SPIRITS Museum Reference Library
at Virago Spirits
Visit the SPIRITS Museum Library at Virago Spirits in the heart of Richmond, Virginia —
bringing the history of American spirits into a modern-day working distillery.
Virago Spirits Address: 1727 Rhoadmiller St, Richmond, VA 23220
Public hours: Wednesday-Friday, 4:00-9:30; Saturday, 2:00-9:30; Sunday: 2:00-6:30
To access the collection outside of distillery hours, contact info@spiritsmuseum.org
The library offers on-site access to a growing collection of books and research materials exploring American distilling and drinking culture, with particular emphasis on Virginia and the colonial era. The history of American spirits is a story of agriculture, craftsmanship, commerce, community, and culture—and the SPIRITS Museum Reference Library is a growing resource for exploring that history.
Library Collection
The collection explores a wide range of subjects, including distillation and spirits production, taverns and drinking practices, colonial trade and agriculture, material culture, and the archaeology of alcohol. Together, these resources help illuminate the ways that spirits were made, sold, consumed, regulated, and woven into everyday life—and how those traditions shaped the cultural and economic history of Virginia and the United States.
The partnership between SPIRITS Museum and Virago Spirits reflects a shared commitment to preserving and sharing the history of American distilling. By placing the library within an active distillery, the collection connects historical research with the contemporary craft of spirits production, creating a unique setting where the past and present of American distilling can be explored side by side.
The SPIRITS Museum Reference Library is intended as a resource for researchers, historians, museum professionals, distillers, students, educators, and anyone curious about America’s spirited past. Visitors interested in using the collection are welcome to conduct research on-site at Virago Spirits.
Select titles currently available at Virago:
