
Silverback is located on Virginia 151 near many of Nelson County’s breweries, cideries, and wineries. “Every employee is proud of the products Christine has created, but it’s extremely frustrating for employees because we know that the hard work and dedication flies out the window because the state says, ‘This is what I feel like taking.’” Though the subject frustrates her, Botsford is excited for the growth and expansion of the company she works for. “The general public walking in has no idea how bad it is because no one assumes that the government owns more of the company than you do.” “It affects everyone who works here in the sense that we are all extremely aware of how absolutely unfair it is that ABC takes too much money,” she said.

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“They haven’t touched it, smelled it, they’ve done nothing with it they’ve paid none of the expenses.”īecky Gettings, director of communications for Virginia ABC, said taxes on alcoholic beverages in Virginia are established in the Code of Virginia.Īccording to a 2016 annual report provided by Gettings, ABC received about $164,900,000 in profit transfers and about $147,800,900 in state taxes.Īshley Bosford, the tasting room manager at Silverback, said all employees are aware of the ABC laws. “They’ve done nothing,” Riggleman said of ABC. Riggleman said the $2,500 in commission doesn’t even pay the salaries of two distillery employees. Pennsylvania allows distilleries to keep 100 percent of those sales. Riggleman said cideries, breweries, and wineries receive 100 percent of their own sales from bottles sold in house.įrom bottle sales of $32,000 in June, the distillery received $2,500 in commission, according to Riggleman. In Virginia, distilleries are taxed 54 percent on tasting room bottle sales. The Rigglemans want to grow their business but say they feel “handcuffed” in Virginia because of tax laws. She and her husband, Denver, who own the operation, also hope to open a tasting room and hire between 14 and 17 new employees in Pennsylvania.Ĭhristine Riggleman said nearly every state has “friendlier” and more relaxed liquor laws than Virginia. Some of the production still will take place in its Afton facility, but Riggleman said some bourbon, whiskey, vodka, and gin will be produced in Pennsylvania. “Even though Pennsylvania is a commonwealth, the laws are a lot friendlier in terms of expanding, and you can keep more of your money, where Virginia takes more money from our bottle sales.”

“Virginia laws are holding us back,” she said.
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The distillery, which opened in 2015, has done well for the short time it’s been open, according to Riggleman - snagging 14 international awards - but Riggleman said costly regulations from the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control are leading the company to expand into another state.ĭon't miss out! Sign up today for the free Work It, Lynchburg business news email. The announcement was made to employees Saturday afternoon. Silverback Distillery in Afton is expanding into Pennsylvania, owner Christine Riggleman said Friday.
