In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and in partnership with Virginia’s American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250) and Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control, the Virginia Spirits Board led a rare collaboration among nine Virginia distillers to create a limited-edition trio pack of three spirits with historic importance to the commonwealth: rum, whiskey and gin. The Virginia Spirits 250th Celebration Trio Pack, inspired by the spirits that shaped Virginia’s early industrial history, highlights the flavors that define the commonwealth and the landscapes from which they emerge.
Each spirit was created through rigorous taste testing among three blending teams. The trio pack contains an information card with exact blend details; the blending teams and contributing distilleries are as follows:
- Rum (Coast): Led by Barry Haneberg, Virago Spirits
- Team: Pete Morgner, Vitae Spirits, Chuck Miller, Belmont Farm Distillery & Chris Richeson, Chesapeake Bay Distillery
- Four-Grain Whiskey (Heartland): Led by Amanda Beckwith, Virginia Distillery Co.
- Team: Scott Harris, Catoctin Creek & Chuck Miller, Belmont Farm Distillery
- The whiskey blend also includes spirits from Reservoir Distillery and Ironclad Distillery
- Gin (Mountains): Led by Peter Ahlf, Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery
- Team: Pete Morgner, Vitae Spirits & Barry Haneberg, Virago Spirits
The box and label design was commissioned by the Virginia Spirits Board through an extensive selection process and awarded to Norfolk-based artist Mark Todd. Todd’s design features a triptych-style box set featuring individual bottle artwork that forms a continuous image of the James River as it flows through Virginia’s three distinct biomes: mountains, heartlands and coast. Each section of the river corresponds with a spirit: gin, whiskey and rum, respectively.
The box includes a window in the shape of the James River, allowing the bottles to be viewed inside. The river serves as a connector between the three regions and nods to the shared spirit that runs through all Virginians.
“The Virginia Spirits 250th Celebration Trio Pack is the culmination of more than a year of planning, creativity and collaboration among Virginia’s craft distilling industry,” said Becky Harris, president of the Virginia Distillers Association. “The time and energy put into the project will be evident to anyone who sees it and especially to those who are lucky enough to taste the final products. Each contributor, from Mark Todd’s beautiful designs to the distillers who crafted and blended the spirits to the production team who bottled and assembled the packages, knew they were part of something truly special and a truly collaborative effort that is a trademark of Virginia’s distilling community.”
Carly Fiorina, national honorary chair of the VA250 Commission, added: “From the ideas debated in our historic towns to the moments that shaped a nation, America was made in Virginia. As the birthplace of American spirits, Virginia continues to carry that legacy forward. VA250 is proud to support this collaboration, bringing together some of the Commonwealth’s most talented distillers. This project showcases the creativity and strength of Virginia’s spirits industry while honoring its rich traditions. We’re excited to share these spirits with Virginians and visitors alike as part of this milestone celebration.”