The Virginia Birthplace of American Spirits Collection: The Coast Rum

"America's first spirit was rum... For a solid 150-plus years, that's what we drank." -- Barry Hanenberg of Virago Spirits (CBS6 Richmond Interview)

And somehow we have forgotten that fact. Rum was the widely produced in the colonies, with New England distilleries converting Caribbean molasses into a domestic staple as early as the 1640s . By the mid‑18th century, rum was so embedded in daily life that consumption reached an estimated fourteen liters per person annually, effectively making it the national drink of colonial America. British taxation-- starting with the Molasses Act of 1733 and then the Sugar Act of 1764 -- choked off affordable molasses imports, crippling the industry and paving the way for whiskey’s rise after the Revolution. Prohibition dealt another blow, and when legal drinking returned in 1933, Americans largely favored imported Caribbean rum rather than rebuilding a domestic tradition.

Today. several entities are attempting to rebuild this American Rum tradition such as Caroline Porsiel, Founder & CEO, House of Applejay Distillery and Co-Founder of the American Brandy & Rum (AMBRu) Campaign as well as BevFluence and their timely TERROIR campaign,  a multi-dimensional campaign across seven locked categories: Touriga Nacional and Portuguese varietals, Emerging spirits, Riesling, Rum, Obscure, Italian varietals, and Rye. A third entity is the Virginia Spirits Guild, who in partnership with the Virginia Spirits Board, the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, and Virginia ABC, created the The Virginia: Birthplace of American Spirits Collection. This is a limited‑edition three‑bottle release to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary and to highlight the Commonwealth’s foundational role in early American distillation. The trio of spirits includes a botanical gin, a four‑grain whiskey, and an aged rum—each designed to reflect a different geographic and historical dimension of Virginia’s distilling heritage

The rum in the collection - nicknamed the Coast expression -- was crafted under the leadership of Barry Hanenberg of Virago Spirits, who brought together the complementary strengths of Vitae Spirits, Belmont Farm Distillery, and Chesapeake Bay Distillery to create a blend that reflects Virginia’s Tidewater identity and its deep colonial ties to the molasses trade. Drawing on rums contributed by three of the partner distilleries, the team built a spirit averaged 7.5 years of age and weighing in at a robust 105‑proof. From the same CBS6Richmond interview, Hanenberg refers to the Coast as "a sipping rum" that will surprise whiskey drinkers with preconceived notions.  It provides a complex experience, with layers of what I would describe as honey and caramel drizzled on toasted macadamia nuts between earthiness, and oak inspired baking notes. 

The individual components of the rum were driven by each contributor's distilling philosophy. According to anonymous sources, Virago’s house style is rooted in their Caribbean‑influenced pot‑still and a focus on layered, oxidative depth. Their contribution shaped the blend’s weight, mid‑palate richness, and molasses‑forward profile. Vitae Spirits added the brightest, most aromatic elements in the blend. Known for their cane‑juice‑driven distillation and precision fermentation, Vitae’s rum brought lift, tropical notes, and grassy freshness beneath the deeper molasses tones. Belmont Farm Distillery contributed a traditional pot‑still rum that added rusticity, structure, and oak‑leaning edges. And finally, Chesapeake Bay Distillery supplied a clean, column‑still‑driven rum that helped lengthen the finish, sharpen the structure, and keep the blend from becoming overly dense.

"No one goes to the liquor store and says, 'Let me get that American rum.' That category doesn't exist yet. That's what we need to create, and I think when people taste this, they're going to start thinking differently about the rums they can get from the continental United States." -- Barry Hanenberg of Virago Spirits (CBS6 Richmond Interview)

Let's toast to America’s 250th anniversary, the Virginia distilling tradition, and the revival of the American Rum category.  

The Virginia: Birthplace of American Spirits Collection

The Virginia: Birthplace of American Spirits Collection is a limited‑edition three‑bottle release created by the Virginia Spirits Guild to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary and to highlight the Commonwealth’s foundational role in early American distillation. Produced in partnership with the Virginia Spirits Board, the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, and Virginia ABC, the collection represents one of the most collaborative blending efforts in the state’s modern craft‑spirits era, with only 2,400 sets made available statewide. 

The trio includes a botanical gin, a four‑grain whiskey, and an aged rum—each designed to reflect a different geographic and historical dimension of Virginia’s distilling heritage. The gin was crafted by Peter Ahlf and Kimberly Nuckols of Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery with blending support from Barry Haneberg of Virago Spirits and Peter Morgner of Vitae Spirits. It draws on a London Dry structure featuring Italian juniper, angelica, coriander, orris root, and lemon peel layered with Virginia botanicals such as pawpaw, rose, sassafras, and sumac to evoke the aromatic character of the state’s mountain landscapes. 

The whiskey is a blend of select barrels from Ironclad Distillery, Virginia Distillery Co., Catoctin Creek, and Reservoir Distillery anchored by a five‑year bourbon, then a seven‑year American single malt, a seven‑year rye whiskey, and a six-year wheat whiskey to represent the grain‑rich agricultural heartland that shaped early American whiskey traditions. 

The rum, guided by Barry Haneberg of Virago Spirits with support from Vitae Spirits, Belmont Farm, and Chesapeake Bay Distillery, reflects Virginia’s Tidewater history and its longstanding connection to maritime molasses trade, resulting in a coastal‑influenced rum rooted in early colonial production. 

All three bottles are housed in a triptych‑style box illustrated by Norfolk artist Mark Todd, depicting the James River flowing from mountains to heartland to coast—a visual metaphor for the waterways that carried Virginia’s spirits traditions across four centuries. Together, the collection serves as a once‑in‑a‑generation tribute to Virginia’s claim as the birthplace of American spirits and the enduring craft that continues to define the state’s distilling community.

Pomme and Perry Showcase: Pet-Nat Cider with Farmstead Cider

Pet-Nat cider is a type of sparkling cider that finishes its primary fermentation in the bottle, producing a natural carbonation. It's full name is Pétillant Naturel and is also referred in the wine world as Méthode Ancestrale -- the oldest method of producing sparkling wine. This process involves bottling the wine or cider before it has fully completed its first fermentation, allowing the natural sugars in the juice to produce carbon dioxide. This is a delicate art form since bottling too late results in less effervescence and too early -- possible catastrophe. The ideal result is a softly fizzy, and usually hazy and funky cider from the unfiltered yeast particles.

In the Pomme and Perry Showcase, Jackson Hole Wyoming's Farmstead Cider entered their Teton Pet-Nat ($21). This delicious sparkling cider started with a wild ferment then was bottled just before going dry, producing a beautiful effervescent, hazy, and slightly funky sparkling cider. For a little change of pace we also added a shot of Virago Spirits Cherry Liqueur which elevated the experience -- brought back memories of picking Idaho and Wyoming cherries. 

Farmstead Cider also has an interesting backstory and harvest history as it became the first commercial cidery in Wyoming in over 100 years.  Apparently grizzly bears have been drawn out of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks into urban communities foraging for apples -- putting them in direct conflict with humans. To mitigate this problem, Farmstead Cider founders Ian McGregor and Orion Bellorado decided to remove the apples and themselves forage the community for various apples.  In the process they have rediscovered "forgotten 150+ year old apple trees, planting new orchards in places where growing apples was thought to be impossible, and teaching people about high altitude farming along the way". Apparently the high altitude and cold winters of Jackson Hole and the rest of Wyoming create excellent cider apples.

Bear photo courtesy of Farmstead Cider.

Rum in Richmond with Virago Spirits

In the last few months we've visited a plethora of distilleries focusing on rum where this spirit seems to be enjoying a new renaissance of discovery. While visiting Richmond for the Virginia Wine Gala, we ventured into Virago Spirits -- primary because of its proximity to Hardywood Craft Brewery in Richmond's Historic German Brewing District.  Upon entering the tasting room we went through a journey into rum while gazing all the while on their vintage, direct-fire, 2,500-liter Charentais-style alembic still. 

Virago's slogan should be "slow-down" as they slowly distill their spirits using alembic still in  single distillation runs that take 12 hours and 48 hours for a complete distillation cycle (three ‘broullis’ distillations + one ‘bon chauffe’ distillation). This duration allows the distillery to separate out the crude portions of the distillate and to concentrate flavor. The flavor is also enhanced by the direct-fire nature of the still which requires an agitator that keeps the mash moving inside the pot. Without it, heat would be distributed too unevenly, and the mash could scorch. The distillery believes this "adds layers of depth and complexity of flavor". The distillery also slows the process by aging and finishing their rum in various oak treatments. 

However, their flagship and most bartender friendly product is the 151 High Proof Rum. This spirit is made from double-distilled molasses. The touch of expected heat is offset by clean tropical fruits and a layered profile. They also offer a more traditional Classic White Rum at 80 proof that provides a similar flavor profile without the burn.

We then moved into the Four-Point Rum section where this rum is a blend of four major rum destinations: Barbados (8-year-old rum, pot and column distilled, Jamaica (4-year-old rum, pot distilled), Nicaragua (5-8-year-old rum, column distilled), and Panama (6-year-old rum, column distilled). These individual rums are then blended in house to create a beautiful and complex rum - a sipping can cigar rum. This brand is then made even more complex by finishing in other used casks. The Cognac Cask Finished Rum rested for 15 months in freshly-emptied, 30-year-old Grande Champagne cognac casks which adds additional floral and tropical attributes from the nose through the finish. The Ruby Port Cask Finished Rum spent months in freshly-emptied casks of ruby port from Portugal’s Douro Valley which provides earthier and cherry fruit elements to the final rum. A fantastic series. 

Finally, Virago Spirits releases several other gin, liqueur, and apple products such as a very delicious Pommeau and an Apple Brandy still resting. For gin, they offer the Modern Gin with Oolong Tea and the Kali Hibiscus Gin. Since most of their rums are available in the ABC system, I purchased a bottle of Ginjinha - Cherry Liqueur which strongly resembles the similar Portuguese liqueur.  Although the Virago version is made using  tart Montmorency cherries from Michigan and a secret blend of winter spices. Delicious. Also, look at the exceptional glassware they use to provide the flights. Little Libations material.