09/30/2026
September has been a month of celebrating Virginia spirits, and it’s also bourbon Heritage month. But we don’t think one month is enough to celebrate the long heritage and legacy of this truly timeless spirit.
So as we close out September, help us continue celebrating the heritage of this true American spirit.
Bourbon’s story doesn’t start in Kentucky, it starts here. In 1620, colonist George Thorpe distilled corn near Jamestown, one of the earliest known batches of corn wh***ey in America, and the root of what would eventually become bourbon.
Virginia is widely considered the birthplace of American spirits, and this is where that story begins.
Here’s a common misnomer: people think only Kentucky can legally make bourbon. Not true. Bourbon is an American-made product, not a Kentucky-made one. By law, it has to be produced in the US, from a mash of at least 51% corn, aged a new charred oak barrels, entered into the barrel at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at no less than 80 proof.
There are plenty of other federal regulations that come with the title, but at its core, bourbon just has to be made in the United States.
in 1964, Congress made it official.
Through a resolution passed that May, bourbon became the only spirit that can legally carry that title. At the time, bourbon’s popularity was surging, and foreign distillers had started slapping the name on products that had nothing to do with American production.
Congress stepped in and gave bourbon the same protection, already granted to Scotch wh**ky and Cognac, meaning nothing made outside the US can legally be sold here as bourbon 100% American, grain to glass.
As we close at September, we’re also raising a glass to the heritage of the spirit that got its start here in Virginia, known for its versatility and a devoted following of people, both domestic and abroad.
Here at Reservoir we carry that tradition forward every day by crafting high quality and local products and through a genuine passion for this amazing spirit. 🥃
