Other
Rick Wasmund
Master distiller / blender
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Whisky production expanded to Williamsburg when Copper Fox added malting, distilling, and storage capacity and opened a second distillery site. In Rick Wasmund’s work, that move kept the same material concerns in view: grain handling, smoke, wood contact, and time.
Coming Up
Distillery apprenticeship gives a maker proximity to production rhythm before it gives them authorship. Early in his career, Rick Wasmund worked as an apprentice at Bowmore distillery in Isle of Islay, where the working language was malt, stills, maturation, and the discipline of repeated process. Independent distilling requires the maker to hold ownership and operation close to the floor. Since 2005, Rick Wasmund has been the founder, owner and operator of Copper Fox Distillery, building the work through materials and process rather than through distance from them. Copper Fox Distillery is where grain, barrels, botanicals, and wood are treated as the working vocabulary of the house.
Where They Are Now
Malting, distilling, and storage capacity define how much control a whisky house can keep over its own sequence. The Williamsburg operation gave Copper Fox more room for those steps: grain preparation before spirit is made, concentration through distillation, and maturation through contact with wood and time. A distillery’s range is often the clearest record of its decisions. Copper Fox Single Malt Whisky, Copper Fox Rye Whisky, and Copper Fox Gin are listed among its excellent products, while Peach Wood Single Malt Whisky is described as a stunning Copper Fox product. The portfolio keeps the focus on category, grain character, aromatic structure, barrel influence, and the mark left by wood. Amaro y Arroyo extends the distillery’s work into a botanical and barrel-finished expression while keeping Virginia grain at the center. It is handcrafted with over 25 botanicals, made with 100% Virginia grain, rested in used Virginia bourbon barrels, finished in used Virginia wine barrels infused with hand-cut toasted chestnut wood, and sweetened with local honey, agave, and cane sugar. The construction is layered: botanicals, prior barrel use, toasted chestnut wood, and multiple sweeteners carried by the grain base. The Copper Fox Barrel Kit™ makes wood, time, and seasoning the user’s variables. As a Copper Fox exclusive for aging and seasoning spirits to personal taste, it translates the distillery’s practical concerns into a small-format tool for individual adjustment.
Signature
Signature here means the recurring expressions most closely tied to the Copper Fox practice. Rick's signature dishes include Single Malt Whisky, Rye Whisky, Gin, Peach Wood Single Malt Whisky, and Amaro y Arroyo. Each points back to the same working materials: grain, barrel, botanicals, wood, and managed maturation.
Honors
Recognition in this profile is attached to the named Copper Fox works rather than to an outside awards list. Single Malt Whisky, Rye Whisky, Gin, Peach Wood Single Malt Whisky, Amaro y Arroyo, and the Copper Fox Barrel Kit™ are the clearest markers given here: the bottles, the kit, and the production choices through which Rick Wasmund’s work is made concrete.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Rick
Where did Rick Wasmund work before?
Rick Wasmund's earlier career included Bowmore distillery.
What is Rick Wasmund known for?
Copper Fox products use hand-malted barley, local apple and cherry wood smoke, and used bourbon barrels.
