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From Backyard Bounty to Bottle: The Story of Our Special Release Agave Spirit
What if the secret to a truly unique spirit was growing right in your neighbor's yard? Join us as we unveil the extraordinary journey of our Special Release Agave Spirit, crafted from a local Agave Americana that found its way from a Santa Rosa Beach backyard to our distillery. It's a story of local bounty, unexpected craftsmanship, and a spirit unlike any other.
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SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CRAFT DISTILLERY
In the world of craft cocktails, every element matters. From the quality of the ingredients to the artistry of the bartender, each factor contributes to the final, unforgettable sip. However, there's one often-overlooked component that plays a pivotal role in creating the perfect cocktail…
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Orange You Glad We Made Rum
Our latest liquor release comes in the form of a fresh orange rum inspired by Inlet Beach along the Florida coastline. Inlet Beach is one of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in South Walton, with the largest regional beach access, white sand, clear turquoise waters, and close proximity to a reef, viewable by snorkeling, paddle boarding, or kayaking. It’s no wonder we named our refreshing and tropical rum after Inlet Beach. To create our newest spirit, we started with our classic Florida rum as the base. We make this using Louisiana cane sugar and black strap molasses. Our original rum smells of fresh cut hay, honey, and ripe banana, and features a smooth taste of fresh mint with a clean, lingering stone fruit sweetness. At our Florida craft distillery, we then take our original rum and add fresh honeybell oranges from 331 Farmers Market located in Freeport, Florida. We use fresh honeybell oranges, which are a type of tangelo, a hybrid of the Dancy tangerine and Duncan grap
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we’re feeling gin-spired
We talk a lot about our Florida whiskey distillery, and people rave about our Blue Mountain Beach bourbon whiskey, so much so that sometimes people forget about our other spirit options. One of our prized creations (literally) is our Citrus Rosemary Gin. Owner and distiller Brian Rabon dove deep into the gin process with friend and mentor Clay Smith. Together, they took two days to feel, smell, and taste over 100 botanicals in order to narrow it down to thirteen – which make up the gin you can try at our Santa Rosa Beach tasting room. When Brian was sorting through botanicals, he knew he wanted to put a 30A twist on a classic gin recipe. He chose both citrus and rosemary because of their abundance along HWY 30A, including the rosemary bushes he keeps in his own backyard. He created this spirit with a sunset gin and tonic in mind, and we’re pretty happy with just how well it fits. The Citrus Rosemary Gin just won the Gold & Best in Class award with the East Coast Craft Spirits Awa
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Membership Clubs
One of our main missions here at 30A Distilling Co is building a community with members of like-minded people. We craft our spirits to bottle the essence of 30A, and our Santa Rosa Beach tasting room is a place for people to enjoy carefully crafted cocktails and locally made snacks. To ‘bottle 30A’ means we are constantly drawing inspiration from our surroundings and the people that inhabit them. One of our latest spirits, the Grayton Beach Agave Spirit, which now comes in Blanco and Reposado versions, is named after the beach with the motto ‘nice dogs, strange people.’ We love this beach for its artificial reef meant for snorkeling, exploring, and the beautiful beaches filled with pick-up volleyball games. Wherever you are, we hope your surroundings inspire you as much as they did for us! We started our membership clubs for people who love local spirits, making new connections, and trying our newest flavors of Gulf Coast spirits as soon as they hit the shelves. Most recently, we
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Let’s Talk Tequila!
With the release of our newest spirit, it's time to talk about tequila, agave spirits, and the art of making America's favorite liquor – and yes, tequila sales have indeed surpassed all other spirit types for the first time in American history. You can read more about that here . Tequila is a distilled spirit made from blue Weber agave, primarily grown in the Jalisco state of Mexico. To be classified as tequila, it has to be made in Mexico within a limited geography. Additionally, the word “Tequila” is an appellation of origin/trademark of Mexico. Any product made from agave outside of a limited region of Mexico or from other varieties of agave is referred to as an agave spirit — hence why our spirit, made locally in our Florida distillery, is named as such. Our first Grayton Beach Agave Spirit is considered a blanco, or un-aged spirit, and has been popular in our 30A Distilling Co tasting room for several months. Blanco agave spirits are popular for margaritas and other co
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Simple Springtime Cocktails
With the sun shining and perfect 80-degree days, it’s no wonder springtime on the Emerald Coast is something to be admired. Explore Santa Rosa bars, Miramar Beach, local whiskey distilleries, and the best restaurants in 30A, all in perfect weather — so you can get the most out of your 30A vacation. If it all gets to be too busy, a picnic on the beach or cocktails at home is always a classic option for the 30A lifestyle. We’ve collected a few recipes of cocktails you can make at home, with five ingredients or less – because vacation doesn’t need to be difficult. Limoncello Spritz This cocktail is an authentic derivative of Italy, a country that has much in common with the Emerald Coast. Picture wearing soft linens, watching the sunset at Blue Mountain Beach, sipping your Italian-inspired cocktail, and hearing the waves gently hit the white sand. That’s exactly the vibe that fits this cocktail. 1 ½ oz Aperol ½ oz Ciao Limoncello 3 oz Prosecco Pour over crushed ice into a wine
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Ciao limoncello
Limoncello is a sweet lemon-forward liquor that originated in the early 20th century in Southern Italy along the Sorrento peninsula. It is made from the zest of Sorrento lemons, which are famous for their fragrant aroma and bright yellow color. Due to its sweet and refreshingly dessert-like qualities, it is commonly served as an after-dinner digestif and is meant to be savored and sipped slowly. As the popularity of the Limoncello recipe spread through Italy, it became a tradition amongst many families, with recipes being passed down for generations. Due to the relatively low cost and effort for an at-home recipe, Limoncello has remained a popular liqueur still to this day. A recipe can vary in many ways, but it always consists of high-proof alcohol as the base (in ours, we use a neutral-grain spirit), then the zest of lemons is added to steep for several days or even weeks. Once the flavors have been fully infused into the alcohol, the liquid is strained, and sugar is added.&nbs
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How to Spend Spring Break on 30A
It's that time of year again, and your favorite spring break vacation destination is ready for you! The 30A area has everything you need for a fun, relaxing, and eventful week away. The list is long for things to do in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and we're excited you're here! Stay a While! Need a last-minute rental? One of the biggest selections of rentals along the Emerald Coast is available through a local company, 30A Escapes, and they are great to book with. All their rental properties include bikes so you can explore the beautiful towns and beachside trails of South Walton. Find the perfect size house in the perfect location with the help of locals who know and appreciate the area. Cork and Barrel Rosemary Beach Not just a bottle shop, Cork and Barrel has been reimagining the idea of what a liquor store looks like since its conception in June 2021. Not only can you make purchases to take home with you, but you can stop in for a tasting of local beer, wine, and spirits. They're kno
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Understanding Rum
As more and more people visit our tasting room, they are surprised to learn that 30A Distilling Co offers multiple types of rum. We love rum because it is so versatile in cocktails and has so many different flavor profiles. In this blog post, we are going to shed some light on the different styles of rum. What is Rum? Rum is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane byproducts, such as molasses or sugarcane juice. It is typically produced in countries with a tropical climate, including the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Rum is typically aged in oak barrels, which can give it a smooth, mellow flavor. The aging process also causes the rum to darken in color, with longer-aged rums being darker in color than younger rums. Where do you get your sugarcane? Our sister distillery, Sugarfield Spirits in Gonzales, Louisiana, is only minutes away from sugarcane fields. Sugarfield has a relationship with the Lula-Westfield sugar mill in Assumption parish, and they
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Why our Blue Mountain Beach Bourbon Cream is a holiday hit.
Since its release earlier this summer, our Blue Mountain Bourbon Cream, has quickly become a fan favorite and one of our fastest selling spirits out of our Santa Rosa Beach, Florida tasting room. You might be wondering, what is Bourbon Cream? Using our Blue Mountain Beach Bourbon as the base, we added hand-scraped vanilla beans and a Wisconsin dairy cream liqueur base to create a smooth concoction that is sure to excite your palate. Tasting Notes: Aroma: bourbon, cloves, and nutmeg Palate: dark chocolate, oak, vanilla, and smooth cream Finish: toffee, condensed milk, and baking spices Why is our Bourbon Cream a fan favorite? The lower proof and sweet smooth taste make it go down easy. Beer drinkers and even those who don’t like spirits, often find love at first taste. It's not uncommon for our bourbon cream to stop people in their tracks and instantly bring a huge smile to their face; like they just found their new best friend. What can you do with our bourbon cream? A lot
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Rye vs. Bourbon: Whiskey of Florida
There are some big similarities between rye and bourbon as they are cousins of the same fermented cereal grain family. However, when it comes to flavor and drinking experience, they’re very different. The release of our latest spirit, Dune Allen Rye Whiskey, paired alongside our longtime member of our Gulf Coast distillery, Blue Mountain Beach Bourbon, is a fun comparison. We don’t blame you if you want to run down to our distillery in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, to immediately compare the two. There’s a long and rich history of distilling in Florida, which escalated in the 1920’s during the Prohibition era. With the proximity to Cuba and the Bahamas, Miami and Tampa were hot spots for the illegal buying and selling of spirits during the time. After Prohibition ended, regulations stayed in place preventing Florida distillers the easy opportunity to make and sell product. Finally, in 2013, Florida legislation passed a bill that allowed the existence of microdistilleries. The Southe
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The History of 30a
Our distillery is nestled in the heart of beautiful scenic highway 30A - a stretch of winding road that extends along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Since the late 1800's, when the region became popular as a commerce port and landing for steam boats, this little slice of panhandle heaven has been more recently gaining attraction from people all over the world. As recently as the 1970's, major parts of this region were all but deserted. Today, however, 30A is home to thousands of locals, part-timers, and visitors from all over the world. What makes the 30A region of Northwest Florida so special? Land After a natural phenomenon occurring 100,000 years ago brought quartz from the tops of the Appalachian Mountains down rivers towards the Gulf, the beaches of the 30A region were left with fine, silky and bleach-white sands covering its beaches. Santa Rosa Beach rests on the edge of the Hogtown Bayou, making this relatively small stretch of land a unique blend of biodive
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Behind The Scenes At a Florida Craft Distillery
Join us as we dive into what it’s like behind the scenes at our Florida craft distillery!
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FLORIDA CANE RUM
Rum belongs in the tropics. Originating from the Caribbean, this naturally sweet and bold liquor is enjoyed worldwide and famously featured in cocktails such as the Mai Tai, Piña Colada and Daiquiri. Some may say there is no better place to be than a pristine beach with a rum cocktail in hand — and at 30A Distilling Co, we couldn’t agree more. Our line of Florida rums will transport you to your favorite strip of sun and sand with a single sip. Thoughtfully made at our Florida craft distillery with regionally sourced ingredients, each variety captures the spirit of 30A. Seacrest Community Rum Our flagship rum is named after a beloved neighborhood on 30A, the Seacrest Community. Old school, laid back and beautiful, the relaxed vibe of Seacrest Beach, Florida perfectly matched the vision for our Florida rum. Made simply from Louisiana cane sugar, molasses, water and yeast, Seacrest Community Rum’s local ingredients shine. Enjoy neat to experience the full flavor profile, inclu
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The Beaches of 30A
HWY 30A’s pristine beaches are known worldwide. When visiting the area, it can be overwhelming - there are so many things to do on 30A! We’ve compiled a list of 30A Distilling Co’s favorite beach spots for fun in the sun, outdoors activities, and soaking up the best of what our home has to offer. Seagrove Beach Seagrove Beach , Florida is a classic 30A destination. A mix of old and new Florida, families have frolicked on his sun soaked beach since the 1940s. Boasting more public beach access points than any other on 30A, Seagrove is a laid back gem. Named for the beautiful trees that surround it, this serene beach is the inspiration for our Seagrove Community Vodka — best enjoyed with your favorite mixer under the shade of the area’s historic live oaks. Blue Mountain Beach Blue Mountain Beach, Florida is the epitome of pristine natural beauty. As the highest peak on the Gulf of Mexico (a massive elevation of 65 feet above sea level), this ‘mountain’ is covered in blue lupin
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Drinking Florida Whiskey
Drinking Florida Whiskey When in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, searching ‘whiskey distillery near me’ may not be the first thing that comes to mind. While the South is Bourbon country, Kentucky reigns as home of the category. In the past decade, craft distillers around the globe have offered their own contributions to the world of whiskey, creating an exciting new space for innovation. At 30A Distilling Co, we’re putting a regional spin on Bourbon from our Florida whiskey distillery. Visit us for an exclusive 30A whiskey tasting! When setting out to create a Florida Bourbon, we drew our inspiration from the natural beauty of the beaches along HWY 30A. We knew we wanted something pristine — an easy drinking whiskey that captured the gulf coast spirit. After a meticulous production process of sourcing, blending and aging 4 at least years, our Blue Mountain Beach Bourbon was born. Inspired by the stunning simplicity of the west end spot it’s named for, Blue Mountain Beach Bourbo
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Meet the Maker
30A Distilling Co is a celebration of the beautiful place we call home. At the heart of our company is our founder Brian Rabon, a proud Florida distiller and serial entrepreneur. Dive in to meet the maker behind 30A Distilling Co! Brian first fell in love with the beaches dotting the Emerald Coast as a kid, visiting the area every summer with his family. 30A became his favorite place –– the location of all his best memories and the place he always wanted to be. Just a Southern kid with big dreams, Brian made it his goal to someday live on the beach. He achieved that as an adult and now splits his time between Salt Lake City, UT and 30A. In high school, Brian thrived in chemistry classes and excelled in labs. He followed this interest into college, starting in Chemical Engineering and eventually declaring and graduating with a degree in Computer Science from Auburn University. While he launched into a successful career in the field, he never forgot how much he enjoyed chemis
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Get To Know 30A Spirits
Dive into our gulf coast spirits! Here at 30A Distilling Co, we’re bottling the beach by capturing the personality of 30A, Florida in every sip. Our Florida Vodka, Rum and Bourbon are all made at our 30A distillery in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Not sure where to start? Learn more about our various products and how they’re best enjoyed below. Seacrest Community Rum 80 Proof | 40% ABV Ingredients: Cane Sugar, Molasses, Water, Yeast Colorful and laidback, our Seacrest Community Rum is inspired by the thriving 30A neighborhood for which it’s named. Made with Louisiana cane sugar and molasses, this distinctly southern rum shines in any cocktail. Sip it neat, kick back, and relax. On the nose, you’ll find notes of fresh cut hay, honey, and ripe banana. On the palate you’ll find fresh mint and minerality, with a finish of lingering stone fruit sweetness. Our favorite way to enjoy Seacrest Community Rum is in our signature Seacrest Mojito. Clean and crisp, the Seacrest Mojito is an exce
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The Best Things To Do on 30A
Roll down the windows and breathe in the salt air — you’ve made it to the beach! 30A offers endless ways to spend your time, regardless of where your interests lie. From stunning natural beauty to culinary delights, the Emerald Coast has something for everyone. With so much to do, where to start? We’ve compiled a list of our favorite activities in the region with the help of 30A Distilling Co Founder, Brian Rabon. A lifetime visitor to the beaches of 30A, Brian has called Santa Rosa Beach home since 2015. Jump in and experience 30A like a local! At 30A Distilling Co, we’re capturing the spirit of the beach in a bottle. We create premium spirits from distinctly Southern ingredients. Our home is the inspiration behind all we do, and we can’t wait to share 30A with y’all. Paddle Board on Western Lake One of the natural wonders of 30A is the coastal dune lake, a geologic feature created by wind and sand that features a combination of both fresh and saltwater. While