of Victory Bourbon
Scroll To Bottom Of The New Page
Commemorative Whiskey Glass
Support our Flying Aircraft
About Our Museum
The Story of our Bourbon
Shared Sacrifice was a battle cry for the generation which fought World War II. When the war arrived on America’s shores, it found a populace willing to pay the ultimate price for freedom, but also one willing to go any distance to win.
Just weeks after Imperial Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, rationing went into effect across the United States. The War Production Board also ordered a halt to the production of beverage alcohol, requiring distilleries to convert their facilities over to wartime industrial spirit manufacture. This ban on whiskey production sped up the creation of synthetic rubber, munitions, plastics, lacquer, medical supplies and even smokeless gunpowder ... not to mention the insect-killing compounds of critical need in the South Pacific. Indeed, aircraft preserved in our own Museum relied upon industrial-strength alcohol in huge quantities for inflight propeller deicing.
Regardless, the ban on fine spirits production, did not mean Americans stopped enjoying them. Pre-war whiskey stocks, aging in their barrels, could still be sold, however, they commanded premium prices. Furthermore, the US Government increased the proof-per-gallon tax by 200% during the war, which reinforced the idea that what little whiskey remained had to be cherished; saved for special occasions as a cherished refreshment.
This brings us to our Bourbon; a quintessentially American spirit distilled and aged as a celebration of the American Spirit.
As we mark the 80th Anniversary of World War II's conclusion, we are proud to share Victory Bourbon; a bourbon created specifically to mirror those enjoyed in the late spring and summer of 1945 during the celebrations which punctuated the end of the War. Stored within its toasted American White Oak barrels four years ago, it has aged for the length of the war (as spirits made before the production ban would also have done).
Made from 100% Corn grown at farms along Virginia’s Northern Neck, Victory Bourbon recalls the grain rationing of the war years. In every American household, an emphasis was placed on substituting more traditional ingredients from further afield with those grown locally, saving vital grain to feed our servicemen and space on trains for the war effort.
Certainly, there were producers who stretched their aged whiskey stocks by adding neutral spirits to their supply, leading to a rise in popularity for blended Whiskies in the 1940s. Ours, however, embraces Virginia’s long, proud tradition of making Bourbon while harkening back to the forgotten barrel, aging quietly in the shadows of a warehouse corner, then opened in celebration of Victory... And to welcome loved ones home.
Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Oak, Honey, Pride, Courage... and Determination.
Wartime production demands meant that the Bourbon industry had to adapt. By 1943, production of essential industrial alcohol was going so well that trade groups were able to request a “holiday” where distillers could produce their traditional spirits to replace their dwindling stocks. The government agreed, and the distillers worked to ensure that they conserved materials across their operations.
We wanted to capture this spirit of shared sacrifice in our bourbon. Indeed, there are several ways this approach to material conservation changed how bourbon was produced during the war years. A desire to conserve glass even changed the average size of bourbon bottles. What once had been sold by the quart, was now sold in smaller, 4/5ths of a quart bottles.
These new bottles were met on the bottling line by record numbers of women workers, who joined up to help in the industrial production of alcohol. As with the famed Rosie’s who worked in the aircraft factories and shipyards, everyone felt they had a part to play in shortening the war.
A Bourbon Shaped by Shared Sacrifice
In addition to being aged for the rough duration of America's time in WWII, the 53-gallon barrels selected for aging our bourbon provide an important call back to wartime. Prior to the war, it was common for bourbon to be aged in the ubiquitous 48-gallon barrel. However, as the war placed ever higher demands on natural resources and as forestry workers from the logging industry joined up, it became necessary to age those spirits without using as much lumber in the construction of barrels.
This need for economy led directly to the 53-gallon barrel's development. With only 6 iron bands to brace the barrel's staves instead of the original 8 (saving metal), the 53-gallon barrel (which did not roll as easily) had the advantage of fitting many of the same racks built for the older barrel sizes, while still conserving essential resources.
Aged in a 53-gallon barrel
The wartime use of much of the nation’s grain to produce food for sending overseas to feed our servicemen is one of the reasons we chose a 100% corn mash bill. However, distilleries weren’t the only businesses affected by grain shortages. Livestock farmers struggled to secure animal feed during the war years, so it became quite common for distillers to provide them with their dried mash.
This is a tradition we have continued with the production of our own bourbon; the spent mash having been dried and provided free-of-charge to local Virginia farmers.
Thus embodying the spirit of the famous wartime phrase… "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!"
Feeding the Nation’s Cows
The barrels which we put away some four years ago, were opened on May 8, 2025. This date has a special significance 80 years on from Nazi Germany' surrender. To the men and women of the Greatest Generation May 8, 1945 was Victory in Europe Day, often shortened to V-E Day. This was the date when Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, standing its military forces down. The war in Europe was over!
Even though a war had yet to be won in the Pacific, celebrations erupted around the world. The war in Europe began officially in the summer of 1939, and although the United States was a late entrant, thrusting the Nazis back from dominion over the continent was a hard-fought endeavor.
Tens of thousands of people filled the streets in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans and other cities, but the celebration was tinged by sadness and reflection as well. Over 250,000 Americans had been killed fighting in Europe, with many more being grievously wounded. Furthermore, as the war ground to its end, the full scale of Nazi atrocities was becoming apparent.
President Harry S. Truman announced V-E Day to the American public saying:
"Our rejoicing is sobered and subdued by a supreme consciousness of the terrible price we have paid to rid the world of Hitler and his evil band. Let us not forget, my fellow Americans, the sorrow and the heartache, which today abide in the homes of so many of our neighbors - neighbors whose most priceless possession has been rendered as a sacrifice to redeem our liberty."
Amid the celebrations of creating a fine bourbon, our first toast raised from the newly-opened barrel, offered an opportunity for reflection.
It was raised in tribute to those families Truman spoke of – those whose most priceless possessions were sacrificed to redeem our liberty.
Their memory lives on in all of us.
Opening the Barrel: A Time of Celebration and Reflection
A medical miracle marched with US soldiers as they waded ashore on D-Day. Dubbed Yellow Magic by many, penicillin was the first mass-produced antibiotic, and it saved countless lives during WWII. Although Alexander Flemming first discovered its properties in 1928, the fact that penicillin was produced by a microscopic living organism initially made it very hard to produce in large quantities, or to stabilize it for transport or use.
Australian scientist, Howard Florey, working with a team at Oxford University in the United Kingdom during 1940 discovered how to purify the penicillin and demonstrate its utility as a medicine. Realizing the impact that this could have on post-wound mortality, a major factor in wartime, a race then began to provide it to Allied troops on the frontline.
Throughout 1943, the War Department made solving this production problem as its second highest priority, right behind the Manhattan Project (development of the Atomic Bomb). As they searched the country for experts who could help grow penicillin mould, they found distillers managing large yeast colonies, which were ripe for production. Many of these distillers stepped in to help.
Ultimately the pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, mastered the Deep-Tank fermentation method used to mass produce the drug, but distillers played a vital early role in that journey. Together, they ensured that sufficient penicillin was available to treat every Allied soldier arriving on the shores of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
Saving Lives: The Yellow Magic
Red Star Yeast was responsible for fermenting our Bourbon. Distillers select yeast for the 'nose' it adds to the finished product. Red Star Yeast creates a smooth finish, with notes of cherry and caramel, however this particularly patriotic yeast would have been familiar to the WWII generation for a different reason. In WWII, Red Star Yeast committed itself to helping meet the dietary needs of our servicemen fighting overseas. They developed the first active dry yeast, which had an expanded shelf life to help with the production of bread in field kitchens. They shipped more than 5 million pounds of active dry yeast for US Army kitchens during World War II.
A Particularly Patriotic Yeast
Photo Credit: Zack Baughman
Even during World War II, there were those who argued for a return to the dark days of Prohibition, when the manufacture, sale or even consumption of alcohol was highly illegal across the United States. Admiral Chester N. Nimitz was not one of those people. Instead Nimitz, as Commander-in-Chief of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet and indeed the entire Pacific Theatre of Operations, provided a recipe enabling everyone to stretch their alcohol rations a little further. The CINCPAC Special, as his version of the Old Fashioned Mix became known, called for the following:
- 1 clean one-gallon jug
- 3 quarts Bourbon
- ¼ of a fifth of gold label rum
- Add sugar cautiously until you can just detect its presence of the sugar
- Fill remainder of jug with tap water
- Drop two whole vanilla beans into the jug (can be reused through many refills of the jug)
Pour generous portions over ice and serve it forth!
An original copy of Admiral Nimitz’s CINCPAC Special can be found online at the National Archives link: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/139308661
From the US Army’s perspective, however, General John J. Pershing who commanded the US Forces in World War I believed that anyone who consumed alcohol should be jailed. His former student, General George S. Patton, held a decidedly different opinion though, concocting a mixture which he referred to as The Armored Diesel.
Patton’s original 1940 recipe is said to include:
- 1 ¼ ounces of Bourbon
- ¾ ounce of lemon juice
- 1 dash of Angostura Bitters
- 1 bar spoon sugar (or standard teaspoon)
- 5 ounces of crushed ice
- 1 dash cherry juice
Place in mixer, and pour.
General Patton commanded the 2nd Armored Division at the onset of World War II, and his officers are said to have served his ‘Armored Diesel’ in special cups fashioned from the tops of empty oil cans - hence the drink’s unusual name!
How They Enjoyed Bourbon
The Glencairn Whiskey Glass is widely recognized as "The Official Whiskey Glass". It's specifically designed to enhance the aroma and taste of whiskey. Each glass features the Victory Bourbon, Copper Fox Distillery and the Military Aviation Museum's logos, and perfect for enjoying your bottle of Victory Bourbon!
Purchase a Victory Bourbon Commemorative Whiskey Glass
Like everything we do here at the Military Aviation Museum, Victory Bourbon is designed to help us accomplish our mission. We honor the heroes who helped fight and win World War II. We share their stories, and we hope to promote an understanding of service and sacrifice. So, it is with this mission in mind that we ask you not to let our Victory Bourbon simply sit on your shelf. Instead, we ask you to drink it (responsibly, of course) - but more importantly - to share it!
We hope that, in addition to savoring an enjoyable drink with great company, that a great conversation also ensues - a conversation about what your loved ones did during World War II, or perhaps a toast to those who never returned. We hope this sparks a desire to learn more about the roles your family played in winning the war. Each sip of Victory Bourbon should become a commemoration of sorts, a pathway for connecting with those members of the Greatest Generation who became your parents, grandparents or even great grandparents.
Each of us has our own part to play in keeping their memories alive, so our challenge to you - as so often put to the generation which fought the war – is to do your bit! Please don’t let our Victory Bourbon - or your family’s stories - just sit on a shelf.