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Victor George Spirits receives $2.45m to build distillery

Vodka producer Victor George Spirits has secured a loan of US$2.45 million to build a new distillery complex that will include a restaurant and rooftop bar.

Victor George Spirits
The Victory Building will cover 15,000 square feet, and include a rooftop bar

The Fort Lauderdale Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board has agreed to donate the money to fund the construction of Victor George Spirits’ new facility.

Located at Sistrunk Boulevard, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the new complex will be called The Victory Building.

“As our core brand VG continues to grow nationwide, we are committed to helping our own city grow, particularly the Sistrunk corridor.  This has been a long process, but we stayed [on] course,” said Victor Harvey, CEO of Victor George Spirits.

The new space will comprise a distillery, restaurant, cigar bar, whiskey lounge, working space, and rooftop bar and lounge.

“Through these difficult times our focus was to keep all of our employees working and get to this point, which we were able to do. This building will allow the creation of several more job opportunities, with most of the hiring coming from within the neighbourhood,” added Harvey.

Harvey is aiming to use the loan alongside his own funding to ‘transform a once vibrant area’.

The Victory Building is named after  the ‘historic’ Victory Theatre, which was once located at Sistrunk Boulevard. The theatre used to be an entertainment venue for Black people in Fort Lauderdale, and the only theatre they could attend up until the end of racial segregation in 1964.

“This will be a signature project on the Sistrunk corridor,” added Fort Lauderdale commissioner, Robert McKinzie.

Beverage scientist Matthew Spinozzi will oversee operations at the distillery, working with George to extend the brand’s spirits portfolio.

Victor George Vodka is described as ‘clean and smooth’, and made with ‘all-natural ingredients’. The liquid is crafted using a patented combination of filtration and oxidation methods that remove congeners and free radicals from the spirit. The 750ml bottle retails for US$19.99.

Last year, American rapper Flo Rida became an equity partner of VG Spirits.

Victor George Spirits featured in The Spirits Businesslist of 10 Black-owned spirits brands to support.

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