Under the shadow of Spruce Knob in the little town of Job is a new business tapping the roots of a long storied tradition in West Virginia: distilling corn whiskey.
Using a simple recipe, Still Hollow owners Athey Lutz and Maggie Re’ Lutz produce a style of whiskey endemic to West Virginia.
“The recipe is pretty standard. It’s all grain, yeast, and spring water, which is important as far as calling it a whiskey, it’s supposed to be all grain. You can’t add any sugar,” Athey explained. “It’s kind of the classic Appalachian drink.”
The recipe’s main ingredients have Appalachian roots as well. The whiskey’s spring water flows right out from the mountainside behind the Still Hollow barn. As some histories tell it, the first settlers in the area of Job resided next to this unnamed spring.
The grain used for the whiskey is bloody butcher corn. “We were looking for local corn growers, and we found these folks down in Nicholas County that grew this corn. Turns out they had been growing the same seed for 200 years in their family and had a history of making liquor with it,” Athey said.
The genetic variety inherent in bloody butcher corn brings out an astounding range of coloration. While some bloody butcher cobs look like a regular ear of yellow corn, some are blood red, and others are speckled with a multitude of colors.
The Lutzes planted some of the seeds and began growing about two acres worth on the Still Hollow property.
Batch #2 of their corn whiskey is available for purchase and tasting. In addition to the corn whiskey, Still Hollow is beginning to craft bourbon.
For the layperson, corn whiskey is un-aged and at least 80 percent corn. Bourbon is corn whiskey aged in a new charred oak barrel and is at least 60 percent corn. Athey estimated the bourbon will be ready for release in July.
Some of the corn whiskey is also being stored in casks previously used to house Dry Fork Maple Works syrup. The plan is to release this maple-tinged corn whiskey in the next month or so.
Now that the distillery is up and running, Athey reflected on the path he and Maggie took over the years to get to this point.
Over the last decade, as the craft brewing and winery scene exploded, the public interest in distilling liquor rose too. Shows like Discovery Channel’s “Moonshiners” and homebrew suppliers like Moonshine Still Pro fueled the national intrigue into the art of making whiskey.
And as public interest rose, perceptions changed. Distilling liquor is no longer viewed as an outlaw practice but more of an artisanal approach to further a rich Appalachian history.
“As everything was coming together, it just looked like it was a good market to be in,” Athey said. When West Virginia changed some of their liquor tax laws, the idea of actually starting a distillery became more feasible. “That kind of tipped the business scales in favor of doing it.”
About four years ago, the duo began their endeavor by educating themselves on the processes of running a business and distilling. In 2016, work on the Still Hollow building in Job began.
As you drive through Job and take a left on Rich Mountain Road East (Stink Run Road according to Google), the newly constructed barn is visible on the left. Nestled in the hollow, the beautifully constructed barn is where the distilling happens.
Now that the grand opening jitters are through, Still Hollow is looking to the future. “We’re excited for the summer, because this is more of summer tourist area with Seneca and Spruce Knob,” Athey said.
Still Hollow Spirits is located at 128 Stink Run Road. Hours are posted on the distillery’s Facebook page. Credit cards are not accepted.
