Open since 1927, the Historic Cavalier Hotel & Beach Club has fulfilled its namesake in some ways–together with its reigning title as the primary and solely distillery in an American lodge.
It began again in 2010 when Virginia Seashore native, Andrew Yancey, sought a location for his craft distillery, prioritizing the area’s prime oceanfront. Concurrently, Bruce Thompson, CEO and founding father of Gold Key PHR, was main the renovation of the Cavalier Lodge (with an unbeatable oceanfront tackle).
“I took the marketing strategy and concept to Mr. Thompson and he immediately stated, ‘let’s do it,’” Yancey informed Forbes. The distillery turned Tarnished Truth Distilling Company, on the heart of the Historic Cavalier Lodge, offering handcrafted spirits like bourbon, bourbon cream, vodka, gin, moonshine and canned cocktails for visitor excursions, within the tasting room and on the onsite eating places.
“Tarnished Fact’s model picture and title are a nod to the notorious historical past of the unique Cavalier Lodge and the Prohibition Period, mixing historical past and the southern tradition of the time with as we speak’s appreciation of domestically distilled spirits and timeless class,” stated Yancey, now co-owner and operator of Tarnished Fact and The Hunt Room. Additional emphasizing the spirit of America, the entire stills and gear had been handmade in the USA by Vendome Copper and Brass Works, whereas the distillery group was developed by grasp distiller, Larry Ebersold, “the Godfather of Rye Whiskey” in America.
Right this moment, Tarnished Fact continues to evolve their programming for visitors with the launch of their new “buy your personal barrel of bourbon” expertise, which Yancey defines beneath. He additionally displays on Tarnished Fact’s historical past and the way it’s develop into an award-winning distillery.
Tarnished Fact Distillery on the Historic Cavalier Lodge & Seashore Membership
Historic Cavalier Lodge & Seashore Membership
Jillian Dara: Why did you’re feeling the unique partnership with the Cavalier was a match for the distillery you envisioned?
Andrew Yancey: The lodge, now generally known as the Historic Cavalier Lodge, first opened its doorways in 1927. Mr. Thompson’s plan for meticulous restoration [to] its authentic grandeur, mixing timeless luxurious of a bygone period with facilities and know-how that as we speak’s vacationers sit up for, was the proper match for the Tarnished Fact model to uphold the excellence of being the primary and solely distillery in a luxurious lodge, in the USA.
Dara: Did you set out with the intention to be the one lodge distillery within the U.S.? What does this distinction imply to you?
Yancey: Not initially, it was extra in regards to the oceanfront location for me — it simply so occurred that there wasn’t one [a hotel distillery]. With that although, there’s much more of an attraction to the distillery and its excursions, as a result of the expertise itself is so distinctive. The distillery is an obtainable amenity for lodge visitors to order, and vice versa the posh lodge serves as a number for tour visitors to discover earlier than and after their tastings, whether or not it’s dinner and drinks within the Hunt Room or correct cocktails within the Raleigh Room.
Dara: What in regards to the distillery is most original to the lodge and property?
Yancey: You may take a tour of the distillery, style the spirits, after which strive any of our spirits in cocktail kind within the eating places on property. Additionally it is a extremely distinctive exercise for visitors. Irrespective of the climate or the time of yr, the distillery is open for an informative tour adopted by a tasting of our spirits. Every restaurant throughout the Cavalier serves cocktails made with our spirits, notably the Hunt Room which is understood for its expansive cocktail menu curated by our group to greatest make the most of the spirits that we distill. We even have a store hooked up to the distillery the place visitors should purchase any of the spirits that we distill.
Dara: Does the lodge have a proprietary cocktail providing?
Yancey: The Hunt Room has a whole menu made up of cocktails utilizing solely our spirits. The Smoked Previous Normal is the clear favourite utilizing our Excessive Rye Bourbon. This common order is obtainable within the Hunt Room. Enjoyable truth, the Fourth Deal with Gin is called corresponding to a nod to a different Cavalier Lodge time in historical past. The bathtubs used to have a fourth deal with to deliver chilly (filtered) seawater from the Atlantic, and the Gin is now named after that truth as a tie-into the lodge’s origins.
Dara: Are there any particular experiences visitors can e book on the distillery?
Yancey: Tarnished Fact hosts a number of groomsmen excursions and tastings for the weddings on property. We additionally do specialised barrels for these visitors with their names and wedding ceremony dates on the barrelhead.
One thing to sit up for: We’re additionally engaged on a “buy your personal barrel of bourbon” bundle that we hope to have up and working this yr.
Historic Cavalier Lodge & Seashore Membership
Dara: What can visitors anticipate with this new bundle?
Yancey: The Visitor would come down and be introduced with a couple of barrels to style from and finally choose the one they wish to buy and bottle. We’ll then work with the visitor to create the customized label for the bottles. As soon as bottled and labeled the visitor would choose up their bottles and get to maintain the empty barrel. The barrel program might be restricted to 10-15 barrels a yr.
Dara: Why did you suppose it was so essential to supply the sort of amenity on your visitors? And the way has it confirmed itself?
Yancey: It is distinctive, and that’s what visitors are on the lookout for. You received’t be bored at a cookie-cutter lodge with a typical reward store. We’ll usually do round 10,000 excursions and tastings in any given yr and are ranked the primary factor to do in Virginia Seashore on TripAdvisor. Visitors can reserve an reasonably priced tour/tasting, stroll by means of the Store for Tarnished Fact spirits or merchandise, strive new cocktails made with the spirits, and so forth.
Our spirits and canned cocktails are actually award-winning yr after yr, and has generated an enormous demand for our annual Virginia Bourbon Invitational, hosted by the lodge and Tarnished Fact Distilling.
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
