The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Doc Howard’s getting into the spirits
Doc Howard’s will unveil two new spirits for two-day celebratory open house
“Booze to the future.” That’s Kenneth “Doc” Howard’s M.O., and it’s more than worked for the former nuclear engineer who has seen his fledgling family micro-distillery, “the little liquor production establishment that could,” continue to emerge in Lake County and beyond.
Now, Howard and his wife, Sherri, are celebrating Doc Howard Distillery’s two-year anniversary with an open house Dec. 7 and 8 when the couple will officially unveil two new spirits in the company’s inventory, Tribute40 and Kilted Whiskey.
The distillery now produces seven whiskeys and two rums.
“Our new bourbon-style whiskey, Tribute40, is the same whiskey we use for our current Tribute Whiskey but at 40 percent rather than 45 percent,” Howard said. “This makes it smoother and more flavorful. It also puts it in the same price range as Maker’s Mark, Jack Daniel’s and Bulleit.
“The Kilted Whiskey has been a dream of ours from day one. We have always wanted to produce a whiskey made from smoked malted barley, scotch if it were made in Scotland. We will listen to the opinions of the people who taste the Tribute40 and Kilted Whiskeys and determine how to expand. We are constantly getting great ideas from our guests and often use these ideas in adjusting products or making new ones.
“We can do all of this because the generous people of Lake and surrounding counties have been so enthusiastic in supporting a local distillery, just like in
the old days before Prohibition,” Howard said. “The weekends we are open have been very busy and we often have people drop in during the week because they ‘didn’t know Perry had a distillery and think that’s ‘so cool.’”
Doc’s has held multiple tasting events over the last two years and appeared at several county organizations’ events and meetings, including Lake County Visitors Bureau and the Eastern Lake County Chamber of Commerce.
The decision to offer Tribute40 was greatly influenced by tasting events Doc’s held throughout the summer.
Several of the distillery’s products have also become part of numerous local establishments’
inventory. In addition, the Howards have also worked with authorities to see their products become available to the general public in state liquor stores throughout the region.
On Dec. 7, members of Doc’s team will make an appearance on Fox 8’s “New Day Cleveland” to offer some drink suggestions in promotion of its new products.
Howard believes the support of the community has been just as vital to the distillery’s success as the family’s business model.
“We’ve proven that a small-operating distillery,
like the ones that flourished in Ohio and the United States before Prohibition, is the right one,” he said.
“I also think we need more distilleries in Lake County. This would allow a true ‘Spirits of the Lake Trail’ to be successful like the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky.
“Our goals, now, are to continue marketing our products and, down the road, continue to expand in a very controlled manner. The Ohio Liquor Control Board has put all producers on a quota system and we have to be careful not to expand too quickly.”