We are working diligently to get to market. We will keep you posted!
"The Bishop" Origin
In the Beginning...
Bishop de Bastogne is Dockery Beverage’s first offering in the adult beverage market. It was inspired in Belgium, nurtured in North Carolina, and sent into the world by the Gambill family to be enjoyed. Its formation was inspired by a moment of hospitality that happened on Christmas day, 1944 on the outskirts of Bastogne, Belgium. My father, Earl Johnson Gambill (named in honor of his great uncle Captain Samuel Johnson of the Revolutionary War), was part of a 155 howitzer gun crew. On Christmas day, when the city was under siege by Axis troops, there was a lull in fighting. Local families took our troops into their homes and shared Christmas hospitality with our soldiers. On that day, a gentleman from Bastogne offered a libation of his own creation to my father and the other members of the gun crew. My father on several occasions recalled that moment of hospitality, and how much it meant to him and the other members of the gun grew.
Daddy was a moonshiner from Wilkes County, North Carolina, which is traditionally known as the Moonshine Capital of America. Because of his experience before he enlisted, he was very enamored with the taste and quality of this new (to him) beverage. Luckily, the gentleman spoke some English. Daddy wanted to know more about this fragrant, warming beverage. One thing needs to be stated here...My father was a very good cook and had keen sensibilities to flavor profiles. He asked the man about the beverage, what it was named, and how it was made. As for the name, "The Bishop" was what the man replied, and he shared the recipe with Daddy. Finding a scrap of paper and pencil, Daddy wrote down as much of it as he could understand and kept it with him. Later, he attempted to recreate it to no avail.
I thought that scrap of paper was long lost or destroyed. In April 2016, while looking through the family bible that is in my care, I saw where Daddy’s note was tucked away. About four years ago, I set out to develop that recipe for "The Bishop" based on the information in that note. A good flavor profile was achieved. I set the project aside to see how it held up. Almost two years later, my daughter Megan and I took up the project again. What we noticed, as happens with complex mixtures, was the individual flavors married into one exquisite new aromatic flavor. Then the next task before us was converting that first concoction into a production ready formula. Now this formula is locked away in a fire proof strong box.
Time is on The Bishop's side...We learned in the beginning, the finished formula is not truly ready to be bottled. It requires a rest for maturation. The minimum time is six months, but longer may be better. Only time will tell. It took over three years of compounding and tasting to arrive at a flavor profile many volunteers have judged to be “SUPERIOR”. The Bishop is offered as a unique product, free from cane or beet sugar, to our customers. “Our conscience is clear; our label is clean. Every ingredient in this beverage is 100% sourced from Mother Nature’s flavor profiles. Nothing is artificial; that’s our pledge to you." We are proud of our creation, and we hope you enjoy it.
Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to visit Bastogne, Belgium and have seen the monument erected to our soldiers who fought in that horrible conflict. Inscribed on the monument are these words that begin the sentiment of the citizens of Bastogne... “These brave men fought for this land as if it were their own.” I am lucky my father survived that battle; many others on both sides did not.
Earl Edward Gambill, Proprietor and Managing Director of Dockery Beverage LTD
Earl Johnson Gambill. Pictured in Nice, France in 1941 during WWII.