A WINERY IS ED'S FIRST OUTING

The year was 1985, bacon was $1.65 per pound, and Ronald Reagan was president of the United States. Coke introduced a new formula, and Ed decided to open the North River Winery.

At the time, North River was the only winery in Vermont, and was best known for its hard cider and fruit wines. Ed sold the winery in 1997, but after an eleven-year hiatus, he decided to launch Vermont Distillers . “It was something I always wanted to try since I sold the winery,” Ed says.

In 2008, Ed entered a business plan competition sponsored by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation and won the $10,000 grand prize. Initially, Vermont Distillers only produced three products. Today, they have six cordials, two bourbons, vodka, and a few seasonal offerings. The vodka is Catamount, and the others retail under the name of Metcalfe’s.

Ed says, “I have done many things over the years, from banking to managing a large liquor store.” He has sold wine, made wine, and managed a natural history museum.

Let’s not forget that stint as a hot air balloon pilot.

 GETTING INTO THE SPIRITS GAME

He is a dive-right-in kind of guy. So when he began both the winemaking and spirit-making adventures, he started at square one. “Since I did not have much experience in either product, wine or spirits, it started out with a lot of experiments to get the products the way we wanted them,” says Ed. Good thing he did time as a high school science teacher to brush up on conducting experiments.

 HERE COME THE SONS

As proprietor and president of Vermont Distillers, Ed is chief cook and bottle washer, as they say. Everything from the books to the production schedule falls under his purview; he has even been known to pour at tasting events.

Joined in the business by sons Augustus (Gus) and Dominic, the three divide and conquer the workload. Gus and Dominic are bringing to the family business what they learned in college and at other gigs.

Gus is a graduate of Vermont Technical College with a major in horticulture. He works at the distillery in Marlboro, operating the still and managing all things under the production umbrella. Dominic, a UVM grad, has a degree in studio art focused on graphic design and a minor in music. He now works daily at the distillery with his father and brother. Even though he has trusted help, Ed would like to have more free time. “I don’t have any spare time. I would like to semi-retire.”

 THE MAPLE BOURBON MANIA

Many things surprise entrepreneurs. Selling about six thousand cases of liquor totaling more than $1M is definitely breathtaking. But what shocked Ed even more is “How popular our maple bourbon has become. The market exploded.” While Gus is astounded by” the amount of different kinds of [liquor] we can make. The possibilities are almost endless.”

All three have ideas for expanding the portfolio. Ed and Gus would like to see a gin under their label, and Dominic says they just released their first ‘unflavored whisky.’ “I love our maple and honey bourbons, but I am excited about our new straight bourbon whiskey, Hogback Reserve, a double-oaked, cask-strength bourbon, coming in at 125 proof.”

 Another recent release is their third batch of Pommeau. This French-style aperitif is distilled from Vermont apples, then blended with fresh cider and aged in a used bourbon barrel. The most recent batch is a blend of six-year-old and three-year-old Pommeau barrels.

WHERE TO FIND METCALF'S

Where’s the best place to find Catamount Vodka or any of Metcalfe’s offerings? For sure, in the tasting rooms or the Hogback Mountain Gift Shop. Some of the varieties are available only in New England, and in some cases, only in Vermont or at the tasting rooms.

 Their website, www.vermontdistillers.com, does a great job of highlighting the different varieties and detailing where they can be purchased. As for Ed, his next act is anyone’s guess; there’s a good chance he will stumble on yet another venture whenever he retires.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID SEAVER AND VERMONT DISTILLERS

VERMONT DISTILLERS, INC.

7755 Route 9 East

West Marlboro, VT

www.vermontdistillers.com