In the Commonwealth, September is celebrated as Virginia Spirits Month, a time to honor the state’s rich distilling heritage and highlight local distilleries.
Virginia, often recognized as the birthplace of American spirits, significantly contributes to the Commonwealth’s economy.
With a history dating back to the 1600s when corn was first used to distill American whiskey.
Jack Gorman, executive director of the Virginia Spirits Board Marketing Office, said, “George Thorp in Jamestown is where the documentation of the first distillation of corn took place so we really claim that heritage and we’ve been making spirits longer here in Virginia than anywhere else in the country and even before other states were even thoughts about.”
According to the Virginia Spirits Board, the distilling industry had a total economic impact of $1.1 billion in 2022 and employs over 3,000 people across the state.
Gorman explained, “It’s distillers buying grains from local farmers, it’s buying glassware, it’s buying barrels produced here in Virginia to put the spirits in and age them in, it’s trucking, it’s employees in the distillers, it’s tourism, all of that factors in.”
Supporting local distilleries is crucial not only for the community but also for the industry as a whole.
Twin Creeks Distillery tells us Virginia Spirits Month is a huge month for business. They hope people will come by and buy Virginia-made that is passed through generations.
It fosters economic growth, encourages local craftsmanship, and strengthens community ties.
Jayson Hudson, co-founder and director of operations for JH Bards emphasizes, “With the folks coming directly to our distillery and tasting room and being able to purchase our products directly from us rather than going to ABC, you know we get a lot of interactions and have that local feel. They get to talk to us and learn our story versus being a bottle on a wall somewhere.”
The tradition of distilling remains strong with modern distilleries like JH Bards in Blacksburg, which prioritizes using local ingredients. Jayson Hudson, co-founder and director of operations for JH Bards, said, “The thing that makes really good whiskey is primarily the water and we got great limestone water all over, especially this portion of Virginia, great local grains, farmers growing amazing products that we are trying to utilize on a local basis. And just knowing that what came before us was historic and life-changing for a lot of folks.”
In celebration of Virginia Spirits Month, JH Bards, Twin Creeks Distillery, along with many other local distilleries, is offering a 20 percent discount on their products.
All videos used from the distilling process are given from Twin Creeks Distillery.
Click here for a map of Virginia distilleries across Virginia.