David Szlam
“From Bouillabaisse to Bourbon”
Before he became a whiskey producer, David Szlam spent his career in a very different realm of flavor. A trained chef, Szlam (pronounced “Sh-lam”) worked in fine dining across the Southeastern United States. His background was not in agriculture or distillation science, but in culinary innovation, pairing ingredients with intent and precision. It was during his years in food that Szlam developed a deep appreciation for whiskey, not just as a beverage, but as a foundation of layered complexity similar to cuisine.
In 2009, the then-30-year-old chef was working in Charleston, South Carolina. It was then that he began experimenting with spirit infusions and flavor development outside the kitchen. Before long, he connected with fellow chef Ryan Meany, and the two realized their common interest in whiskey, both as a drink and as a culinary device. Rather than follow traditional distilling routes, they believed whiskey could benefit from chef-driven creativity, balancing structure with boldness.
Two years later, Szlam and Meany officially founded Virgil Kaine Distillery. The duo did not begin with a full-scale distillery. Instead, like many emerging producers, they sourced quality whiskey from established distillers and created blends and finishes that reflected their culinary backgrounds. Szlam often compared the process to building flavor in food by layering sweetness, spice, acidity, and smoke, but with barrel wood and grain variation instead of spices and sauces.
Szlam explained that the name “Virgil Kaine” is a fictional character, inspired loosely by Civil War-era Americana and rail history. The founders wanted a name that sounded like a wandering Southern railman, embodying the spirit of grit, travel, and rebellion. Though not based on a real individual, the name gave the whiskey a sense of narrative identity that is perfect—not aristocratic or formal, but rugged and adventurous.
In 2013, the brand expanded distribution throughout South Carolina and into neighboring states. As consumer curiosity grew, Szlam and Meany broadened Virgil Kaine’s offerings to include more barrel-finished bourbon and rye expressions. Some were aged in sherry casks, others in port or rum barrels. While infused products helped build early recognition, it was grain-based whiskey blends that began drawing attention from whiskey reviewers. Throughout this period, Szlam remained deeply involved in product formulation, operating less like a conventional distiller and more like a flavor architect. His approach focused on balancing grain character with finishing influence, always testing variations side by side.
As Virgil Kaine grew, Szlam continued to work closely with other distillers and co-packers, forging collaborations to experiment with aging conditions and mash bills. In 2019, Virgil Kaine partnered with King’s Family Distillery in Tennessee to produce a single-barrel series, allowing select retailers to choose individualized whiskey profiles from curated casks. That same year, the company also collaborated with local breweries, supplying used bourbon barrels for beer finishing, which would later be returned for secondary-aging whiskey projects, creating circular aging cycles. Then, in 2021, Virgil Kaine launched a major project called The Ribbon Rail Barrel Select Program, introducing limited-edition finishes such as cabernet cask bourbon and rye aged in red wine barrels. These releases reinforced Szlam’s commitment to culinary-style experimentation applied to traditional whiskey foundations. In doing so, Szlam was not altering the spirit fundamentally, but enhancing it through complementary finishing.
Szlam has often spoken about how balancing fatherhood with whiskey production has influenced his priorities. His son was born in 2008, just before the opening of Virgil Kaine Distillery. Today, David Szlam, father to a teenage boy, continues to serve as whiskey director of Virgil Kaine, guiding production strategy and development. And while the company now works with larger-scale barrel programs and broader distribution partners, Szlam maintains control over sensory approval and final blend decisions. Virgil Kaine, once an experimental passion project between two chefs, has matured into a respected whiskey label rooted in creativity, Southern resilience, and a belief that bourbon can be both classic and culinary.
Sources
Virgil Kaine Official Website — https://www.virgilkaine.com
Whisky Advocate — “Virgil Kaine High-Rye Bourbon Review”
Charleston City Paper — “Chefs Behind Virgil Kaine Bring Culinary Flair to Whiskey”
The Post and Courier — Interview with founders David Szlam and Ryan Meany
Forbes — “Southern Whiskey Brands to Watch”
King’s Family Distillery Collaboration Release Notes
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee
