Skip to main content

Feel Good Friday – Cathead Vodka

While working on this article, I was shocked to discover that Mississippi didn’t repeal prohibition until 1966. That is 59 years of bootleg and moonshine! So when Richard Patrick started up the first legal still in 104 years it caused quite a stir. His company, Cathead Vodka, is more than just a spirit; it’s a lifestyle. 

Founded in 2011, Cathead is a small batch smooth vodka due to the fact that it is distilled six times with a charcoal filter. Sweet grain corn is mixed in for a fine crisp finish. And, it’s 80 proof so hold tight! A portion of the profit from every bottle goes to support local heritage foundations within every state where it is sold

Recommended Videos

As for the name, Cathead was coined by James ‘Son’Thomas, who was an influential delta blues musician. The name is from the phrase, “That cat can play”, meaning that person was respected by his peers in the blues and folk art community. 

We had a chin wag with founder, Richard Patrick and distiller Phillip Ladner to learn more about this melodic spirit. 

For philanthropy the site says that you align yourself with live music etc.

Can you be more specific? 

Richard: 

We don’t give directly to musicians,  we work mostly with local music foundations (our foundation partners) in the markets we do business in.  Our foundation partners have like minded views (please look at our website for foundation information)

I see you work with Southern Foodways Alliance.

Richard: 

SFA is a great organization and our values are very aligned in documenting the progression of Southern heritage through food, music & beverage.  

Can you tell us a bit of your background and how you got involved in distilling?

Richard: 

My background has really been more interest driven, and then understanding a process. 

Short of giving you a resume, I can say I’ve been involved in many different sides of the food & beverage industry.  I started working in a kitchen when I was 16 and seriously wanted to pursue  culinary school but decided I needed a background in business; from there my interests evolved more towards wine.  I’ve been involved in the manufacturing, importing, and distribution of beer, wine & spirits for all of my professional career and have loved every minute of working in the business. 

Phillip: 

 I started working in wineries at Spy Valley in Marlborough, New Zealand.  After New Zealand I moved to Napa Valley where I worked with Lewis Cellars, Jericho Canyon, and then at Pahlmeyer.  I was always interested in distilling and when an opportunity became available to learn the craft from Jordan Via, then distiller at Stillwater Spirits in Petaluma, California, I gladly started showing up whenever I had free time!  Jordan was offered the distiller’s job at Breckenridge Distillery and I was offered the distiller’s job with Stillwater Spirits. I met Austin and Richard at one of American Distilling Institute’s Hands on Whiskey Classes that I was co-teaching at Stillwater Sprits and stayed in contact with them after the class. I then did some consulting for them and eventually was offered the distiller’s job here at Cathead Distillery.  

Finally, is there something new you guys  are working on?

Richard: 

We are always working on something, all of our products undergo years of R&D before they come to market.  I cannot share what we are working on specifically, but we do have some fun things in the works.  On flavored vodkas I can tell you we will not be releasing anything new this year.  We really have an appreciation for liqueurs, and during product development this is where most of our flavored vodkas get their start.  We also make a gin called Bristow and chicory liqueur called Hoodoo. We have some gin laid down in barrels and may have some out for a small release later this year.  

Phillip:

As Richard mentioned above, we currently have some of our amazing Bristow Gin in 53 gallon American Oak Char #4 “Heavy Char” barrels.  We are tasting these barrels every couple of weeks to make sure we get the exact flavor profile we are looking for.  I like to use larger barrels for our aging process, even though it may take a lot longer than aging in small barrels, allowing for a much softer extraction of the oak tannins and flavors when the gin hits its peak during the aging process.

All of our other R&D products are usually kept as much of a secret as possible until release, since most of them are products or flavors that have not been done before in their category.

Any chance you can provide a recipe for a great summer drink using Cathead?

Richard: 

I have been drinking a lot of Mississippi Mules so far this spring / summer.

Mississippi Mule

1/2 oz lime juice

2.5 oz Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka

4 to 6 oz ginger beer

Serve in a copper mug, or low ball glass, or really whatever you want to serve it in.  You can dress this up with a mint sprig, make sure to keep the lime wedge in the cocktail. Stir all ingredients together.  Recommend using cracked ice…

Photo Credit: Damien Blaylock // This photo was taken at Fondren Public // Jackson, MS

Cator Sparks
Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual
Cator Sparks was the Editor-in-Chief of The Manual from its launch in 2012 until 2018. Previously, Cator was covering…
Jeremy Allen White was born to run in the first trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
The movie follows Springsteen as he makes his album 'Nebraska.'
Jeremy Allen White in Deliver Me From Nowhere

Music biopics are all the rage these days, and Bruce Springsteen is the latest icon to get the treatment. The first trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere sees The Bear star inhabiting the role of The Boss. The film is based on Warren's Zane's book of the same name, which focuses on the period when he was making his 1982 album Nebraska.

The film is directed by Scott Cooper, who also directed Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. In the trailer, we see White embodying Springsteen as he sings "Born to Run," and we also get a lengthy monologue from Jeremy Strong's Jon Landau as he explains why Springsteen feels the need to make this album.

Read more
Tony Soprano vs. Walter White: Who is the ultimate antihero?
TV's biggest heavyweights duke it out for the antihero crown
Breaking bad season 4 screen shot

Sports fans often debate between two heavyweight legends. For basketball, it's LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Switching to tennis, you have Roger Federer fans and Rafael Nadal diehards. Debates like these are ingrained in the culture of athletics, but TV fans have their own version of this sparring match.

Tony Soprano from The Sopranos and Walter White from Breaking Bad are the two characters who still send shockwaves through every drama in the 21st century. These men were the perfect mix of good and evil. They navigated family life and the criminal underworld with cunning intelligence and ruthless risk-taking. Every show with morally gray characters at the center owes its storyboard to Walter and Tony, but which character deserves the antihero crown? This is Tony Soprano vs. Walter White for all the marbles.
Who was the more complex character?

Read more
Learn how to smoke a pipe the proper way with our guide for beginners
Let us show you the classy way to smoke a pipe
Packing a pipe

Pipe smoking is the most aesthetically distinguished way to enjoy tobacco, but you lose the classy effect if you don’t know how to smoke a pipe properly. Smoking a pipe has become a lost art, and these days, most people who engage in pipe smoking do so to achieve a sense of nostalgia. Perhaps your grandfather enjoyed a puff now and again paired with a good stiff whiskey, or maybe your goal is to emulate a pipe-smoking artist.

I know that I enjoy a good puff on a pipe now and then, and knowing the right way to enjoy a pipe has made the experience much more pleasurable for for me. Whatever the case, if you intend to take up the time-honored tradition of unwinding with a pipe like me, you should learn how to smoke a pipe the right way. And smoking a pipe is very different than smoking a cigar (except you shouldn't be inhaling either).

Read more