested hillside and the head waters of the Great Valley Creek, next door to another new business in Ellicottville, Bigfoot Park Golf. Bryan is the master distiller and already has awards on his lapel for his bourbon. He just released a six-year barrel and has more in stock for future aged casking events. This weekend he is releasing his newest recipe, the Wheated Bourbon, with a four-course gourmet dinner and spirit pairing event called Fall Feast along with Chef Billy McClain.
The event is this Saturday October 26 starting with a cocktail hour at 2pm and entrees beginning at 3pm. The $70 cost per person includes the gourmet meal and two hand crafted cocktails made from the Ellicottville Spirits Scharf handcrafted himself. Chef Billy McClain will be preparing the meals for the lucky guests of this private outdoor affair, and only 40 tickets are being sold. The bill of fare consists of an appetizer of Philly Cheese Steak Egg Rolls, the starter is a Wild Rice Soup with the Main Course of Crispy Chicken Monte Carlo with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Seasoned Vegetable Medley. The dessert is made with a favorite from Bryan’s shelves, (his Maple Bourbon Cream) called Bourbon Cream Pots De Creme. All served under the pavilion at the Distillery.
Another great reason to check this event out is the newest recipe Scharf has concocted and bottled. His Wheated Bourbon that was made similar to his traditional bourbon, (with 50% corn or more and a mixture of wheat or barley grains) but the wheated version has much more wheat than his traditional to give a different taste and feel. Bourbon connoisseurs have the nose and taste for such fine whiskeys, and Scharf will have his regular bourbon as well to compare. A fine new product added to his repertoire. The release is at 4pm with live music by Tina Williams.
The Feast put on by Make a Difference, a private dine and catering LLC, is going to be a grand part of this event. Billy McClain started this venture because of his love for making food and sharing it with whoever wants to dig in. McClain’s catch phrase for his company is “whenever possible, make a difference” and that is what he strives to do. The Villager caught up with the fine food creator and asked him some questions about himself and his forté. McClain said, “I’ve been cheffing for over 30 years. I have not had any formal training, and I don’t want to disrespect chefs that have had the training. I started out barbecuing and I have had a catering business for several years.”
He told The Villager he wants to “expand his culinary reach” as he has cooked quite a few different types of cuisines. “I like to see what I can put together.” One of his favorite types of cuisine is Jamaican. “Jerk chicken, ox tails and then the next day make an ox tail pizza!”
Asked about his passion McClain said, “To make a difference in this world or at least my neck of the world through food.” He went on to explain, “I have a group of friends and we call ourselves the Griddle Gang. We will set our griddles up and do breakfast or lunch or dinner for anybody that wants it at no cost, and we hope to feed a lot of young kids so they can see the random act of kindness.” This experience has also influenced other volunteers to the table, he added.
“Whatever I am putting on a plate for a customer, I will put the same care into any random act of kindness we do. People love food and if I can take their minds off whatever may be going on in their life, and they are enjoying what I serve them, I feel like I made a difference.”
Being the veteran chef he is, McClain said due to a limited kitchen at the Ellicottville Distillery he came up with the menu for the equipment he will bring with him. “I also tried to think of what I have made that people enjoyed. It will be a nice ambiance, decorated nice and I have had some people in the background working hard to help this event go well. The Fall Feast Collab is just a play on words to keep the fall fest theme going.”
Scharf and McClain met at the Distillery tasting room and discovered commonality. After pouring bourbon for McClain, and discussing the ideas Scharf offered the venue. With excitement in his words McClain finished saying, “My new venture is about meeting new people and trying to give them an experience through food that makes a difference in their day.”
A full day of food, entertainment and the release of the new Wheated Bourbon will be special for all who attend. For more information and to order tickets you can call McClain at 716-307-2659 or the Ellicottville Distillery at 716-597-6121.
Caption: Bryan Scharf is the master distiller and already has awards on his lapel for his bourbon. He just released a six-year barrel and has more in stock for future aged casking events. This weekend he is releasing his newest recipe, the Wheated Bourbon, with a four-course gourmet dinner and spirit pairing event called Fall Feast along with Chef Billy McClain.
Caption: Chef Billy McClain will be preparing the meals for the lucky guests of this private outdoor affair, and only 40 tickets are being sold. The bill of fare consists of an appetizer of Philly Cheese Steak Egg Rolls, the starter is a Wild Rice Soup with the Main Course of Crispy Chicken Monte Carlo with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Seasoned Vegetable Medley. The dessert is made with a favorite from Bryan’s shelves, (his Maple Bourbon Cream) called Bourbon Cream Pots De Creme. All served under the pavilion at the Distillery.