Mississippi was the last state in the country to repeal Prohibition. That happened in 1966. It then waited another 44 years for a working legal definition of what a "distillery" actually was. When Cathead Distillery opened in Jackson in 2010, it wasn't just the first distillery in Mississippi since Prohibition — it was the first distillery in a state that had spent four and a half decades after repeal without the legal framework to allow one to exist. That timeline matters for understanding what Cathead is and what it isn't. This is not a heritage operation reviving a historical brand. There is no 19th-century ancestor with a secret recipe. Mississippi's distilling history was so thoroughly erased by its uniquely long Prohibition that founders Austin Evans and Richard Patrick had no local tradition to draw from when they started. They built a whiskey program from scratch, in a state with zero institutional knowledge about making spirits, and named the whole thing after a blues musicians' term of respect — because if you're going to start a distillery in the birthplace of American blues, the culture had better show up in the brand.
What they’ve built in the 15 years since is a distillery that makes its own vodka and gin in Mississippi, sources bourbon whiskey from Indiana alongside its own Mississippi-distilled production, produces one of the only chicory liqueurs in the American spirits market, and earned a 2020 James Beard semifinalist nod for Outstanding Spirits Producer.
Mississippi enacted statewide Prohibition in 1907 — thirteen years before the 18th Amendment made it federal law. It didn’t repeal until 1966, making it the last state in the country to do so. When the regulatory pieces finally fell into place in 2010, Cathead opened as the state’s first legal distillery, period.
Cathead is located at 422 South Farish Street in downtown Jackson. The distillery hosts an annual music festival (Cathead Jam) and donates a portion of proceeds to nonprofits supporting live music and regional arts.
Old Soul uses a high-rye mashbill: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley. Some component whiskeys are distilled in Indiana (likely MGP) and some at Cathead’s own facility. The blend combines barrels from both sources, hand-selected by the Cathead team.
Mississippi’s aging environment is hot and humid. Jackson summers push into the upper 90s with heavy humidity. The intense, sustained heat drives aggressive barrel interaction — the spirit pushes deep into the charred wood for long stretches, extracting vanillin, caramel compounds, and tannins at an accelerated rate. A four-year-old bourbon aged in Mississippi can develop flavor complexity comparable to a six- or eight-year-old bourbon aged in a milder climate. The angel’s share also runs higher, concentrating the remaining liquid.
Cathead Vodka is distilled from a corn-based mashbill in their 500-gallon still, charcoal-filtered six times. Bristow Gin is named for the founder’s grandmother. The Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur is the portfolio piece nobody else makes — dark, herbal, slightly bitter chicory root. The James Beard semifinalist recognition in 2020 validates the full portfolio.
Austin Evans and Richard Patrick are lifelong friends and blues fans who co-founded the distillery in 2010. Neither came from a distilling family. The distilling team has grown since 2010, with experienced staff handling technical production.
Old Soul Bourbon Small Batch — 90 proof, ~$35-40. The flagship. Butterscotch, green apple, caramelized sugar, with rye spice and warmth on the finish.
Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur — ~$25-30. The most distinctive bottle in the lineup with no direct competition.
Cathead Vodka — 80 proof, ~$20-25. Clean, corn-based, six-times charcoal filtered.
Bristow Gin — ~$25-30. Traditional botanical profile on a corn base.
OAKR’s blind tasting panel scores every bourbon across more than 100 flavor notes. Spirit Match scores show whether Old Soul’s high-rye, spice-forward, blended character is likely to land for you.
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Bourbon enthusiast, spirits industry analyst, and the voice behind OAKR's distillery guides, brand reviews, and bourbon education content. Visiting distilleries, dissecting mashbills, and translating the craft into data since 2024.
High-rye bourbon from the state that repealed Prohibition last. Does Old Soul’s spice-forward profile match your palate? OAKR’s Spirit Match knows, get it now for free.
