THE ORIGINAL PIONEERS OF DISTILLING
In 1927, before establishing Virginia’s oldest distillery, A. Smith Bowman purchased the 7,200-acre Sunset Hills farm in Fairfax County with one objective—to open up a dairy and granary. Shortly after bringing the idea to life, his fields became so abundant that he needed a use for the excess grain. This one defining moment changed the entire course of the A. Smith Bowman legacy and ultimately led to the best whiskey in the world.
In 1934, A. Smith Bowman built a groundbreaking distillery on the farm land and turned it into a family-owned business. With the help of his two sons, he produced the first ever batch of Virginia Gentleman. Up until the 1950s, A. Smith Bowman Distillery was the sole producer of legal whiskey in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Since then, the focus has shifted from our classic spirit to producing premium handcrafted small batches and experimental editions that embody innovation at its core.
Today, our historic family-owned distillery has relocated to Fredericksburg, yet still continues to balance our long-lived traditions, honoring one of Virginia’s great pioneers. Most recently in 2016 and 2017, A. Smith Bowman Distillery won the “World’s Best Bourbon” at the World Whiskies Awards — solidifying us as Virginia’s Most Award-Winning Distillery.
THE ORIGINAL PIONEERS OF DISTILLING
In 1927, before establishing Virginia’s oldest distillery, A. Smith Bowman purchased the 7,200-acre Sunset Hills farm in Fairfax County with one objective—to open up a dairy and granary. Shortly after bringing the idea to life, his fields became so abundant that he needed a use for the excess grain. This one defining moment changed the entire course of the A. Smith Bowman legacy and ultimately led to the best whiskey in the world.
In 1934, A. Smith Bowman built a groundbreaking distillery on the farm land and turned it into a family-owned business. With the help of his two sons, he produced the first ever batch of Virginia Gentleman. Up until the 1950s, A. Smith Bowman Distillery was the sole producer of legal whiskey in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Since then, the focus has shifted from our classic spirit to producing premium handcrafted small batches and experimental editions that embody innovation at its core.
Today, our historic family-owned distillery has relocated to Fredericksburg, yet still continues to balance our long-lived traditions, honoring one of Virginia’s great pioneers. Most recently in 2016 and 2017, A. Smith Bowman Distillery won the “World’s Best Bourbon” at the World Whiskies Awards — solidifying us as Virginia’s Most Award-Winning Distillery.
OUR TIME HONORED PROCESS
At A. Smith Bowman Distillery, we know a thing or two about aging well. As the oldest distillery in Virginia, we’ve learned a lot about our craft, not only from our founding fathers but from experimentation and innovation. Along our journey, we’ve always paid attention to the tiniest details in every step of the process. From fermentation of our mash to filling up our stills, nicknamed “Mary” and “George”, which pay homage to the parents of the Bowman Brothers — we stay true to our time honored traditions. As a result, we have our award-winning pioneer spirits to showcase.
OUR TIME HONORED PROCESS
At A. Smith Bowman Distillery, we know a thing or two about aging well. As the oldest distillery in Virginia, we’ve learned a lot about our craft, not only from our founding fathers but from experimentation and innovation. Along our journey, we’ve always paid attention to the tiniest details in every step of the process. From fermentation of our mash to filling up our stills, nicknamed “Mary” and “George”, which pay homage to the parents of the Bowman Brothers — we stay true to our time honored traditions. As a result, we have our award-winning pioneer spirits to showcase.
MEET OUR MASTER DISTILLER
His Innovative Spirit Led to Ours
Brian’s interest in the beverage industry was peaked when he landed a job at a brewery while attending Colorado State University obtaining his bachelor’s degree in food science.
Upon graduation, Prewitt further honed his interest for brewing and distilling by completing the Master Brewers Program at University of California, Davis. From there, he joined The Great Divide Brewing Company in Denver, Colo., eventually becoming its brewer.
When Prewitt saw an opportunity to try his hand at distilling spirits instead of beer, he jumped at the chance to join E&J Distilleries in Modesto, Calif. and was eventually named Senior Distiller. It was at E&J that Prewitt was able to train under two Master Distillers with a combined experience of more than 70 years in the art of distillation, learning about raw material selection, fermentation, distillation, and maturation.
Brian was named Master Distiller at the A. Smith Bowman Distillery in 2013, and he is excited to carry on the Bowman family tradition of award-winning products while introducing some new offerings as well.
MEET OUR MASTER DISTILLER
His Innovative Spirit Led to Ours
Brian’s interest in the beverage industry was peaked when he landed a job at a brewery while attending Colorado State University obtaining his bachelor’s degree in food science.
Upon graduation, Prewitt further honed his interest for brewing and distilling by completing the Master Brewers Program at University of California, Davis. From there, he joined The Great Divide Brewing Company in Denver, Colo., eventually becoming its brewer.
When Prewitt saw an opportunity to try his hand at distilling spirits instead of beer, he jumped at the chance to join E&J Distilleries in Modesto, Calif. and was eventually named Senior Distiller. It was at E&J that Prewitt was able to train under two Master Distillers with a combined experience of more than 70 years in the art of distillation, learning about raw material selection, fermentation, distillation, and maturation.
Brian was named Master Distiller at the A. Smith Bowman Distillery in 2013, and he is excited to carry on the Bowman family tradition of award-winning products while introducing some new offerings as well.
OUR TEAM
At A. Smith Bowman Distillery, we’re one big family. As you can see, there’s a plethora of folks who keep our process flowing as smooth as our spirits. We all come from different walks of life, but share a passion for excellence — both in and out of our facility. Meet our amazing team below and click the pictures to learn more about the folks helping to make us Virginia’s most award-winning distillery.
DEBBIE STEVENS
Gift Shop & Operations Coordinator
ELIZABETH BRUMMETT
Operations Supervisor
MICHELLE BEGIN
Distillery Events Associate
JIMMY BOOKER
Machine Operator
JUSTIN DAVIDSON
Machine Operator
NEIL CLARK
Machine Operator
TOM COOK
Machine Operator
DAVID BOCK
Distiller
ERIC TROMMATER
Laborer
AUSTIN EARLY-QUEST
Laborer
ART FRANZEN
Tour Guide
MICAH GOLMANT
Tour Guide
DAVID SWEET
Tour Guide
CHRISSY POTTS
Tour Guide
CARRIE BROWNING
Tour Guide
JON EIZYK
Tour Guide
SARA PALMER
Tour Guide
KRISTEN BRUMBELOW
Tour Guide
ANDREA BATES
Tour Guide
CHANTAY RICHARDSON
Compliance Clerk
