A Story in Every Bottle
Victor Harvey, founder of Victor George Spirits, one of the fastest growing Black-owned distilleries in the United States, likes to think of himself as a kind of storyteller. Around the same time the Fort Lauderdale entrepreneur prepared to launch his first brand of handcrafted bourbon whiskey, Harvey learned of a story out of St. Augustine that he’d never heard of before: Fort Mose.
Established in 1738 during Florida’s Spanish period, Fort Mose was the first legally-sanctioned free Black settlement in what’s now the United States. Though designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994, it’s only recently that community groups have mobilized financial efforts to develop the site. In late 2022, Harvey became aware of Fort Mose’s history and realized he could give his new product a connection to an important part of America’s past.
Hence, Fort Mose 1738 Bourbon Whiskey. “This is not just Black history that needs to be told – and has, sadly, been buried – but American history,” Harvey says. “Spirits, in and of themselves, are a social thing; people want to tell stories over a drink they’re sharing together, and this is just another form of storytelling.”
In June 2023, the distillery presented the Fort Mose Historical Society with a $10,000 donation towards educational programs and events to promote awareness of the site. The funds were amassed from a campaign the company led, pledging $1 from every bottle of bourbon sold from June 19, 2022 until June 19, 2023 in celebration of freedom and Juneteenth.
“Giving back has always been part of who I am, as I understand that by supporting each other we can effect change,” says Harvey. “We knew with the story behind Fort Mose and us being able to help tell it through our bourbon that this was going to be a huge brand. We wanted to do more and I saw donating funds from every bottle sold over the past year as a way to do that.” The award-winning Fort Mose Bourbon has been picked up in twelve states since its initial launch in 2022 and the company continues its expansion across the country with the launch of its Victor George “VG” Vodka and, earlier this year, its first flavored vodka, Victor George Caramel Vodka. They plan to market a tequila by early next year.
Harvey said the brand aims to produce beverages that invite imbibers to a “tastier, smoother experience” based on all-natural ingredients and a filtration system that separates out any impurities. Currently, Victor George produces 1,000 to 1,500 cases of product a month. When they expand into a larger facility underway now, that number should double or triple, according to Harvey. He believes African Americans are a very untapped market for craft spirits and hopes to tap into that market as well as support others in the industry. “I feel like we’ve just begun,” says Harvey. And if more people learn the story of Fort Mose and Black American history along the way, all the better.
