Harvard's Rush Creek Distillery labor of love for former mayor, partners

HARVARD – Four guys walk into a bar, and come out with a distillery? Such was the fate of Jeff McCarthy, Jay Nolan and brothers Todd and Mark Stricker, all of whom are Harvard-born and bred.

When asked why they would start such a venture, Nolan, a former Harvard mayor, had a very simple answer.

“Alcohol,” he said.

When further pressed on the choice to do a distillery versus a brewery, the group dove a little deeper.

“There are a lot of breweries around here already. They are very popular,” Nolan said. “We wanted something different. This is the only distillery in the county.”

“It’s a unique business and building a brand around it, that sounds fun to me,” Todd Stricker said. “Craft brewing is much more prominent and distilling is still in its infancy. There’s a lot of opportunity here.”

Opened by the foursome in September 2017 and named after the headwaters where the city of Harvard began, Rush Creek Distilling is an 11,500-square-foot distillery on West Diggins Street in Harvard, equipped with a gift shop, tasting room and an 8,000-square-foot lab area for distilling that houses four fermenters and a mashtun.

The Rush Creek staff of seven do the work of about nine, according to Mark Stricker. McCarthy, a former Air Force mechanic, is the master distiller and the other three partners manage the business side, alcohol production and building upkeep. All four said they couldn’t do any of it without their Rush Creek crew, all of whom go above and beyond their title.

“None of us are immune to pushing a broom or mop around here,” Mark Stricker said.

Serving up whiskey, gin, vodka and spiced liqueur, Rush Creek’s hand-crafted cocktail menu is sure to have something on it to tantalize the taste buds. If not, feel free to design your own, just don’t go looking for a local IPA on tap, that’s not their bag. Nibble on a charcuterie tray or ask for local restaurant menus that are available for delivery.

Rush Creek also offers a great option for an event space. Weddings, baby showers, birthdays, bottling parties, really anything worth celebrating can be held at the distillery in their main bar area or in their Founder’s Loft. One of their bottling parties turned into a marriage proposal, a treat for all involved.

Venture on out to Rush Creek on a Saturday morning for a free yoga class or make it an evening visit to enjoy live music and food truck fare.

Distillery tours take place at specified times Friday through Sunday and by appointment Monday through Wednesday. All tours are led by one of the four partners.

McHenry native Mason Reinhart recently took a tour with some friends led by Todd Stricker. Carry-along drinks are encouraged during tours, so Reinhart sipped on Gin Blossom while he listened to Stricker talk about the locally sourced products they use, the distilling and aging process and the myth behind bourbon’s so-called mandatory birthplace, Kentucky.

One thing he won’t talk about? The Arctic Cat snowmobile sitting high up on the racking in the distillery. Don’t ask.

“Todd definitely kept the tour fun and interesting. He kept it light,” Reinhart said. “I rather enjoyed the vodka and gin and I’m looking forward to their whisky being released when it’s ready.”

When will the whiskey be ready?

“When Jeff says it’s ready,” Todd Stricker said.

But they’re looking at a couple more years of aging.

The tour ends with a sampling of vodka, gin, whiskey, trophy whiskey and Malobar spiced liqueur. If you’re not a gin fan, don’t be deterred, this isn’t your typical mouthful of pine, according to Todd Stricker.

Rush Creek’s small set of offerings leaves way for the group to focus on creating the best taste for that spirit.

“We work on quality, not quantity and we stand behind our products,” Todd Stricker said.

For event, private party and distillery information, visit rushcreekdistilling.com.