A Smith Bowman bought the Sunset Hills estate farm in 1927 and opened up a dairy and granary. The farm was so abundant that he needed a use for the excess grain from his fields. In 1934, after the repeal of prohibition in the state of Virginia, he built and licensed the distillery.

In response to the rising real estate prices and property taxes of Northern Virginia, in 1988 the distillery was moved to the current location in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

The Distillery Today

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery balances time-honored traditions with innovation and creativity to produce hand-crafted spirits. Distilled from the finest ingredients, the premium products created at A. Smith Bowman Distillery honor the legacy and ground breaking spirit of Virginia's pioneers.

The distillery offers guided tours Monday through Friday at 10:00am and 2:00pm (or by appointment). Groups larger than ten can be accommodated, but we request prior notification to maximize your tour experience. Visitors also can shop our Gift Shop weekdays from 9:00am - 3:30pm where all our products are available for sale.