Garden & Gun / Patricia Lyons

We couldn’t say we were from North Carolina if we had never tried Moonshine.  The particular brand we tried was somewhat of a cross between ethanol and cheap Vodka.  But let’s just say, the bottle we currently have stocked in our kitchen features a cartoonish character running through the woods on its label.  Not exactly something that speaks to high quality.

So when we saw this week’s article from Garden & Gun on the recent rise in popularity of boutique moonshine distilleries, we were intrigued.  Local distiller Chuck Miller of Belmont Farms Distillery has been working to perfect his recipe since 1987, and the result according to G&G is a smooth product, great for sipping.

Belmont offers two varieties:  Virginia Lightning, a white, twice distilled whiskey and Kopper Kettle, a triple grain version that’s charcoal filtered, soaked in oak and apple wood chips, and then aged two years. We have yet to do a taste test, but since they’re located just down the road in Culpeper, VA, it could be a great weekend trip.

Tours are offered Tuesdays through Saturday, from 10am until 5pm.  They’ll be running the tours up until Christmas Eve, but visitors are advised to call ahead to ensure operating hours and availability.