Distillery shows owner’s whiskey making legacy
James Gordon, the owner of Springfield Distillery, comes by his interest in whiskey naturally.
“I grew up with memories of my father moonshining,” says Gordon, who is opening his Halifax County distillery in August. “My father is one of the first two private individuals in South Africa to get his license for distilling liquor. I get to tap into 25 years of distillery experience.”
In 2012, Gordon and his wife, Kelly, bought Springfield Farm in Halifax, which includes a home built around 1842. They moved to Southern Virginia from Fairfax County.
“There are rumors that there is an old still on this property,” Gordon says. “This area became known for making corn whiskey prior to Prohibition, and it continues to be a good place to distill whiskey.”
The couple wanted to develop a business that would be a good fit for the local economy and also be “a tourist opportunity that would highlight everything we like about Halifax,” Gordon says.
Springfield Distillery is expected to create five jobs and get all of its corn and barley from Virginia farmers. “Our neighbor across the road is growing our corn,” Gordon says. “I can throw a coin from the distillery and hit the corn we are using.”