SPVAQ32021 - 12

DISTILLERIES
Mountfair
Earlysville
ALBEMARLE
COUNTY
B
Batesville
A
North Garden
Blenheim
Charlottesville
C
Keswick
Toomy, " We are a totally sustainable
operation. We grow all our grains,
make whiskey and age and bottle it
here ... and recycle our cooling water
every day. "
Ragged Branch whiskies are
Esmont
available at Virginia ABC stores and
at the distillery. If you visit the tasting
room, you'll experience a comfortable
atmosphere in a converted home. From
the tasting room patio facing the Blue
Ridge Mountains, you can bask in, says
Toomy, " some of the best views in
Albemarle County. " While there, pick
up some Ragged Branch beef, raised
on the farm and fed with the distillery's
spent grain.
1015 Taylors Gap Rd., Charlottesville
RaggedBranch.com
B
Central Virginia:
Charlottesville Distilleries
Virginia ABC carries more than 200 Virginia-made
products, including ones from these distilleries in
Charlottesville.
W
hat's better than sipping a
quality spirit? Knowing that the
product came from a nearby distillery!
Supporting the local economy
has become even more enjoyable,
thanks to delightful spirits produced
by independent Virginia distilleries.
Creative distillers offer a variety of
whiskies, gins, rums, liqueurs and more.
While many Commonwealth brands are
available through your local ABC store,
you can experience many at distillery
tasting rooms, in tasters and cocktails.
A
Ragged Branch Distillery
Back when cofounder Alex Toomy
was exploring the distillery business, he
called renowned master distiller Dave
Pickerell to get a recommendation for a
consultant. By happy chance, Pickerell
12 VIRGINIA ABC | ABC.VIRGINIA.GOV
had just retired from Maker's Mark.
Today, every sip of Ragged Branch
bourbon and rye whiskey comes from
a distilling process, recipes and yeast
strain as established for the distillery
by Dave Pickerell.
" We don't deviate from that
formula, " says Toomy. That same
formula, he adds, derives from the
Maker's Mark lineage back through
Pappy Van Winkle and Stitzel-Weller.
Another distinction of Ragged
Branch whiskey starts on the 1,000
acres of farmland surrounding the
distillery and tasting room. Every
drop of the bourbon begins with grain
grown on land owned or leased by
Ragged Branch and uses well water
from Virginia's piedmont. It is then
aged for at least four years. And, says
Vitae Spirits Distillery
Community and creativity, plus
science and industry experience,
make up the soul of Vitae Spirits
Distillery. Founder Ian Glomski
represents the science: He was a
professor of microbiology, plus a
brewer, winemaker, creator of artisanal
foods and microbe geek, trained at the
Pasteur Institute of Paris. Eric Glomski
provides the experience: a " pioneer " of
the Arizona wine industry, he founded
two wineries. So what about the
community and creativity?
To the producers at Vitae Spirits,
" terroir " constitutes not simply local
soil and climate, but also the local
community, as demonstrated in their
creative and award-winning spirits.
The Orange Liqueur, for example, uses
" hardy oranges " found around Central
Virginia, and Damson Gin Liqueur uses
the classic Virginia damson plum;
Golden Rum is made with fresh sugar
cane grilled on house-made charcoal,
in collaboration with Charlottesville's
Ace Biscuit & Barbecue; and Coffee
Liqueur draws from nearby Mudhouse
Coffee Roasters.
Other spirits include white, spiced,
and smoked rum, anisette, modern gin
http://www.RaggedBranch.com http://ABC.VIRGINIA.GOV
SPVAQ32021

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