Trey Boggs
“Family and Fire”
Long before he became one of South Carolina’s modern whiskey makers, Trey Boggs was steeped in Southern tradition; not just culturally, but legally. He and his brother, Bryan Boggs, came from a family with deep ties to law enforcement. Their father, Bobby, served as Anderson County Sheriff, and both Trey and Bryan worked in law enforcement and public safety roles during their early careers. Ironically, it was that background of witnessing firsthand the legacy of moonshine arrests and Prohibition-era tales that sparked their fascination with legalizing what had once been outlawed.
In 2011, the Boggs brothers founded Palmetto Distillery in Anderson, South Carolina, with the original intention of producing moonshine, making it one of the first legal distilleries in South Carolina since Prohibition. Trey took charge of production, operations, and expansion, while Bryan handled branding and distribution. While moonshine gave the company its start, it wasn’t long before the Boggs brothers turned their full attention to whiskey, specifically, bourbon and rye made in traditional Southern style. They began sourcing locally grown corn and rye, working with farmers across South Carolina to maintain authentic regional character. Like other Southern distillers outside Kentucky, they faced skepticism early on. But instead of copying Kentucky’s style, Trey pushed for a grain-forward, robust whiskey profile that honored South Carolina’s agricultural roots.
By 2015, Palmetto Distillery introduced its first aged whiskey products under the Palmetto Whiskey label, focusing on straight bourbon and rye with traditional mash bills. Their bourbon typically used high corn content balanced with malted barley, while the rye leaned toward spice-driven grain expression. Trey oversaw barrel aging in charred American oak, storing casks in the hot, humid South Carolina climate, conditions that accelerate barrel interaction and fast-track flavor development.
As interest in the brand expanded, Trey led tasting events and whiskey education programs, often personally guiding visitors through the distillery’s history. He has frequently spoken about the contrast between illegal moonshine culture and legal whiskey craftsmanship, emphasizing that while their origins were rooted in the former, their future was grounded in legitimacy, regulation, and respect for the process.
In the late 2010s, Palmetto’s whiskey products began earning wider attention, with distribution growing across multiple Southern states. Trey helped orchestrate collaborations with restaurants and private barrel programs, offering custom barrel selections for bars and retailers. One notable partnership involved working with regional barbecue establishments to release limited-edition whiskey finishes tailored for pairing with smoked meats, reinforcing whiskey’s place in Carolina food culture.
Palmetto Whiskey also saw interest from the tourism industry, becoming a featured stop on the South Carolina Agritourism and Distillery Trails. Trey encouraged hands-on experiences — from bottle-your-own-barrel sessions to grain-to-glass workshops — positioning Palmetto not as a passive shelf brand but as an interactive whiskey venue.
By the early 2020s, Palmetto Distillery had become one of the most widely distributed whiskey producers in South Carolina, with Trey serving as a visible ambassador for the state’s craft distilling movement. His leadership helped shift South Carolina’s image from a former moonshine hub to a recognized whiskey region.
Trey was born on November 19, 1976. He is married to Melissa “Missy” Boggs, who serves as Palmetto’s CFO. Clearly, family plays a prominent role in the distillery’s identity; it presents itself not merely as a business, but as a family legacy designed to outlast its founders.
In an industry dominated by legacy names from Kentucky and Tennessee, Trey Boggs and his family and partners have carved out their place not by claiming distilling heritage, but by building it from scratch with discipline, legality, and loyalty. His story is one of transformation from enforcing the law to rewriting it, and from raiding stills to running one.
Sources:
Palmetto Distillery Website, palmettodistillery.com
Anderson (SC) Independent Mail, “Brothers Buy Marina…”, Jake Grove, May 26, 2017
Greenville (SC) Journal, Palmetto Distillery Feature, Trevor Anderson, February 13, 2018
Whisky Advocate, Review of Palmetto Whiskey, Winter 2015
South Carolina Distillery Trail Guide, distilerytrail.com
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee
