Jason and Shelby Scarlatta, founders of the Whiskey Bottom Candle Company, have hit on a winning combination.
Searching for his second career when a medical condition prohibited him from continuing his job as a pipefitter, Jason landed on the craft of candle making.
“Jason was adamant about finding something to do and not go down the disability route. He told me he was going to figure it out, and he did,” says Shelby.
One evening not long after that, Jason told Shelby that he had been doing a lot of research on candles. He reasoned that people really enjoy them, and they seem always to want to buy them, and thought this could be his next opportunity. His research led him and his wife, Shelby, to create a product that encompasses their passion for Frederick and Maryland, is eco-friendly and supports soy farming.
“Something we have always wanted to incorporate in our business is our passion and love for Maryland,” says Shelby. “We were born and raised here. So when Jason asked me what I thought about naming the company Whiskey Bottom, which is a road and refers to an area where his grandmother lived, I loved it! We thought it would be perfect if we used recycled liquor bottles and wine bottles to make it make sense and to connect the name.”
Shelby says, “I think Frederick is really a great community in that they do support local artisans and shop small. We felt a sense of community, particularly through the relationships we have at Sweet Clover and the local distilleries. You get the sense that everyone is pulling for you and wishing you success. We had individuals who gave us wine bottles, and bars and restaurants saved their bottles for us, too. We used what we could and recycled the rest, which turned out to be a couple of tons of glass. Through that, we joined the Maryland green registry, and we used green wrap for shipping and other recyclable packaging,” says Shelby.
Making the candles is a labor-intensive process. From gathering the bottles to the finishing touches, it takes days for Jason, the skillful artisan, to bring a beautiful and fragrant product to the consumer.
Shelby says, “We begin with our bottles and get them from many sources, including our distilling and meade partners. We pick up the heavy pallets of glass and take them to the warehouse, where, for some bottles, it’s necessary to soak and remove the labels. Jason then cuts the bottles, and through a four-step grinding process followed by polishing, he gets the newly crafted containers ready to receive the wicks and wax. Wicks are set and stabilized with a tool that holds it in place while the candles are poured and dried.”
“We work in small batches,” Jason says. “So after heating the wax and placing the wicks, I mix in the fragrance and hand pour each candle. They’ll sit overnight, and we do a finishing step with the candles the next day, followed by placing a topper on each one to protect it. We also place warning labels, and for our partners that are keeping the original labeling, we do a hangtag that tells a little about us and lists the fragrance. If they are choosing a different branding, we then affix the rebranded label, and we personally deliver to our local clients.”
“As our business grew, local bars and distilleries began to ask us to make candles in their bottles with their branding,” Shelby says. “Once we began doing that, it didn’t leave time to go to pick up and reuse all those bottles anymore. We chose to use whiskey glasses to hold our Signature candles because we felt like that was in keeping with our idea to have something people could reuse, and it goes with our whiskey theme. And we have our Heirloom, Evoke, Maryland inspired, Tipsy Talk, and Barnyard Talk candles. And we still create our Special Reserve, which are candles made in salvaged and repurposed liquor bottles of the customer’s choosing.”
Jason acknowledges that it is a labor-intensive craft from start to finish. He says, “It’s a lot more work than people would imagine. It is especially challenging to ship candles in the summertime and sell our products at pop-up shops. A lot of variables come into play when it’s hot out. It’s like shipping ice cream!”
“We enjoy what we do. Having the opportunity to meet so many great people who are often just starting out and are trying to introduce some fun things into their businesses. Creating candles that help them keep their branding by getting their bottle out there in someone’s hands is very rewarding. It has been a great decision to start Whiskey Bottom here in this wonderful community of Frederick, where we look forward to continuing to work with these amazing people,” says Shelby. WhiskeyBottomCandles.com