Medium & Craft Distillery Founders
Southern U. S. States
South Carolina & North Carolina
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
Craig Amick
Hollow Creek Distillery
When Craig Amick’s Hollow Creek Distillery finally opened near Leesville in 2014, he could not have dreamed that within only eight short years the small operation would earn medals at major spirits competitions, including the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the New York International Spirits Competition.
2
Scott Blackwell
High Wire Distillery
Scott Blackwell is the co-founder, distiller, and driving creative force behind High Wire Distilling, located in Charleston, South Carolina. Alongside his wife, Ann Marshall, he has built a distillery that weaves together craft entrepreneurial energy, agricultural heritage, and food-industry experience into spirits with character and place.
3
Trey Boggs
Palmetto Distillery
In 2011, the Boggs brothers founded Palmetto Distillery in Anderson, South Carolina, with the original intention of producingmoonshine, making it one of the first legal distilleries in South Carolina since Prohibition. It wasn’t long before the Boggs brothers turned their full attention to bourbon.
4
5
Jim Irvin
Firefly Distillery
Jim Irvin didn’t just want to create any whiskey; he wanted to craft something uniquely Lowcountry, a spirit that spoke to the region’s heat, humidity, and the slow maturation that comes with coastal aging. He understood that the transition to great whiskey involved a profound understanding of the climate’s impact on the final product.
6
David Szlam
Virgil Kaine
David Szlam started his career as a trained chef. Szlam worked in fine dining across the Southeastern United States. His specialty was in culinary innovation, pairing ingredients with intent and precision, which naturally led him to consider distillation science and ultimately, to co-found Virgil Kaine Distillery in 2011
7
Billy Watterson
Burnt Church Distillery
Burnt Church Distillery is the fruit of Billy Watterson’s vision. From its physical building to its mission, the founders have aimed for something more than just making spirits. Billy sees the distillery as a way to bring Lowcountry history to life, to give back to the community, and to honor local culture.