By Jim Roberts
“Good things come to those who wait.” This is especially true in the world of distilling–where some spirits have to age for years before they are sold and consumed. With this in mind, we reached out to the distillers of Hampton Roads to see what they’re looking forward to in 2025. Here are their responses …
Tucker Casanova, Distillery Manager, 8 Shires Coloniale Distillery: “Look for a push of 8 Shires Spiced Rum in your local ABC store come spring! One of our most exciting ventures in 2025 is the production of our 1618 Jamestowne Bourbon–made from water from the Jamestowne Governor’s Well. It will be ready in time to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary! Capstan Bar Brewing Company has also been aging one of their Belgian Quads in our bourbon barrel for the past year. No date yet, but they will be releasing it in 2025.”
Karl Dorneman, Master Distiller, Reverend Spirits:
“We just launched a rye, which I think is damn good. That is only a 3-year-old but drinks like an 8-year-old. It’s 95% rye and 5% corn. It’s proofed at 86. I think bourbon and rye and all things American whiskey are going to stay strong for the next couple years. We’re not going to vary from that too much. We are looking at doing a couple of projects for private label folks. We have somebody interested in doing an agave spirit and another restaurant group interested in us doing an orange vodka for them. Those should launch next year.”
Owen King, Co-Owner and Distiller, Ironclad Distillery:
“I’m looking forward to my whiskey getting older and maturing beautifully in their barrel homes. I also have a few different varietals of heirloom corn that haven’t been released yet, and they are getting close to their first release. 2025 also brings our first 4-year bottled-in-bond rye, which we are very excited to release in March. We look forward to having more events and more opportunities to share our whiskey with more palates in the commonwealth.”
Sunny Nierstheimer, Marketing Director, Blue Sky Distillery:
“Blue Sky Distillery will begin our R&D Club in the new year, where members will be able to get access to benefits like being able to try new seasonal cocktails before we put them on the menu, as well as being able to have access to new products, like our upcoming Aged Rum we will be releasing in 2025. We’re excited to begin our own cocktail garden, where we will be growing our own garnishes for our cocktails–herbs, fruits, vegetables–to be included in our Farm to Glass premium cocktail menu. These cocktails should be available in late spring, early summer.”
Chris Richeson, Managing Member, Chesapeake Bay Distillery:
“In 2025, Chesapeake Bay Distillery will turn 20 years old! From joining 60 distilleries in the country to over 80 distilleries in the state of Virginia–wow. The fledgling craft spirits market has gained tremendous momentum from patrons looking to enjoy great spirits made locally. I remember a lady telling me that we could not make vodka in Virginia. Now, the level of consumer education has soared, and we look forward to furthering this knowledge and our double gold medal spirits!”
Andrew Yancey, Co-Owner and Operator, Tarnished Truth Distilling Company:
“We are looking forward to 2025 and plan on a few new innovation items in both our spirits line and Coastal Cocktails. We have just recently brought back our Old Cavalier Bourbon, a 7-year bourbon, and will be continuing that roll-out in 2025 throughout the state. We will be doing a few different finished series bourbons (secondary aging of bourbon in various casks like honey casks). We will be developing and launching a membership club for exclusive access to private events, special release bottles and merchandise and a slew of other content and events. We will also be releasing two or three new varietals of our Coastal Cocktails as well as another variety pack.”
Jim Roberts worked at two daily newspapers before turning to public relations and corporate communications. He freelances for Veer Magazine, the Princess Anne Independent News and other local publications.
