A couple of years ago, as my family and I wound our way through Virginia’s wine country, I discovered whiskey.
I knew a little about whiskey, of course. I bought whiskey and drank whiskey. I shared whiskey with friends.
At the Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville, Virginia, I found whiskey. In a purely existential sense, I guess, whiskey found me.
Tucked away in the cascading hills and deep forests that comprise the eastern edge of Shenandoah National Park, the Copper Fox is a lonely sentinel in a cluster of vineyards and tasting rooms.
Yet it’s where I learned to appreciate the distillation process and the distillers. The grains, the mash and the barrels.
“Whiskey is science, chance, time, risk, ingenuity, love, intensity — it’s all in a glass when it’s done right,” says Rick Wasmund, owner of Copper Fox Distillery.
Smooth and complex. A little sweet, a bit earthy.
Wasmund is featured in “I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit,” a documentary-style short film released Oct. 12 that, according to press materials, “tells the story of how the freedom to innovate, enjoy, and profit brings people together.”
The Competitive Enterprise Institute and Passing Lane Films produced the film, which touches on the distillers, farmers, mixologists, restaurant owners and whiskey enthusiasts who comprise the soul of the spirit.
Slick and well-done, the captivating and thirst-provoking film is entertaining and inspirational, an ode to America’s indomitable spirit and taste for ingenuity and entrepreneurship.
Craft distilleries throughout the country have brought people closer to the art and science of making spirits. To ideas of innovation and creation. Determination and perseverance. Freedom and independence.
“’I, Whiskey’” is about freedom, the freedom to connect and create,” says Executive Producer Richard Morrison. “It tells the story of entrepreneurs, scientists and bootleggers and celebrates their rebel spirit and colorful history. The Competitive Enterprise Institute loves to show how commerce helps build a flourishing civil society, and telling the story of whiskey is a fun, approachable way to do that.”
“My name’s on the bottle, but I’m not the inventor of whiskey,” says Wasmund, who employs a unique aging process using applewood. This distillery malts its own barley — about 150 tons each year. A local farmer supplies the grain.
The film includes interviews and scenes from Catoctin Creek Distillery and Jack Rose Dining Saloon, as well as Copper Fox.
“I’m just a little guy trying to bring something new to the world that people will enjoy,” Wasmund says. “It takes a lot of people and systems to make this work — bottle makers, the label people, the whole sales process, the retail operators — I love the connections that I have all over the country and the world.”
“I, Whiskey” is the second film in CEI's “I, Pencil” film series.
CEI is a nonprofit public policy organization, whose mission is promoting “freedom and fairness by making good policy good politics.”
To find out more, visit iwhiskeymovie.org
Visit #iwhiskey and follow on Twitter, @iwhiskeyspirit.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.