500 Barrels of Fun:

It’s been just over 7 months since we fired up our copper stills to produce the very first batch of Virginia Single Malt, and although that incredible moment still feels like yesterday, we’re so proud to announce that we filled our 500th barrel this month! Our distillery team has been hard at work making whisky and filling barrels – judging by the beautiful spirit running off the still, Virginia Single Malt is going to be well-worth the wait.

See for yourself what all the fun is about. Join us for the Virginia Whisky Experience to learn more about Virginia Single Malt and our production process. Tours are offered daily on a variable schedule. For more information and to book a tour (and tastings), visit us online at http://vadistillery.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bc7abbe9bcccc654437ea6d18&id=44e09f5611&e=4ead9d863b.

Hooray for Virginia: Cocktails Now Being Served!

Virginia’s new law takes effect today, which means we can now serve full-sized cocktails at the Visitors Center. This is in light of a new law that increases the tasting limit to 3 ounces per person, per day. We’re adding a full-sized version of our seasonal, the Shenandoah Peach.

We’ve put a summertime twist on the classic whisky sour by adding a hint of peach, the perfect use for all of the delicious local peaches coming from Chiles Family Orchard. Better start planning your trip!

If you can’t make it in to see us, try the recipe at home. It is sure to please friends and family, just in time for the holiday weekend.

This recipe makes one cocktail: 1.5 ounces of Virginia Highland Malt 1 ounce of lime juice 1 ounce of lemon juice 1 ounce of peach simple syrup (see recipe below) Slice of fresh peach from a place like Chiles Family Orchards and a sprig of mint to garnish Combine the ingredients in a glass. Fill the glass with ice and stir. Garnish with a peach slice and mint sprig. Sit back and enjoy! To make peach simple syrup: Bring 3 cups distilled water to a boil in a 2 to 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat. Add 3 cups of sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and add 4 peach tea bags. Let steep for 20 minutes and then remove the tea bags. You may put leftover simple syrup into a container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Now Accepting Private Event Requests:

We’re excited to start sharing the Visitors Center and grounds with guests for private event rental requests. We offer flexible use based on party size and event style, between our interior space and our outdoor patio and porch. In addition, we have room for tent set-ups for larger groups. We can work with caterers and provide assistance with cocktails and the bar elements. If you have a small wedding, family celebration or corporate event coming up, shoot an email to events@vadistillery.com with event details to get rate information.

Updated Hours:

Today, we introduce a slightly modified tour schedule. Tours will run daily at 11:30AM (except for Sundays), 1:30PM and 3:30PM. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, we’ve added a 4:30PM tour. Starting July 17th, we’ll be opening the Visitors Center at 12PM on Sundays. That’s an extra hour to enjoy Virginia Highland Malt!

Upcoming Events:

Midsummer Drams and Jams, July 16, Visitors Center: Get out of the sun and under the shade of our outdoor patio umbrellas  for some whisky, music and fun to celebrate midsummer! Enjoy sipping on our award winning Virginia Highland Malt Whisky while listening to the regionally praised talent Willie DE play guitar from 2-5PM.

Two Brothers Food Truck will be on site from 12-5PM.  Farm Country Feast, July 16, 6-9PM, Richmond: This all-inclusive inaugural event will be held in the beautiful ballroom of John Marshall Hotel in downtown Richmond from 6PM to 9PM. Tickets include tastings of Virginia Highland Malt Whisky along with dozens of other Virginia craft beverages and a full menu of smoked, southern, soul & Cajun cuisine from some of RVA’s finest chefs. Don’t miss this!

Central Virginia Blues Society Festival, July 23, 4 – 10PM, RVCC: We’ll be serving our Virginia Highland Malt Whisky at Central Virginia Blue Society Blues Festival. Join a wonderful group of talented musicians for the CVBS’s, 1st Blues festival at Rockfish Valley Community Center. This will be the first of hopefully many festivals from the CVBS. There will be local food, beer, wine, spirits and vendors on hand.

Wintergreen Summer Music Series,  July 26, 7 – 8:30PM, RVCC: Bring a blanket and a picnic dinner, and enjoy the festive sounds of Albemarle Pipes and Drums, a traditional Scottish and British Isles-style pipe and drum corps from Charlottesville, Virginia for “No Plaid Required”. We’ll be serving our Virginia Highland Malt Whisky from 7PM-8:30PM to top off this Scottish-themed event, one of several included in the Wintergreen Summer Music Series. Donations will be shared between Wintergreen Performing Art’s and Albemarle Pipes’ educational initiatives and Rockfish Valley Community Center’s community work.

Veritas Wine and Whisky Dinner, at the Farmhouse, July 29: Join Virginia Distillery Company along with the team at  Veritas for a fun and delicious evening of  wine and whisky. The dinner will be at the Farmhouse at Veritas, and each course will be paired with a Veritas wine or a Virginia Highland Malt cocktail, or poured neat. Ticket information will be posted soon – check the events section of our website soon for booking information.

Barrels, Bottles & Casks, July 29 & 30, Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest: We’re venturing to Popular Forest’s Barrels, Bottles, and Casks for a second time this year by popular demand! This event returns with a focus on the beverages and spirits Thomas Jefferson and the plantation’s enslaved community consumed during the hot summer months. These guided tours begin in Jefferson’s kitchen and progress through the house with stops along the way to sample different 19th century beverages and share insights into the types of foods enjoyed on the plantation during Jefferson’s time. We will be serving up our version of the historic Cherry Bounce, a favorite cocktail among our founding fathers.  Tours are available Friday, July 29 and Saturday, July 30 at 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. each night. Admission is $25 per person and can be purchased here or by calling the Museum Shop at 434.534.8120.