KO Distilling Earns Two Gold Medals in Inaugural First Landing Cup

Distiller’s Reserve Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon and Distiller’s Reserve Bottled-in-Bond Rye Whiskeys recognized among the best Virginia Spirits.

June 4, 2025 (Manassas, VA) –  KO Distilling announced today that it has been recognized among Virginia’s best craft spirit producers, earning Gold Medal honors for its KO Distiller's Reserve Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Whiskey and KO Distiller’s Reserve Bottled-in-Bond Rye Whiskey. The medals were awarded at the 2025 First Landing Cup, a statewide competition organized by the Virginia Distillers Association and the Virginia Spirits Board. KO Distilling is the only Virginia distillery to receive two Gold Medals for whiskey.

The Inaugural First Landing Cup celebrates Virginia-made spirits that exemplify excellence in craftsmanship, innovation, and quality. Named after the historic 1607 landing at Cape Henry — the birthplace of American distilling — the competition drew 108 entries across multiple categories, all judged blind by a panel of 21 nationally recognized spirits experts.

“Our Distiller’s Reserve products are the hallmark of our portfolio and to have them recognized with such accolades is a tribute to the passion and skill of our Distillery team,” said Bill Karlson, Co-Founder of KO Distilling. “We take great pride in crafting our spirits — and are thrilled that we continue to showcase the best that Virginia has to offer.”

KO Distiller’s Reserve Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey was launched in 2020 and is hand-crafted from local Virginia corn, wheat and malted barley in one distilling season. The bourbon is aged for four years in charred new American Oak barrels and is bottled at 100 Proof. This was KO Distilling’s first Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, which also paid homage to the 400^th anniversary of distilled spirits in the United States. 

Launched in 2021, KO Distiller’s Reserve Bottled-in-Bond Straight Rye Whiskey is hand-crafted from 100 percent rye grown and harvested in Virginia’s Northern Neck peninsula. It is KO Distilling’s second bottled-in-bond expression.

Both Gold Medal-award winning whiskeys will be highlighted as part of the First Landing Cup Virginia-made spirits promotion taking place at select Virginia ABC stores starting this month.

Facts

KO Distiller’s Reserve Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey 

·     4-Year-Old; 50% ABV

·     Distilled by KO Distilling in one distilling season

·     Hand-crafted from Virginia-grown grains:

o   70% corn, 20% wheat, and 10% malted barley

·     Certified Kosher, Craft Distilled, and Virginia’s Finest

·     SRP:  $69.99 (750mL)

KO Distiller’s Reserve Bottled-in-Bond Straight Rye Whiskey 

·     4 years old; 50% ABV

·     Distilled by KO Distilling in one distilling season

·     Hand-crafted from 100% Virginia Rye

·     Certified Kosher, Craft Distilled, and Virginia’s Finest

·     SRP:  $69.99 (750mL)

About Virginia Distillers Association

The Virginia Distillers Association was founded to serve as a unifying voice for the Virginia spirits industry. Its mission is to advance the legislative interests of Virginia distillers and to educate its members on regulatory compliance in collaboration with the Virginia ABC. The Association strives to foster a thriving community of Virginia spirits producers dedicated to crafting world-class products for consumers across the Commonwealth and around the world.

About Virginia Spirits Board

The Virginia legislature established the Virginia Spirits Board in 2020. The purpose of the Spirits Board is to allocate funds to projects that expand spirits distilling research, education, and promotion of the growing of grains and the production of spirits in the commonwealth. The Virginia Spirits Board is one of 16 commodity boards within the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

About KO Distilling

Founded by long-time friends and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy classmates Bill Karlson, “K,” and John O’Mara, “O,” KO Distilling is a craft producer of clear unaged spirits, including three gins and a white whiskey, and aged small-batch whiskeys. Produced in Manassas, Virginia, at a state-of-the-art distillery, KO spirits are currently available online, at retail outlets in Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland and Delaware, as well as at select U.S. Coast Guard Exchange stores.