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Gareth H. Moore is in his Washington, D.C., office watching four people, at 11 a.m. on a Wednesday, sip whiskey in the Lovingston tasting room of Virginia Distillery Company.
As the distillery’s CEO, Moore, who works in private equity and is a partner in an angel investment firm in the city, livestreams the daily happenings of the distillery so he can better stay connected until the weekend, when he’s on-site in central Virginia.
As the president of the Virginia Distillers Association (VDA), Moore also helps with September’s Virginia Spirits Month. Now in its third year, this month features events throughout the state, like a festival at Fredericksburg’s A. Smith Bowman, plus tastings and tote giveaways at ABC Stores. But it’s also about promoting Virginia-made spirits and supporting the business-side of the industry.
Virginia has over 70 licensed distilleries, according to VDA, which is more than Kentucky or Tennessee. But because the boom is just starting, the regulations need to catch up.
Only recently were distilleries, just like breweries and wineries, allowed to sell bottles at events and festivals. As of this past July, distilleries can now serve cocktails with spirits other than their own.
On this year’s legislative agenda, DVA wants to expand selling hours at ABC stores and distillery-housed ABC stores from noon to 10 a.m., a time restriction not enforced on breweries and wineries. Moore also wants to work with Richmond on upping distilleries’ commission on selling bottles, now at 8 percent. The current price, says Moore, basically gets the distillery to break even, not profit, on costs associated with running a shop out of the distillery (staffing, credit card fees, etc.).
In terms of industry trends, 70 percent of the spirits distilled in Virginia, says Moore, use Virginia agriculture, like corn, barley and wheat. This makes for spirits with a particularly local touch. Moore predicts the commonwealth will “be known for a broad range of whiskeys that break the mold. We’re not trying to copy what’s going on in Kentucky.” He cites John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which medaled at the World Whiskies Awards, and distilleries reaching into lesser-sipped categories of drinks, like James River Distillery’s aquavit and Dida’s Distillery’s grape brandy (check out Northern Virginia Magazine‘s October issue for more on the next wave of American brandy).
“I definitely see more and more people getting interested in brandy,” says Moore. And especially younger brandies, aged for less time, have become popular with bartenders. “Mixology will let brandy shine.” // Virginia Spirits Month
