Eli Underhill needed a change. For 20 years he owned and operated a successful commercial fishing business in Sitka Alaska, and while successful, he was ready for something less physically demanding.
He and his wife Amy left Sitka’s wilderness and frigid temperatures for warm and sunny South Mississippi a few years ago, where he re-ignited his passion for distilling. He started by robbing his mother-in-law’s citrus trees to create limoncello and orangecello.
Encouraged by the result, he began reading every bit of information about distilling he could get his hands on. He got so excited by the possibilities, that the subject of starting a distillery worked its way into the bulk of his conversations. Amy thought it might just be a passing phase, but in the blink of an eye, Eli traded catching salmon and cod for creating a unique rum spirit.
They bought a small farm in Gulfport, Mississippi, a bustling coastal city known for its scenic beaches, rich history, and thriving port. On the property was a 1200-square-foot building that Eli cleared out and, in 2018, turned into Circle Hook Distilling.
He handles the operations side of things, while Amy handles the marketing and branding and tends to their farm animals.
Being in sugar cane country, rum was a natural choice for their launch. Not a mass-produced version but an expression of the spirit that would bring pride to his family and the community.
He wanted to ensure his rum represented the roots of the Gulf Coast and thus, made an effort to only use local ingredients.
Eli’s exhaustive research had him experimenting with blending molasses and sugar cane, whereas most other rums use one or the other as a sweetener.
He also had a secret weapon, a very deep well on the farm yielding water with a high PH level that is thought to be up to 10,000 years old. According to Eli, “Deeper wells have sweeter water”.
Rum production began in 2020, at first, each batch was an experiment with the blending of molasses and cane syrup to find just the right balance. The entire process to ferment the rum can take up to two weeks, Eli said, but “nothing is rushed” in his distillery.
From there, the light rum is bottled and the dark rum is placed in barrels for up to 12 months. Eli says, “Seventy percent of the ‘Original Rum’ flavour comes from the barrels”.
Circle Hook has three main products, their flagship Original Rum – a dark rum aged in American oak barrels, Agricole-Style Rum barrel aged and made with sugarcane, and Silver Rum – a clear spirit designed for mixing in cocktails.
Amy often jokingly refers to Eli as a “mad scientist”, but his months of research and experimentation paid off quickly as awards and accolades began to roll in. With his 300-gallon all-copper pot still from Specific, all three products have won gold and silver medals in multiple international competitions.
Circle Hook Distilling in Gulfport was the first and only legal distillery in Harrison County, and the rum has become so popular, it’s now available for sale throughout Mississippi and Louisiana.
Eli and Amy Underhill have created a business and a product that embodies the spirit of Gulfport – innovative, community-focused and deeply connected to its coastal roots. As they continue to grow, their commitment to quality and locally sourced ingredients will ensure they remain a part of the Gulf Coast’s vibrant craft-distilling scene.
