RICHMOND, Va. — The makers of Belle Isle Craft Spirits announced Monday its “premium moonshine” would soon be made locally, in Richmond. Since its founding in 2013, Belle Isle Craft Spirits had been distilled by Koval in Chicago. A decision, its co-founder said, that allowed Belle Isle to quickly build its fan base.
“Instead of waiting for our Distilled Spirits Permit (DSP) approval, we were able to get to market more quickly, avoiding approximately 18 months of wait time,” Belle Isle Craft Spirits Director of Operations and co-founder Alex Wotring said in a statement.”Koval dramatically sped up our time to market. This allowed us to have immediate traction from launch, which ultimately led to an outpouring of requests from Florida, South Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, and D.C.”
While Belle Isle Craft Spirits said it would soon begin production on Maury Street in Richmond’s Manchester District, the company has not yet said exactly when that transition would take place.
"We still have an inventory of bottles produced by Koval," Wotring said.
Wotring added Belle Isle would like to add distillery tours and tastings in the next six to 12 months.
