Kate Magee Joyce | Kate Magee Photography
VA Distillery Association
From 1607, when the first English settlers established a foothold in America at Jamestown, Virginia’s distilled beverages have been lifting spirits in the New World. Among many other firsts, Virginia is credited as the “birthplace of American spirits,” and George Washington is recognized for his efforts toward making distilling a commercial success. But the first colonist to try his hand at distilling in America was an early English settler named George Thorpe.
This particular George (there were so many back in the day), traveled to Jamestown to keep a close eye on his sizable investments and quickly struck up a trading partnership with the Powhatan natives in the area. He discovered that by substituting corn grown by the indigenous peoples for the European barley traditionally used in distilling whiskey, he could create the mash needed to make the drink. By 1620, Thorpe finished his first batch of corn whiskey, but the victory was short-lived. In 1622, he was killed during a clash with the local natives. It would be more than 100 years before corn whiskey would take its place as the most famous Virginia spirit.
Before founding father George Washington was elected as the first American president, he played a pivotal role in making Virginia distilling a viable industry. Washington erected stills at Mount Vernon in the 1770s to make rum, a popular spirit of the time. But after taking advice from his Scottish plantation manager, he planted rye on his farm and began distilling whiskey. Ultimately, Washington became the biggest producer of distilled spirits of the era, making up to 11,000 gallons of whiskey a year at Mount Vernon.
Distilled spirits are beverages made from a fermented mash of grains, fruits or vegetables and “cooked” to purify the product and concentrate the alcohol. The distilling process is what differentiates liquor from beer and wine, which are strictly fermented drinks. Distilled spirits are low in sugar and contain at least 35 percent alcohol by volume. Virginia is one of only 17 “control” states in the U.S., in which a government agency (Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control) manages the sale and distribution of distilled beverages.
The origins of whiskey can be traced back to the Medieval monks of both Ireland and Scotland, and those two countries make their own distinctive styles of their native spirit. So it is with American whiskey — the original concept may have been imported from far away lands, but some 300 years later, American whiskey is a product unto itself, a spirit that can’t be made without corn, an indigenous American grain.
Although Kentucky bourbon is now a fixture in most bars, the product was originally Virginia bourbon. As the United States began evolving into a new nation, the Commonwealth of Virginia redrew its county lines, separating Fincastle County into three new counties: Kentucky, Washington and Montgomery. Farmers looking for new lands to plant moved into the area and started to make spirits almost immediately. Their whiskey had a distinctive trait — barrel aging — that separated it from previous distillers. These Virginians found that storing the whiskey in charred oak barrels gave it a beautifully dark color and a flavor superior to unaged whiskeys. In 1792, this western portion of Virginia broke off, becoming the state of Kentucky. So while Kentucky may be known for its bourbon, it all started in the Old Dominion.
As settlers began to migrate westward, they realized the advantages of distilled spirits over beer. Although beer was much more palatable with everyday meals, it was hard to store for long periods of time without it spoiling, while liquor could be kept almost indefinitely. In addition, transporting large amounts of corn and rye presented problems, as the roads were primitive and lugging wagon loads of grain was slow and cumbersome. Transforming corn or rye into spirits allowed for a smaller, more compact load.
Dan Currier
And nothing went to waste when distilling; the farmers could utilize the spent grains as feed for their livestock. In Virginia, a recent example of the conservational benefits of distilling is A. Smith Bowman, a farmer in 1935 who began producing the still-popular Virginia Gentleman Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Bowman grew the grains for the whiskey on his own farm, used trees from his lands to craft the barrels that would store the whiskey, and used the spent mash to feed his farm animals. A. Smith Bowman Distillery, located in Spotsylvania County near Fredericksburg, is Virginia’s oldest operating distillery. Between 1935 and sometime in the 50s, Bowman was the only legal whiskey distillery in the state.
Patrick Perkins
Distilled beverages in Virginia have traveled a twisting path — through wars, taxation and prohibition. But Virginia distillers were a stubborn group, and so “moonshine” was born — a clear, unaged whiskey that could be quickly and efficiently (and illegally) produced in hidden, homemade stills and transported by night. Even after the repeal of prohibition in 1934, moonshine stayed in the backwoods as an unlawfully made product, while other distilled spirits resumed their legal production. In 1935, the U.S. government indicted 80 people from Franklin County, Virginia, for the illegal production and distribution of moonshine, in an event that came to be known as the Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial. Franklin County produced the highest volume of illegal liquor in the country, earning the informal title of “Moonshine Capital of the World.” During the Prohibition Era, more sugar was imported to Franklin County, Virginia, than to New York City.
Due to the struggles that the Virginia spirits industry has faced since its American introduction, it’s no surprise that Prohibition did not immediately end the problems associated with legal distilling. The state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) system, set up with the fall of Prohibition in 1934, made small batch distilling virtually impossible for more than 65 years.
Periodic attempts to legalize spirit production for personal use have failed. A major reason is that alcohol is one of the most heavily taxed of consumer goods; more than half of the retail price of a bottle of liquor goes to state and federal authorities. But in the past few decades, Virginia distillers have pushed for more progress. They persuaded Virginia lawmakers to allow distillers to offer tastings and product sales on-site rather than strictly in ABC stores. In 2004, Virginia became part of the American Whiskey Trail, a route that traces world-class whiskey along the Eastern United States. Virginia also has its own spirits trail — today there are about 56 licensed distilleries in the state and at least seven more with licenses pending.
“It’s an exciting time to be part of the craft spirits and craft cocktail movement,” said Amy Ciarametaro, executive director of the Virginia Distillers Association (VDA). The VDA is a nonprofit private trade association focusing on increasing awareness of Virginia’s growing craft spirits industry, as well as the regulatory and legislative needs of the industry. National momentum created by the success of wineries and breweries paved the way for an increase in demand for craft and premium spirits, which now represent the fastest-growing segment of the alcoholic beverage industry. In a broad study backed by the American Craft Spirits Association that is being billed as a first-of-its-kind deep dive into the craft spirits movement, the industry reportedly achieved $2.4 billion in retail sales in 2015, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 27.4 percent in volume, according to Fortune Magazine.
Makers have won over consumers in part by launching an array of new flavorful products, like honey and cinnamon flavored whiskeys and creatively infused spirits. The cocktail scene has enjoyed a much-needed renaissance, with designer cocktails becoming all the rage in many forward-looking restaurants and bars. Many of the brands are also able to sell drinkers on the historic legacy stories for their brands, some of which are hundreds of years old and still family controlled. Those stories are persuasive to millennials, says Fortune.
Virginia’s thriving culinary landscape also sets the stage for a vibrant craft cocktail environment, Ciarametaro said. “Spirit beverages go right along with that.” Most recently, Richmond was named one of America’s “30 Most Exciting Food Cities” in 2017 by Zagat Survey, which collects and analyzes ratings and reviews from diners across the country.
Virginia’s climate and agricultural profile, like those of Kentucky and Tennessee, provide fertile ground for craft distilling. Most of the raw materials used by Virginia makers can be farmed locally, Ciarametaro said. What makes the products distinctive is the unique finishing and resting processes, as well as the artistic innovations of master distillers — like using native applewood and cherrywood smoke to flavor the malt, as opposed to more traditional peat smoke.
Patrick Perkins
Virginia-made spirits go far beyond classic whiskies like bourbon, rye, single malt, blended whiskey and moonshine. Local distillers also offer brandy, rum, vodka, gin, and even more obscure products such as absinthe.
One particularly crafty concoction is Richmond’s James River Distillery’s Oster Vit, a local twist on Aquavit (meaning “water of life”), a traditional Scandinavian spirit. Starting with the classic Aquavit recipe combining caraway, fennel and orange peel, James River then steeps the distillate in oyster shells procured from Rappahannock River Oysters in Topping, to produce an Old World spirit with New World flair.
When considering the abundance of distilled products crafted by Virginia makers, there is sure to be an interesting spirit to tempt even the most adventurous connoisseur. “You can find your ‘home’ or never drink the same thing twice,” Ciarametaro said. In the interest of research and supporting the locals, try a craft cocktail recipe featuring some of Virginia’s finest spirit artists. For more recipes and information about distillers in the Old Dominion, visit the VDA website at www.virginiaspirits.org or www.abc.virginia.gov.
All photos courtesy of the Virginia Distillers Association.
GIMME SOME LOVIN’
Featuring Copper Fox Distillery, Williamsburg. Adapted from a recipe submitted to the VDA by Matthew Black of Triangle restaurant, Williamsburg.
Ingredients:
• 1 oz. Copper Fox Rye
• 1 oz. ginger wine
• 1 oz. blueberry puree
• Club soda
• Blueberries and mint leaves
Preparation:
Add whiskey, ginger wine and blueberry puree in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain the mixture into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Top with club soda. Garnish with blueberries and mint leaves.
CINN-A-MINT JULEP
Featuring Ragged Branch Distillery, Charlottesville. Submitted to the VDA by Josh Rossiter of Ragged Branch Bourbon.
Ingredients:
• 2 oz. Ragged Branch Bourbon
• 1/2 oz. cinnamon clove simple syrup*
• 2 dashes angostura bitters
• Club soda
• 5 large mint leaves
Cinnamon Clove Simple Syrup*
Combine 1/2 cup Sugar In The Raw, 1/2 cup water, 1 cinnamon stick, and 5 whole cloves in a sauce pan. Simmer for five minutes (Be sure all sugar is dissolved). Let spices sit in hot syrup until it is cooled and then remove.
Preparation:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker full of ice and shake hard for 17 seconds. Strain liquid over crushed ice (In a copper mug if you have one). Garnish with mint leaves.
THE REVOLUTIONARY MOJITO
Featuring Eight Shires Distillery, Williamsburg. Submitted to the VDA by David Everett of Blue Talon Bistro, Williamsburg.
Ingredients:
• 2 1/2 oz. Eight Shires Yorktown Silver Rum
• Juice of one whole lime
• 15 fresh mint leaves
• 3/4 oz. simple syrup
Preparation:
Muddle the mint leaves and simple syrup in a hurricane glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice. Add rum and lime juice, and stir with a long cocktail spoon until well mixed.