The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Spirit Lab Distilling

02/13/2026

Five Finds on Friday: Joel Cuellar

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Joel Cuellar, former Spirits Sommelier of Brandy Library, who now presides over Speakeasy + Whiskey Bar at The Doyle Hotel, where he is beloved for his service, cocktails, and knowledge of all things spirits. A world expert on whisky and permanent judge at New York International Spirits Competition, Cuellar has a palate that can discern a whisky’s origin, age, and barrel type. Saturday, February 28 is a rare chance learn from him at a Virginia Distillery Company Whisky Dinner. Guests will begin and end their evening with an apertif and digestif prepared for the occasion by Cuellar. In between are four courses paired with Virginia Distillery Company whisky, which Cuellar calls among the best spirits in the world. Menu below. Tickets here. Cuellar’s picks:

1) Burger at Smyrna. “I feel like every single dish I have tasted here is always the best it can be and while the burger doesn’t seem like the best choice out of the ethnicity of their cuisine, for me there’s no better execution in town. Perfect blend of flavor and texture. Also, best fries.”

2) Octopus at Zocalo. “At the bar, I always run polls on where is the best anything in town and I started to ask my customers where is the best octopus, so I can go to all these places to draw my own conclusions. Chef Will Miguel at Zocalo took the title. Its texture, flavor, presentation make for an exquisite dish I can always go back to.”

3) Sopes at El Comalito. “Out of the hands of Lucia, all the dishes here have the authenticity of someone who grew up with them, not a recently acquired knowledge. Try with any of their fresh salsas for a kick and you are totally savouring real Mexico.”

4) Old Tom Gin from our dear friend Ivar at Spirit Lab Distilling. “Old Tom differs from London Dry in the fact that it is aged in an oak barrel and has somewhat of a little sweetness to it. Rich texture followed by a multilayered mouthfeel, a bold collection of botanicals well integrated. It’s a pleasure to make a drink with it. Howeber, I personally like to sip this one, maybe with the addition of a few drops of water. Perfectly rounded and an amazing long finish.”

5) Notorious P.I.G. at Ivy Provisions. “If you have lived in the Tri state area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) you may have seen an old Italian Salumeria, where you might have routinely picked up a sandwich. This is the memory, well executed: generous amount of cold cuts, cheese, shredded lettuce, oil and vinegar. And some hot peppers on top.”

11/08/2018

Introducing Charli: A Spirit for Charlottesville

charli

In tribute to The Charlottesville 29 and Lampo, the label for the new spirit Charli includes a road sign and a lightening bolt.

When Ivar Aass moved to Charlottesville six years ago, he had one purpose in mind: distill high quality spirits. And, at Spirit Lab Distilling, the distillery he runs with his wife, he does just that. From a bare bones warehouse facility on 6th SE, Aass distills tiny batches of spirits that already have a following not just here in Charlottesville, but beyond. With characteristics of both Scotch and traditional American whiskey, for example, his flagship Single Malt Whiskey forges a new style: American Single Malt. Bottles of it and other creations have earned spots in the bars of acclaimed D.C. restaurants like The Dabney and Rose’s Luxury.

As much as Aass loves distilling, though, he has fallen hard for another crush during his time here: Charlottesville itself. In 2012, Aass and his wife had grown weary of life in New York, and were ready for a change. At the suggestion of a friend, they visited Charlottesville. After just a weekend here, Aass and his wife were smitten. So smitten that they signed a lease two weeks later and have been here ever since. “I am continually blown away by how awesome Charlottesville is,” says Aass, citing a combination of small town benefits with the cultural amenities of a big city. The “coolest part,” Aass says, is how nice everyone is. “It’s kind of easy to be a nice person in Charlottesville,” Aass says.

His latest spirit, then, is a tribute to Charlottesville: a bitter apertivo called Charli, similar to Campari. The idea came from Lampo’s Andrew Cole. Aass says a great aspect of brewing in such small batches in a city like Charlottesville is the opportunity to respond to specific, local demand. Aass enjoys sitting with local bartenders, learning of needs and ideas.

In this case, Aass was at the bar at Lampo one afternoon when Cole suggested creating a local apertivo that would revive the use of crushed cochineal beetles as a coloring agent. For decades, this was how the beloved Italian apertivo Campari got its distinctive red color, before switching to artificial coloring in 2006. Aass loved the idea, and set out to make Charli, his homage to Charlottesville.

Aass started with his own neutral spirit made from wheat malt and sugar. To that, he added botanicals like bitter orange, bergamot peel, and gentian, among others. Some he added during distilling, while others he added to the completed spirit afterwards as a maceration. Determining when to add each, Aass said, was part of the learning process, trial and error. Finally, he added the crushed cochineal beetles.

The result is an apertivo that Aass likes best with nothing but a little soda water and a lemon twist. He also suggests it as a substitute for Campari in cocktails like negronis, and hopes that Charlottesville residents will be proud to invent their own creations using a spirit named for their hometown. In tribute to its inspiration, Charli’s label features a lightning bolt similar to Lampo’s logo, as well as the shape of a road sign, a nod, Aass says, to The Charlottesville 29 (Thank You!). Yes, at The Charlottesville 29 there is no shortage of love for both Charlottesville and negronis.

After much anticipation, Charli is now available. Find it at the distillery itself, or order it through your ABC store. $40.79 / 750mL and $21.99 / 375 mL.

02/10/2017

Five Finds on Friday: Ivar Aass

ivar-aass

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Ivar Aass, owner of Spirit Lab Distilling, whose flagship whiskey received lavish praise in last week’s Five Finds. Check out the distillery here, and learn more about the single malt whiskey here. Aass’ picks:

1) Head Cheese from JM Stock Provisions. “Delicious porcine goodness. You don’t know what meat is supposed to taste like until you’ve tried something from Matt and team, but the head cheese is an especially fun find.”

2) Open-faced Chicken Fried Octopus Sando at Oakhart Social. “Chicken. Fried. Octopus. Unbelievably tasty and tender. I could eat a dozen of these in a sitting.”

3) Meat Lovers Pizza from Fabio’s. “A staple for movie night at home. After living in NYC for eighteen years, I can tell you that Fabio’s gets pizza.”

4) Fried Chicken at Brown’s. “My favorite fried chicken in town with crispy, sinful skins and juicy meat.”

5) Canelés from MarieBette. “Caramelized crusts with custardy, vanilla-rum centers. Makes me nostalgic for Paris. Fun personal challenge: tell yourself you’re just stopping by MarieBette for a baguette and see if you can leave without a box of these.”