Today, we visited the A. Smith Bowman Distillery located in Fredericksburg, Virginia for their free tour and taste sampling. Apparently the A. Smith Bowman Distillery is, also, the oldest distillery in Virginia. This distillery produces award winning spirits.
A. Smith Bowman Distillery’s doors are painted bright red. There are also tables to sit on outside on the lawn area.
Allison, our friendly tour guide, guided us through the distillery. She is polite, knowledgeable about the distillery process, and her presentation is interesting to hear.
A. Smith Bowman Distillery Products on a bar under the “Virginia is for Lovers” lettering.
The Tour
Our first stop at the distillery is the bottling room. She said, during the era of post-pandemic shortages, the distillery was unable to bottle certain products, because they couldn’t get the Italian-glass bottles they use.
Bottling Room on today’s visit.
We were next taken up a long flight of steps and to the actual stills which are nicknamed Mary and George. Each still holds 2,000 gallons and uses corn-based mash. The room is filled with industrial-looking elements of the still. However, if I’m not mistaken, the curl at the top of this one still does not have any actual purpose, other than looking cool.
End of Tour and Taste Testing
We ended up where the tour begun. They had nicely set up samples of their products for those who wanted a test tasting. The tables were recycled distillery barrels. We also visited the ABC Store no. 91 on the premises. We noticed they not only sell their distilled products but also their recycled empty oak barrels, beverage glasses and t-shirts.
A. Smith Bowman Distillery History
Our tour guide, stated the distillery was not always located at this Fredericksburg site but began in what is now known as Reston, VA.
According to my online research, it all started back in 1927, when A. Smith Bowman, Sr., a Kentucky-born entrepreneur, distiller and farmer bought property on Sunset Hills now known as Reston, VA. Yes, I lived in Reston and know exactly where Sunset Hills is. Back then, Bowman also founded the first fox hunt in Fairfax County.
Bowman was a farmer and didn’t start his distillery operation until after Prohibition. The grain he grew on the farm was used to make his bourbon whiskey. He also used farm workers to help in the distillery.
In 1969, A. Smith Bowman Jr. and his brother E. Delong Bowman decided to sell all their Reston holdings, but 60-acres, to realty developers. They, in turn, sold the land to Robert E. Simon. Simon had visions of a planned community and the site later became known as Reston, VA.
The current A. Smith Bowman Distillery building in Fredericksburg dates back to 1928 and the company was founded in 1935.
Oak Barrels
Prior to starting the distillery tour, we viewed a portion of a barrel making video shown in the main floor area. According to the video, making an oak barrel, is an important step in making bourbon whiskey.
American White Oak is used and wooden staves are tightly positioned in such a way, the barrels don’t leak. Inserting the staves is almost like putting a puzzle together. The barrel heads are inserted manually and the rings insure the barrels keeps their shape.
One the last steps, is using propane torches to blacken the insides of the barrels. For bourbon whiskey, this charcoal layer caramelizes the wood sugars and produces the deep amber colors of the finished product.
Ending Notes on A. Smith Bowman Distillery Blog
Please forgive me if I have any of the historic details or distillery info. incorrect. I was looking at two sites for the information plus trying to take notes on the tour.
I definitely recommend taking the free tour and the taste testing. However, if you want the tour, please register online. And, yes, you can definitely smell the sweet aroma of bourbon waffling throughout the distillery.
Resource Sites: The Herndon Patch, “Remember Herndon’s History, Barbara Glakas.
A Big Thank You to Allison for the great tour of the A. Smith Bowman Distillery and for allowing me to take certain photographs and to blog about my experience.