West Virginia Fruit and Berry® Hope to Use New Bourbon to “Lobby Lawmakers”
West Virginia Fruit and Berry propose the blackberry should be the “state berry.”
(Bridgeport, WV) – August 1, 2020
Becky and Bob Titchenal think the blackberry should be the state berry of West Virginia – and they are ready for a “spirited” debate about it.
West Virginia Fruit and Berry® owners recently uncasked and bottled the first of three new creations, the “304 Mountain Blackberry Bourbon”. They created the new line to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary and will be releasing it September 1st exclusively in the state of West Virginia, in honor of National Bourbon Heritage Month. The unique and exclusive Bourbon, unlike other artificially flavored unaged whiskeys, is a custom 80% corn, 20% rye mash bill, aged 4 years in new American charred-oak barrels and infused with a natural blackberry extract – a fitting tribute, they say, to the berry that helped them grow their business. Fewer than 3,200 bottles were made in their inaugural batch and is exclusive only to the state of West Virginia.
“The blackberry has been unquestionably special to our lives, as well as to the lives of many West Virginians. When we realized that West Virginia didn’t have a state berry, we felt like we had a strong case to make for the blackberry. Like, 80 proof strong.”
The state flower of West Virginia is the Rhododendron and has been since 1903. The state fruit is the Golden Delicious apple, and state tree is the Sugar Maple, but there is not specifically a “state berry.” (Although, the state animal is the black bear, which is pretty close).
The company plans to host a first tasting at Rocco’s Liquors in their hometown of Bridgeport soon to celebrate the release of their new line of bourbon - and hope that anyone interested in tasting their liquid proposal for the state berry stops and gives it a try (particularly state lawmakers). In the meantime, bourbon fans can pre-order the bourbon through their local spirits retailers; It is currently available to Retailers through special order from the West Virginia ABC Administration.
Bob & Becky Titchenal Founded West Virginia Fruit and Berry in 1995. The husband and wife team began as berry-growers in West Virginia and began selling their selection of fruit preserves, jams, and fruit butters at state fairs and festivals. The pair celebrated their company’s 20th anniversary by launching a selection of Fruit Wines made from the same varieties of their best-selling preserves. They felt like for the 25th, embracing the region’s native spirit, a Blackberry Bourbon - was the natural next step. They also plan on releasing a 100% Rye aged in wine barrels in 2021, as well as a Heritage Bourbon in 2023.
“The 20th anniversary is the wine anniversary, the 25th is the Bourbon anniversary,” jokes Titchenal.
To schedule an interview with West Virginia Fruit and Berry co-founder Becky Titchenal, contact the company via email at info@wvfruitandberry.com. More information about the company’s products and recipes is available at www.wvfruitandberry.com.
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