Part 1. Whiskey Walkabout, We visit Copper Fox, Silverback, and Murlarkey Distilleries.

The Little Mod Hotel. Credit: The Little Mod Hotel

2 Nov 25

Several years ago I was listening to a podcast (turns out, it was April 2021, though it feels like yesterday).  It featured an interview with Congressman Denver Riggleman.  He seemed pretty smart.  Knew a lot about a lot of different things - many policy issues and some, well, more esoteric topics.  You’ll have to hear the podcast to understand.  

Then, right in the middle of the conversation, the host mentioned something that immediately caught my attention: the congressman owns a distillery. That’s when I sat up and started listening a little closer.

While Congressman Riggleman plays a role in the business, it’s actually his wife and daughter who are the distillers - continuing the growing tradition of women shaping the modern whiskey industry, much like they did in its early American days. Their operation, The Silverback Distillery, is located about two hours south of the DMV area in Afton, Virginia, and not far from Charlottesville. They’ve even expanded with a second distillery up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

Naturally, I wanted to plan a visit right away. But when I thought about the drive - two hours there, two hours back - it gave me pause. Four hours on the road for one stop felt like a bit much. So, I waited. Over the years, I visited plenty of other distilleries, but Silverback always stayed on my list. Once Whiskey and Politics got underway, my interest only grew stronger.  This week I had a few days off and we didn’t have anything else going on so a trip to Afton made sense. 

After suggesting the trip to my wife, I had a moment of inspiration:  Check to see if the Copper Fox Distillery is along the way, and it was!  I proposed that we visit the Copper Fox Distillery, continue to Silverback, and stay the night in Charlottesville.  The weather was supposed to be nice and she happily agreed.  Later we added another - Murlarkey Distillery in Manassas.  

My wife found a great, dog-friendly spot to stay in Charlottesville. I’ll tell you about that next, but what follows will be a multi-part series covering our adventures and visits to all three distilleries. I hope you enjoy coming along for the ride.

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She wouldn’t tell me where we were staying, just that it allowed our labradoodle, Shadow, to stay with us.  We checked all three distilleries and they allowed dogs as well - as long as the mutt is well behaved.  Ugh.  That’s always a crap shoot with Shadow.  He’s the friendliest pup, but he loves other dogs so much that he can get a little excited and rambunctious when he sees other them.  I’m happy to report that he was a good boy all weekend.  

Our accommodations turned out to be at a place called The Little Mod Hotel. Once a run-down roadside motel, it’s been completely transformed into a stylish, retro-inspired boutique motel. No longer the kind of spot that rents rooms by the hour, everything inside feels fresh and new - even the power outlets and fixtures are new. Very bright.  Very modern - but it looks like something out of the ‘60’s.  We were immediately comfortable and happy. 

On of their stylish rooms. It even comes with a record player and records. Credit: The Little Mod Hotel

It’s always taco time at the Mod Pod. Credit: The Little Mod Hotel

They clearly put thought into welcoming guests with pets. A set of food and water bowls awaited us, along with a dog bed neatly placed beside our king-sized bed. “Look, Shadow! Your very own bed!  Isn’t that wonderful?!” I said. Apparently not.  He slept on top of me that night. 

The staff were friendly and professional throughout our stay. While there isn’t a full bar on-site, the front desk offers beer, wine, and whiskey minis, plus complimentary coffee in the morning. Breakfast is served from a converted Airstream trailer parked out front - It’s pretty cool.

I took Shadow for a walk around the University of Virginia, and the campus did not disappoint. My wife and I both graduated from the University of Delaware, and UVA reminded us of our alma mater only on a much grander scale. The stately brick buildings, leafy open spaces, and classic architecture make for a scenic walk.

The Virginia Cavaliers are making a run at the ACC title and played the University of California, Berkeley Golden Bears.  It looked like the students wanted to get their money’s worth out of their Halloween costumes and everyone was wearing them again Saturday afternoon.  As you can imagine the campus atmosphere was thick with energy and enthusiasm.  

We would have happily enjoyed dinner at the college bar across the street from the hotel, but that wasn’t going to happen.  The place was packed with students watching the game.  Unfortunately, options nearby were limited, and the restaurants within walking distance were either fully booked or a little too upscale for dining with a dog.  Finally, the folks at Maya Restaurant took pity and allowed us to join them in the tent they have up front.  The waiter was friendly and professional.  The food was excellent.  I had the blackened catfish, while my wife enjoyed appetizers of fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese fritters.  If you happen to visit Charlottesville, I recommend Maya.  

A big thanks to my wonderful wife for putting it all together. Charlottesville is a fantastic destination in its own right, but our visit was made even better by the addition of three outstanding distilleries.

Before we arrived at The Little Mod Hotel, we enjoyed the Copper Fox Distillery…

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