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James River Distillery

About

The James River Distillery is located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia. Our team is hard at work using world-class Vendome stills to make regionally focused, craft distilled spirits. Relying on over 20 years of alcohol production experience and the highest quality, organic ingredients, the James River Distillery's exciting and unique line up of products is designed to capture the imagination of bartenders and make spirit lovers rejoice.

Our Process

Every batch of our gin is handcrafted from mashing to bottling. After the mash of organic malted barley and Virginia corn finishes fermentation it is first distilled in a 500 gallon stainless steel Vendome pot still, followed by a second distillation in a 100 gallon copper Vendome spirit still. It is during the third and final distillation in a 20 foot rectification column that the alcohol vapor is passed through the "gin basket" that holds our blend of botanicals. Using this rare vapor infusion method to craft our gin allows for the capture of delicate aromas and flavors, creating a truly unique and exceptional spirit.

Products

Commonwealth Gin: A western style gin that uses 10 different botanicals including 2 different hop varieties (Cascade and Amarillo). This gin has greater complexity and depth of flavor than your average juniper heavy gin and includes some subtle notes of cantaloupe on the finish.

Continental Gin: A more traditional, “London Dry”, style gin. This gin is juniper-forward but still has some unique notes with 9 different botanicals including; coriander, cardamom, sarsaparilla, and angelica root.

UA-A Navy Strength Gin: at 114 proof. Even at the higher proof this gin maintains its lovely citrus notes with a hint of cardamom on the finish. The higher proof gives bigger body and flavor to the gin and gives more dimension to a cocktail.

Aquavit-Øster Vit: A truly Virginian take on an Aquavit, the traditional Scandinavian spirit (meaning “water of life”). We start by crafting a triple distilled spirit before combining the Old World-style flavor of Aquavit with some New World flair: Using several pounds of oyster shells, we steep the distillate for 48 hours along with caraway, fennel and orange peel, before doing one final distillation. This spirit is delicious straight or can be used in just about any drink that traditionally calls for vodka or gin.

Jackson & James: This rum is a collaborative effort between James River Distillery and some of the talented bartenders in the Jackson Ward district of our home in Richmond, Virginia. Jackson & James Copper Pot Rum is made from the finest unrefined sugar and is handcrafted from the fermenter to the finish in a copper pot. Even at 94 Proof, the soft caramel and toffee notes of J&J ensures this rum will make a smooth and interesting addition to any collection of spirits.

Arctic Snow: A collaboration vodka with the band, Gwar, Arctic Snow is a potato vodka that is sure to please Bohabs and pedestrians alike. Arctic Snow is 80 proof and triple distilled for the perfect balance of flavor and smoothness. It will be making its debut at GwarBQ on August 19th 2016 and will be available at James River Distillery’s store thereafter.

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