Creative Crafting
Virago Spirits owners Vicki Lawton Haneberg ’90, P ’21 and Brad Haneberg ’90, P ’21 are redefining tradition at their distillery
April 22, 2025
By
Jackson Maynard ’25
Virago is a Latin term for a woman who would play a traditionally male societal role. When adopting the word as the name of their new business venture, the owners of Virago Spirits de-emphasized the gender aspect of the definition and interpreted the concept as a person, male or female, “who opts to define themself rather than permitting society or other outside forces tell them what they are supposed to be.”
The tasting room at their distillery in Richmond, Virginia, is decorated with images of historical figures throughout history whom the owners believe are true Viragos — including Joan of Arc, Hedy Lamarr, David Bowie and the Tuskegee Airmen — welcoming everyone who comes through the doors.
Virago Spirits is run by Vicki Lawton Haneberg ’90, P ’21 and Brad Haneberg ’90, P ’21 with Brad’s brother Barry Haneberg. Both Vicki and Brad studied psychology at William & Mary, and Brad had a double major in government. He went on to receive a law degree and splits his time between his legal practice in international securities law and Virago Spirits. Vicki, who oversees the customer-facing aspects of Virago’s operations, has experience working at both nonprofits and Fortune 500 companies such as Capital One.
The couple's interest in crafting alcoholic beverages began after Vicki gave Brad a homebrew beer kit when he was leaving to attend law school at the University of Tennessee. That gift sparked an idea that, combined with the family's business expertise, led them to open Virago Spirits decades later.
The main advice that the Hanebergs have for those looking to start a business is to be patient and begin by working for someone else. “Entrepreneurs who are young may jump in too fast without figuring out their strategies and having a great mentor,” Brad says. “There is greater success in waiting and taking time to plan out what you want to do, learn the business and have enough capital to invest in your business.”
Virago was in the creation stage long before the doors opened. Brad and Barry enrolled in classes across the U.S. and engaged consultants in the cognac industry to learn the process of fermentation and distillation. This learning phase took several years before they even considered opening Virago.
One result of their research was their decision to use a Charentais Alembic still, a French still traditionally used for cognac production, to make rum, gin and brandy. Virago Spirits’ still previously was located in France, making cognac for Maison Hardy. Virago Spirits engaged experienced cognac distillers from France to assist them with the installation and fine tuning of their still to ensure everything was working properly.
The Hanebergs say the time they spent in preparation and planning helped to set them up for success. They also expanded their knowledge of the rum trade, including its historical ties to slavery, allowing them to hold meaningful discussions about that history with their customers.
“This place allows us to have those candid conversations — which goes back to William & Mary and the concept of liberal arts. Knowing a little and listening a lot to people who have different thoughts, experiences and histories than you allows you to see a more complex view of the world,” Brad says. “The distillery provides a space where all are encouraged to have a discussion with someone who may view something differently than you. You would be surprised how a little rum, gin or brandy starts conversations that should occur.”
The Hanebergs stay involved with William & Mary by hosting a wide variety of events for Richmond chapters of the Young Guarde and other alumni groups who use the tasting room to meet and catch up. Virago Spirits also has served gin and rum at Homecoming & Reunion Weekend events.
Additionally, Brad and Vicki have participated in the MBA program at William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business as judges for specific projects, providing valuable business insights on the food and beverage field.
In the future, the Virago Spirits team aims to expand their offerings beyond Virginia while maintaining the business’s culture and style. They plan to branch out to at least five new states in the next decade. This will be challenging, as Virago Spirits has to navigate divergent state regulations relating to the transportation and sale of alcohol.
With their planned expansion, the Hanebergs want to retain the welcoming environment and relaxed atmosphere of their original location. The space that Vicki manages is decorated with cozy sofas and chairs. The walls contain paintings by a local artist, and there is an open view into the back of the distillery so customers can see the production of the spirits they are sampling.
“This place was designed for anybody to come in and for it to be a very welcoming and safe space,” Vicki says. “That has been fabulous, and we greatly appreciate the people we have met and the relationships we have formed."