Virginia Gentlemen

The largest still in Virginia lies only 25 miles from Washington, practically under the nose of the government. It still ferments its mash in cypress tubs and distills it in the traditional copper pipes. Like other Virginia stills, it is family-owned (the two brothers who now manage it represent the second generation); and, like other Virginia stills, it gets frequent visits from the Feds. Yet when the revenuers come, they bring cash-boxes, not axes—for, unlike all other Virginia stills, this one, the home of Virginia Gentleman bourbon, is legal.

A name like Virginia Gentleman conjures up images of periwigged an

About the Author

Richard Brookhiser

Historian Richard Brookhiser is a senior editor of National Review and a senior fellow at the National Review Institute.

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The largest still in Virginia lies only 25 miles from Washington, practically under the nose of the government. It still ferments its mash in cypress tubs and distills it in the traditional copper pipes. Like other Virginia stills, it is family-owned (the two brothers who now manage it represent the second generation); and, like other Virginia stills, it gets frequent visits from the Feds. Yet when the revenuers come, they bring cash-boxes, not axes—for, unlike all other Virginia stills, this one, the home of Virginia Gentleman bourbon, is legal.

A name like Virginia Gentleman conjures up images of periwigged an